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Automotive
Mazda celebrates 40 years of the Rotary Engine
By Mike Hanlon
May 30, 2007 Today marks the 40th anniversary of Mazda's first Wankel rotary engine powered vehicle. On May 30, 1967, Mazda commenced sales of the world's first dual-rotor RE car, the Cosmo Sport and has since produced almost two million rotary engined vehicles. The first wankel-engined auto was an NSU (now Audi) Wankel Spider in 1964, and though Mercedes, Rolls Royce, Norton, Suzuki, General Motors, Citroen, John Deere and Arctic Cat all experimented with some even producing small runs of wankel engined machinery, the only manufacturer to produce the engine designed by German engineer Felix Wankel in quantities remains as Mazda. Read More
The Rattlebuster, letting you pinpoint interior vibrations in your car with the engine off
By Loz Blain
May 29, 2007 Irritating buzzing sounds in your car interior can be exceptionally annoying, and finding them is nearly impossible with the car stopped. Enter the Rattlebuster, a UKP10 CD that plays vibration-inducing tones through your car stereo. Mimicing several different road travel frequencies for 4 minutes at a time, the Rattlebuster lets you track down loose bits and pieces once and for all, with your car stopped. Read More
Car stereo for the flash drive generation
By Loz Blain
May 28, 2007 As music consumption expands to include greater use of mobile USB devices like the iPod, car audio is beginning to follow. Clarion's latest in-car CD receiver features signal restoration to get the best out of compressed MP3, AAC and WMA files - and a USB cable that pops out in your glove box so you can play sound files straight from any USB storage device. Read More
LTC demonstrates plug-in Prius Hybrid with 125+ mpg fuel efficiency
By Mike Hanlon
May 25, 2007 Lithium Technology Corporation (LTC) yesterday unveiled a retrofitted Toyota Prius, with plug-in capabilities allowing for 125+ miles per gallon fuel efficiency, which is powered by the Company’s unique battery technology. The battery for the Prius utilizes LTC’s new product line of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) cells, the largest cells of their kind in the world, which are considered to be the technology of choice for car manufacturers. Read More
Oerlikon nighttime vision uses near-infrared spectrum
By Mike Hanlon
May 25, 2007 Driving is a site-response game, and without the light of day, becomes far more difficult after sundown. Many manufacturers have been experimenting with night vision systems, Now Oerlikon Optics has developed a new active night vision system that uses near-infrared (NIR) radiation, achieving over 90 percent efficiency of near-infrared light visible onto the car’s monitor. The unwanted residual light generated with infrared headlights is reduced by a factor of 1000. This allows appreciably improved reproduction of objects at night time. Read More
New seven-speed DSG gearbox
By Mike Hanlon
May 25, 2007 Volkswagen has developed a seven-speed version of its DSG gearbox which is used on such exotica as the Bugatti Veyron and the Audi TT. The new seven-speed gearbox, codenamed DQ200, uses a pair of dry clutches in preference to the six-speed version’s twin wet clutches, increasing efficiency and performance over the wet clutch six-speed system. The six-speed DSG gearbox, which was introduced in 2003, uses a pair of clutches submerged in oil. The new seven-speed gearbox adopts a pair of dry, organic bonded friction linings that do not require cooling, making the drivetrain more efficient through the extra ratio and the fact that less power is required for the gear selection and clutch servo system. Read More
Seat shows its first off-roader
By Mike Hanlon
May 23, 2007 SEAT has released the first pictures and details of the rugged new Altea freetrack, which will make its world debut at the Barcelona Motor Show on 7th June. The Altea freetrack is the first SEAT designed to be driven off-road, and as such features Haldex-type four-wheel drive, 40 mm of extra ground clearance and 4x4-inspired body addendum over and above the Altea XL, on which the new model is based. Read More
The SnatchLatch trailer locking mechanism
By Loz Blain
May 23, 2007 From the "what were they thinking?" files, here's one of the most unfortunate product names we've seen for some time. Still, the SnatchLatch presents a serious solution to the problem of theft from trucks and trailers by protecting latch locking mechanisms from bolt cutters, drills and hacksaws. Yep, no common tool will get past the SnatchLatch. Read More
Mosley determined to push eco-friendly Formula One rule changes
By Loz Blain
