Friday, November 30, 2007

Toshiba introduces 2.5-inch 80GB Hard Drive For Autos



As a response to many companies and end users installing hard drives into cars for portable entertainment systems,information and navigation applications. Toshiba's introducing the MK8050 hard drive that has increased shock tolerance and vibration dampening,improved capacity and provide alternative temperature ranges to assist automobile manufactures and after market suppliers in designing robust digital devices for the car. The disk has a cushion of air around the head to prevent scratching, which causes data loss, swearing and begging. Expect to see it in GPS units and do-it-yourselfer kits next March.FEATURES:

80GB* capacity
Rotational Speed of 4200rpm
Operating Shock of 300g
9.5mm High
16ms Average Seek Time
ATA-7 Interface
100MB/sec Transfer Rate

Toilet-Automobile on the road !


Russian have created a toilet-automobile (hybrid of Russian Oka car and a toilet cabin) and organized its tour from Moscow to Europe and Asia as contribution to the World Toilet Day that took place in November.As soon as the toilet-automobile left Moscow, it stuck in a traffic jam. Drivers with amusement looked at the strange Oka car with a high cabin behind; some of them even asked to let them try it in action.The toilet-automobile is equipped with a foreign system of air flows circulation, replaceable filters and a system removing liquids from the floor. According to the developers, the main peculiarity of the toilet-automobile is that it takes into account toilet traditions of different countries and lets people of various nations relieve nature in a habitualway.Organizers of the “toilet tour” Moscow-Seoul mark, that the toilet-automobile was a success in Europe and Asia. Several British, Chinese and Korean companies expressed interest in purchasing the innovation.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Honda Accord: America's Next No. 1 car?






More powerful, roomier, and better-looking than ever, the new 2008 Honda Accord is a potent challenger to the dominant Toyota Camry.Reliability, good looks, roomier rear seats, more powerful engine are the special features.Archrival Toyota's Camry—America's perennial top-seller—got a lot of bad press recently when Consumer Reports magazine removed the V6-powered version of the Camry from its recommended list.Early signs show the Accord is gaining ground.
Inside and out, the new Accord looks a lot more like a BMW than the economy model it started out as when it first hit the U.S. market back in 1976. It doesn't drive like a BMW, of course—it has the solid, competent driving characteristics you'd expect from an Accord. But the sedan is surprisingly quick and sporty, and there's a two-door coupe version available with a six-speed manual transmission for hard-core driving enthusiasts.The eighth-generation Accord sedan is about 1 in. taller and wider and 3 in. longer than the previous Accord. Trim levels start with the basic LX model, and get progressively fancier and more expensive as you move up to the LX-P, EX, and EX-L versions. Even the base models come standard with keyless entry, full-power accessories, cruise control, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, and a six-speaker CD system with an auxiliary jack. I test-drove the leather-upholstered EX-L, which was like an entry-level luxury car.There are three choices of engine in the new Accord sedan: a gasoline-sipping 2.4-liter, 177-hp four-banger, which also comes in a 190-hp "high output" version, and a powerful 3.5-liter, 268-hp V6. With the four-cylinder engines, the Accord sedan can be had with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission.

The V6 version of the sedan comes only with a five-speed automatic, but it also has a more sophisticated engine system than in the previous Accord that ekes out extra mileage. The new system allows the engine to run on three, four, or six cylinders, depending on how much power is needed.With an automatic transmission and either of the four-cylinder engines, the Accord sedan is rated to get 21 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway; with the V6, the rating drops to 19 city/29 highway. In a stretch of 193 miles of mixed driving, I got 23.3 mpg in my V6-powered test car.All versions of the new Accord come standard with traction and stability control, antilock brakes, and front, side, and cabin-length side-curtain air bags.

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AUTO MAINTENANCE TIPS-How often should I change my oil?