May 22, 2007 The clean fuel movement may have an unlikely ally in the task of bringing environmentally friendly motoring solutions to the market - Formula One racing. FIA president Max Mosley has announced a partnership with clean engine specialists Ricardo - and a plan that could see F1 cars running on clean biofuel and leading a "green revolution" by 2011. Under the plan, the current 2.4 litre V8 engines would be downsized to 2.2 litre turbocharged V6s running on biofuel. Maximum engine revs would be dropped from the current screaming 19,000rpm to 10,000rpm, making the cars far less noisy than they are currently. The estimated power output of the smaller engines would be around 770 horsepower, down about 100 compared to the present engines. Read More
Chevy Sequel becomes first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to go 300 miles without refueling
By Mike Hanlon
May 22, 2007 This is significant. General Motors made history last week when its Chevy Sequel became the first electrically-driven fuel cell vehicle to achieve 300 miles on one tank of hydrogen. GM’s claim that the Sequel is the world’s most technologically advanced automobile seems a little presumptious given it’s just one measurement of one aspect of an automobile, but it is nonetheless a significant achievement because it was achieved in traffic on public roads. So it can be done! Now it’s just a matter of how quickly the technology can be made affordable. Read More
VW unveils 12 cylinder 200mph Golf GTI
By Mike Hanlon
May 19, 2007 Volkswagen has unveiled a unique design study which is set to feature at the largest GTI festival in Europe this week. The GTI W12-650 mates a Golf GTI three-door bodyshell to a bespoke mid-mounted bi-turbo W12 650 PS engine channelling drive to the rear wheels. The potent Golf turns a standstill to 100 km/h time of 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 201.8 mph. A very close relation to the motor that powers the Bugatti Veyron (it has 12 of the Veytron’s 16 cylinders), the 6.0 litre engine is made from aluminium to reduce weight further and features four valves per cylinder and two overhead camshafts per cylinder head. Extremely compact in design, measuring only 513 mm in length, 715 mm in height and 710 mm in breadth, it is effectively made up of a pair of narrow-angle V6 engines laid alongside each other. The engine is linked to a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. Read More
The World’s Fastest and Most Powerful Coupe - the BRABUS SV12 S Biturbo
By Mike Hanlon
May 17, 2007 The BRABUS S V12 S Biturbo coupe is not just the most powerful coupe in the world - it is also the fastest street-legal coupe. It’s vital performance statistics of 0 – 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds, 200 km/h after just 11.9 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 340 km/h are all without equal. Based on the latest Mercedes CL 600 model, the SV12 S Biturbo coupe can be ordered as a complete car starting at 178,980 Euros or can be built based on an existing current CL 600 model. The engine is based on the turbocharged Mercedes 600 twelve-cylinder engine and represents the most powerful street-legal V12 engine in the world producing 730 hp / 537 kW at 5,100 rpm. Just as extraordinary is the peak torque of 1,320 Nm at just 2,100 rpm, which is limited electronically to 1,100 Nm. The mods are extensive, starting with installing a special BRABUS crankshaft with longer stroke, combined with a bigger bore and correspondingly sized forged pistons, increases displacement from 5.5 to 6.3 liters. After that, the cylinder heads are precision-machined and four new camshafts are fitted, two new exhaust manifolds, two larger turbochargers, a high-efficiency intercooler and a high-performance exhaust system with metal catalysts and low back pressure. Read More
The Audi TT clubsport quattro study
By Mike Hanlon
May 17, 2007 The Audi TT clubsport quattro study reduces the TT Roadster to a purist driving machine that combines the performance of a sports car with a unique design language. It consequently remains a TT on the one hand, while at the same time demonstrating just what is possible with such a fascinating production vehicle. A powerful engine, state-of-the-art technology and numerous traits borrowed from the world of motorsport are the dominant features of the “study” which is now under consideration as a “small-series production model”. The car was unveiled at the Worthersee Tour, (better known as the “GTI Meet”), being held this week in the Carinthian Lakes region of Germany. Read More
Affordable dashboard drift-o-meter
By Loz Blain
May 17, 2007 As motorsport evolves, so too do the technologies needed to measure it. Talk just became much cheaper in the world of drifting thanks to this device which will really put some numbers around who did what and when. The US$750 DriftBox is a GPS and accelerometer based performance meter that accurately measures not only your car's forward and lateral acceleration G-forces, but your instant and maximum drift angles as well. With real figures suddenly the ultimate arbiter, you're gonna have to get way more sideways to impress people. Read More