Most vehicle manufacturers recommend changing the oil once a year or every 7,500 miles in passenger car and light truck gasoline engines. For diesel engines and turbocharged gasoline engines, the usual recommendation is every 3,000 miles or six months.If you read the fine print, however, you’ll discover that the once a year, 7,500 mile oil change is for vehicles that are driven under ideal circumstances. What most of us think of as "normal" driving is actually "severe service" driving. This includes frequent short trips (less than 10 miles, especially during cold weather), stop-and-go city traffic driving, driving in dusty conditions (gravel roads, etc.), and driving at sustained highway speeds during hot weather. For this type of driving, which is actually "severe service: driving, the recommendation is to change the oil every 3,000 miles or six months.For maximum protection, most oil companies say to change the oil every 3,000 miles or three to six months regardless of what type of driving you do.A new engine with little or no wear can probably get by on 7,500 mile oil changes. But as an engine accumulates miles, blowby increases. This dumps more unburned fuel into the crankcase which dilutes the oil. This causes the oil to break down. So if the oil isn’t changed often enough, you can end up with accelerated wear and all the engine problems that come with it (loss of performance and fuel economy, and increased emissions and oil consumption).
Oil AnalysisTruck fleets often monitor the condition of the oil in their vehicles by having samples analyzed periodically. Oil samples are sent to a laboratory that then analyzes the oil’s viscosity and acid content. Oil is then burned in a device called a spectrometer that reveals various impurities in the oil. From all of this, a detailed report is generated that reveals the true condition of the oil.

Oil analysis is a great idea for fleets and trucks that hold a lot of oil. But most consumers would have a hard time justifying the cost. Having an oil sample analyzed typically costs $12 to $20 for the lab work and report. Most quick lube shops charge $16.95 to $19.95 for an oil change. So why spend your money on a report that will probably tell you your oil needs changing? Just change the oil every 3,000 miles and don’t worry about it.Regular oil changes for preventative maintenance are cheap insurance against engine wear, and will always save you money in the long run if you keep a car for more than three or four years. It’s very uncommon to see an engine that has been well maintained with regular oil changes develop major bearing, ring, cam or valve problems under 100,000 miles.
What About The Oil Filter?To reduce the costs of vehicle ownership and maintenance, many car makers say the oil filter only needs to be replaced at every other oil change. Most mechanics will tell you this is false economy.The oil filters on most engines today have been downsized to save weight, cost and space. The "standard" quart-sized filter that was once common on most engines has been replaced by a pint-sized (or smaller) filter. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a smaller filter has less total filtering capacity. Even so, the little filters should be adequate for a 3,000 mile oil change intervals -- but may run out of capacity long before a second oil change at 6,000 or 15,000 miles.

Replacing the oil filter every time the oil is changed, therefore, is highly recommended.An engine’s main line of defense against abrasion and the premature wear it causes is the oil filter. The filter’s job is to remove solid contaminants such as dirt, carbon and metal particles from the oil before they can damage bearing, journal and cylinder wall surfaces in the engine. The more dirt and other contaminants the filter can trap and hold, the better.In today’s engines, all the oil that’s picked up by the oil pump is routed through the filter before it goes to the crankshaft bearings, cam bearings and valvetrain. This is called "full-flow" filtration. It’s an efficient way of removing contaminants, and it assures only filtered oil is supplied to the engine. In time, though, accumulated dirt and debris trapped by the filter begin to obstruct the flow of oil. The filter should be changed before it reaches this point, which is why the filter needs to be replaced when the oil is changed.If you wait too long to change the filter, there’s a danger that it might become plugged. To prevent this from causing a catastrophic engine failure due to loss of lubrication, oil filters have a built-in safety device called a "bypass valve." When the pressure drop across the filter exceeds a predetermined value (which varies depending on the engine application), the bypass valve opens so oil can continue to flow to the engine. But this allows unfiltered oil to enter the engine. Any contaminants that find their way into the crankcase will be pumped through the engine and accelerate wear.
Filter Replacement

If you do your own oil changes, make sure you get the correct filter for your engine. Follow the filter manufacturer’s listings in its catalog. Many filters that look the same on the outside have different internal valving. Many overhead cam engines, for example, require an "anti-drainback" valve in the filter to prevent oil from draining out of the filter when the engine is shut off. This allows oil pressure to reach critical engine parts more quickly when the engine is restarted. Filters that are mounted sideways on the engine typically require an anti-drainback valve.CAUTION: The threads on a spin-on filter must also be the correct diameter and thread pitch (SAE or metric) for your engine. If you install a filter with SAE threads on an engine that requires metric threads (or vice versa), you can damage the threads that hold the oil filter in place. Mismatched threads can also allow the filter to work loose, which causes a sudden loss of oil pressure that may ruin your engine!Some people say it’s best to change the oil when the oil is hot (like right after driving), while others say it makes no difference. CAUTION: Hot oil is thinner and runs out faster but can also burn you if you’re not careful. In any event, avoid unnecessary skin contact with oil because oil is a suspected carcinogen (causes cancer).