Tenth anniversary of Common Rail injection technology
By Mike Hanlon
May 16, 2007 It seems hard to believe given how quickly it has dominated the world automotive market, but it’s true – Bosch introduced the Common Rail injection system for passenger cars to the market ten years ago this month. The first cars to use the technology were the Alfa Romeo 156 JTD and the Mercedes-Benz C 220 CDI and just ten years later it is used on almost all of the world’s diesel engines and 50% of European new car sales. Common Rail provides the diesel engine with better performance and higher torque. At the same time, the technology considerably reduces fuel consumption, noise, and emissions from diesel engines. Read More
Rhino Off-Road RTV set for mass production
By Mike Hanlon
May 11, 2007 We’ve written about Rhino Off-Road Industries several times now, basically because it’s a new class of off-road vehicle with the abilities of a mountain goat. For those who are similarly enamoured with the beast’s abilities, here’s some great news – the Rhino is destined for mass production. The company has shipped a fully outfitted Rhino Off-Road RTV-XT2 vehicle to its production partners in China, marking a key step in the process of mass production of the vehicle for distribution worldwide. For a rather extreme demonstration of what the Rhino is capable of in rock-crawling competition, see this video (WMV download). Read More
Toyota/Lexus dominate U.K. J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Awards
By Mike Hanlon
May 10, 2007 The Toyota Prius has earned many plaudits worldwide since its launch in 2004 but it’s unlikely to ever have a better 24 hours than those that have just passed. Yesterday, the hybrid family car won its fourth consecutive International Engine of the Year Award for the engine with the best fuel economy, and today it finished equal top of the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction study. The independent study of thousands of UK motorists driving vehicles registered between September 2005 and August 2006 saw the Prius place equal first, alongside the Lexus IS, another Toyota group model. Given that the award is open to cars of any price, the latest accolade demonstrates the high esteem in which it is held by the most demanding of judges – owners. It was a good day for Toyota in general, as the company’s premium Lexus brand took out its seventh consecutive Gold Award for customer satisfaction, ranking top in three of the four key measures – vehicle quality/reliability, service satisfaction and vehicle appeal. Lexus has now claimed the coveted Gold Award every year since it became eligible for consideration. Read More
BMW dominates the 2007 “Engine Oscars”
By Mike Hanlon
May 9, 2007 BMW’s 3-litre twin turbo engine was today crowned International Engine of the Year 2007 at the ninth annual International Engine of the Year Awards, which were presented at Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany. In an award independently judged by a jury of 62 motoring journalists from 30 countries, BMW has always fared well, but this year it has excelled itself, taking the prestigious crown for the third consecutive year and taking seven of the 12 awards on offer with its 2.5-litre inline six and 5-litre V10 also winning gongs. Of the remaining awards, Volkswagen’s 1.4-litre turbocharged and supercharged TSI unit triumphed for a second year in the 1-litre to 1.4-litre class, with its larger sibling, the 2-litre turbo developed by Audi and housed in the Golf GTi and Audi A3, topping the 1.8-litre to 2-litre category. Toyota meanwhile saw its 1.5-litre hybrid that powers the Prius named Best Fuel Economy engine and its 1-litre 3-cylinder from the Aygo and Yaris take the honours in the Sub 1-litre category. Porsche won its first IEOY award taking the 3-litre to 4-litre category for its 3.6-litre Turbo. Read More
The 1955 Dodge La Femme
By Mike Hanlon
May 8, 2007 It’s the earliest example of automotive marketing to women we have seen (correspondence here please) – it’s the 1955 Dodge La Femme complete with a Sapphire White and Heather Rose color scheme. Half a century later, women buy half of all new cars, yet it was a very bold and ultimately unsuccessful (only 2500 were made) marketing initiative aimed at was thought to be a promising new niche market. The La Femme was basically a Dodge Custom Royal Lancer with a feminine paint palette and a special gold “La Femme” script on the fenders. The vehicle’s interior was graced with special tapestry upholstery bearing pink rosebuds on a pale pink background and pale pink vinyl trim. A rectangular purse matching the car’s interior was a standard La Femme feature, stowed in a special compartment built into the back of the passenger seat. Each purse came complete with matching compact lipstick and cigarette cases, a lighter and purse. Also standard was a raincoat, rain bonnet and umbrella in the rosebud pattern that was stored in a compartment behind the driver’s seat. Hey, this would sell in droves today!! Read More