Changing the oil when it is cold may take a bit longer because the oil will drain more slowly from the engine, but there’s no danger of being burned. Also, most of the oil will have drained down into the oil pan when the engine has sat for a period of time, which means you’ll actually get a little more of the old oil out of the engine than if you attempt to drain it while it is still hot.Used motor oil should be disposed of properly. The Environmental Protection Agency does not consider used motor oil to be a hazardous chemical, but it can foul ground water and does contain traces of lead. The best way to dispose of used motor oil is to take it to a service station, quick lube shop, parts store or other facility for recycling. Your old oil will either be rerefined into other lubricants or petroleum products, or burned as fuel.Do not dump used motor oil on the ground, down a drain, into a storm sewer or place it in the trash. Many landfills will not accept used motor oil even if it is in a sealed container because it will eventually leak out into the ground. If you can’t find an environmentally-acceptable way to dispose of the stuff, maybe you shouldn’t be changing your own oil. Service facilities that do oil changes all have storage tanks and recycling programs to dispose of used oil.
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For some, Auto Show's Attraction Is Girls:(+photos)




TOKYO -- Not everybody snapping pictures at the Tokyo Motor Show is focusing on the cars.Many of the camera-toting folks roaming the massive exhibit halls are more interested in the girls whom automakers and parts companies hire to adorn their exhibits.That's not surprising, of course. But in Japan, photographing lovely ladies in public places is pursued with such enthusiasm that there's a name for practitioners: camera kozo -- a kozo being a Buddhist disciple or a servant boy, though the word can be used in a derogatory way to refer to an inexperienced youth.At big car shows, camera kozo -- kameko for short -- can be seen mobbing the models -- known as event companions -- pressing in close with their telephoto lenses and snapping hundreds or even thousands of digital images in a single day. Many kameko run websites on which they post photos of event companions, invite comments from visitors and blog about their favorites.
The single-minded pursuit of nonvehicular beauty can be irritating to exhibitors who, after all, are trying to get visitors and reporters to focus on their products. Makuhari, for instance, has a driver's license but doesn't even own a car, making him what the Japanese call a "paper driver."Attractive and often scantily clad women have been a fixture at auto shows and racetracks worldwide for years. "Product specialists," as they're known in the U.S., will be on hand when the L.A. Auto Show begins its 10-day run next week.But in Japan they are something of a cultural phenomenon. Race queens, who work under contract for Japanese auto racing teams, are especially popular, with some attaining the status of minor celebrities, complete with websites, fan clubs and swimsuit videos.Event companions are generally less well known. They wear more risque outfits than their counterparts at auto shows in the U.S. and Europe, although many of the major automakers have toned down the sex factor in recent years. At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, which ends Sunday, hot pants and halter tops were largely confined to exhibits sponsored by motorcycle makers and tire companies.
"Those who are shy and quiet may not be suited for this work," said Saori Yoshimura of the Flash agency in Tokyo, which books event companions for auto shows, food exhibitions and other events.Makuhari discovered event companions nine years ago and has been hooked ever since. He goes to about 10 events a year, mostly car-related "because they're the easiest to take pictures at." He typically takes 800 shots a day, although he was shooting twice that number at the Tokyo show. He'll post many on his website (racequeen.seesaa.net), which he says gets 1,000 unique visitors a day.Miki Kataoka, who was working at the Tokyo Motor Show for the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Assn., said she liked the attention and the occasional gifts from her fans (one set up her website, happymikimiki.com, as a birthday present).
Shoko Hosoda, who was at the Tokyo show representing a maker of children's car seats, said photographers sometimes interfere with her job."Customers will be asking questions about the product," she said, "but the camera kozo are constantly asking us to pose for them." .

Monday, November 19, 2007

Hybrid Cars-cars of the future-an article:



How Hybrid Cars Work? Hybrid cars work by seamlessly integrating a gas engine, an electric motor and a high-powered battery. The battery provides power for the electric motor and is recharged by recapturing energy that would normally be lost when decelerating or coasting.Hybrids are cars that run off a rechargeable battery and gasoline, rather than just gasoline. Hybrid vehicles have both a small petrol engine and an electric motor. Hybrid vehicles run off petrol so doesn’t have the problem with range which the electric cars have. Hybrids use the petrol engine to drive along and when the petrol engine is not being used at its most efficient e.g. in traffic jams, the engine turns the electric motor which also acts like a generator to charge up the batteries in the car. The batteries then powers the motor when the car is accelerating and when the car is at top speeds and the engine is running aboveits maximum efficiency. Advantages
* Minimal energy loss due to regenerative breaking.
* Engines can be sized to accommodate the average load. Therefor-cheaper lighter engines can be used.
* Massively increased efficiency.
* Decreased emissions.
Disadvantages
* Carrying the mass of two engines.
* More complicated to produce.