New 911 Turbo Cabriolet
By Mike Hanlon
May 7, 2007 Porsche today continued its two decade tradition of soft top 911 turbos when it released details of a new 911 Turbo Cabriolet which will go on sale on September 8. The US$172,000 2+2 convertible is powered by a biturbo 3.6 liter engine with Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG) producing 480 bhp (353 kW). Porsche’s new optional “Sport Chrono Turbo Package” includes an overboost function, enabling the standard Cabriolet’s 620 Nm torque figure to be pushed to 680 Nm intermittently. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) gives the Turbo Cabriolet diverse driving modes while offering an extremely high level of driving safety. Porsche Stability Management (PSM) and the all-wheel drive Porsche Traction Management (PTM) systems also optimise grip and performance. Read More
New Freightliner – the first Class 8 truck designed in the windtunnel
By Mike Hanlon
May 7, 2007 With fuel economy becoming a crucial factor in freight transportation, it was only a matter of time before our biggest road users began using the windtunnel to optimise performance and Freightliner’s new Cascadia is the first Class 8 truck designed this way. The result is a 3 percent improvement in fuel economy over previous models. When developing the Cascadia, Freightliner studied the needs of drivers and how they operate their vehicles. This feedback was the basis for design features like a wider cab with automotive styling, ergonomic controls, and extensive lighting and storage space to make the cab more comfortable and livable. The Cascadia will be available for order next week, with trucks rolling off production lines in August. Read More
ZF develops 8-speed automatic transmission for passenger cars
By Mike Hanlon
May 4, 2007 Driveline specialist ZF has designed a new automatic transmission generation for passenger cars combining seemingly contradictory goals. Presented for the first time at the 28th International Vienna Motor Symposium, the 8-speed auto allows for fuel savings of six percent compared with the company’s already optimized 6-speed automatic transmission. This is achieved by a completely new transmission concept featuring four planetary gear sets and five shift elements. The automatic 8-speed transmission transmits more power in comparison to the previous model, but still gets by with the same installation space and does not require more components. The transmission is also designed for hybridization as either a micro hybrid with a crankshaft starter generator or a full parallel hybrid. Read More
Roush’s limited edition 600RE
By Mike Hanlon
May 2, 2007 Ford’s GT may have finished its production run, but that hasn’t stopped several companies from using the very limited supply of GTs as the basis for something even more exciting. First there was the EDO Ford GT, and now there’s to be a limited run of ten GTs built by Roush, a name that has become synonymous with the Ford GT. Roush’s limited edition 600RE is based on the GT and boasts a number of features including more power and torque and a full styling treatment both inside and out. No details of the power have been given, though given the GT starts with 550 bhp and EDO’s GT comes with 610 horsepower, we figure the 600RE model designation suggests 600 horsies and hence a top speed around 340 km/h. No price has been quoted yet either – that might be harder to guess, and it's a game that cannot be played by those who are feint of chequebook. Read More
No prisoners: the 725 horsepower Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake
By Loz Blain
May 1, 2007 Shelby and Ford have joined forces again to produce a mega-muscle car with one simple goal: "to blow the doors off most anything on the planet." They're claiming up to 725 horsepower from the Super Snake, which is over a hundred more ponies than the top-of-the line Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorino, and probably almost enough power for a trip down to the shops. This car, friends, is an absolute bad-ass. Read More
Modec begins production of its Zero-Emissions commercial vehicles
By Loz Blain
May 1, 2007 In the UK, pioneering zero emission vehicle manufacturer Modec officially opened its Coventry factory doors in March. The company's battery powered Modec vehicle provides the world’s first high performance, emission free alternative to traditional diesel delivery fleets and has been heralded as the future of urban commercial transport. This vehicle could be a great step towards reducing pollution in congested major cities. Read More
windykites1
- November 24, 2009 @ 19:38 UTC