Car designer-47- with lots of little cars:


Amaury Diaz Serrano is a car designer for General Motors Corp., and it makes sense that he might like sleek, smokin' lines of toy race cars.So every time he went out to the pharmacy or the mall, he'd pick up one or two Hot Wheels. After about 25 years of that routine, he figures he now has about 3,000 of the little numbers stashed around his Lathrup Village home.In February, because he won a contest, he'll add a new one called the Chevroletor (think Chevrolet-Terminator) to his collection. It may be his favorite car yet. That's because he designed it himself as part of the Hot Wheels Design Challenge. QUESTION: How old are you now?
ANSWER: 47.
Q: Any worries about being a 47-year-old guy with a big toy collection?
A: There's something about the toys ... toys in general. ... You get caught up with a 9-to-5 job and bills and worrying about money, you know. But then I go downstairs, especially in the wintertime, I go to my toy room and ... it brings a smile to your face. ... Family and friends come over to visit, and for some reason when we have company over, they all end up in the toy room. And I don't care if you're 60 years old and having a bad day, you come over to my toy room, you're going to smile for a couple of hours.
Q: Well, you know the stereotypes that are out there. ... Have you had any dates?
A: Dates?
Q: Yes.
A: I'm married with a kid! What are you talking about? ...No, that's a good question.Because there are Hot Wheels clubs.There are conventions. I don't belong to any conventions or clubs 'cause I went to one once. ... They were a bunch of old farts, drinking beer and betting money on these tiny cars going down the track. And that scared the hell out of me.So the toy collection thing is very private for me.
Q: What else do you collect?
A: Oh, I collect Batman, Batman toys, because it was my favorite TV show when I was a kid. ... GI Joes, I used to play with GI Joes when I was a kid. There was another Mattel toy called Matt Mason, which was a little astronaut guy. Then I have a lot of vintage gas stations from the 1950s and '60s. ...What I like about these toys is they were made in the United States. Now everything is made in China, unfortunately.
Q: Wow. The only thing I ever collected was beer cans. How embarrassing.
A: (Laughs.) Hey, I see some people making airplanes out of beer cans.
Q: I've seen people do ships. I was going to ask you if there will be a time when your wife will make you sell all your toy cars?
A: No, no. She knows that I like that stuff. And another funny note, my daughter, she's 12 years old, I told her I will never sell this stuff. But when I die you can have ALL of this stuff.
And my daughter, she's 12, she says, "Dad, you die Friday. Saturday, all that stuff is on eBay."
And I told her, good answer.
Q: What else should I ask you?
A: There's a bunch of guys with funny things in their basement. I bet you have a huge beer can collection in your basement.
Q: They're all junk. Not worth a dime.
A: That's why I like my Hot Wheels. ... That's funny, you like collecting beer cans, and your last name is Schaefer.
Q: That's a very cheap beer. I only wish I was related to the people who own the company.
A: I don't drink beer at all; I drink cheap wine. (Laughs.)


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Saturday, November 17, 2007

2008-Ferrari F430 Bi-Compressor






German tuner and Ferrari specialist Novitec has now upgraded the car to “Evoluzione” spec. Power is up by an additional 20hp, giving it an Ferrari Enzo rivalling 656hp and decimating the standard F430 which makes do with 490hp. Acceleration figures remain much the same as the previous version, with the 0-100km/h coming up in just 3.7 seconds while top speed remains at 348km/h.

Top 5 Debuts of the LA Auto Show






November 17, 2007-esterday morning, the Los Angeles Auto Show unleashed it's secrets upon the automotive world. Companies from all over the globe have come to give us a glimpse of what they have been working on since last year. Here are the top 5 world debuts from the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Car 1. Hyundai Genesis Coupe Concept
Car 2. Honda FCX Clarity
Car 3. Lincoln MKS
Car 4. Chevy Silverado Hybrid
Car 5. Audi Cross Cabriolet Quattro

Friday, November 16, 2007

India to host first Grand Prix in New Delhi in 2010


Bernie Ecclestone has today confirmed that after much speculation a contract has been signed this week with JPSK Sports Private Ltd, a subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates Limited, to stage the first ever Formula One Grand Prix in India, to be held in The National Capital Region of New Delhi in 2010.

Michael Taub, who has been the driving force behind the project to bring F1 to India for the past ten years...

Los Angeles Auto Show-2007- Starting today:




November 16, 2007-The million car lovers expected to attend aren't the audience the industry hopes to impress.Starting today and for the following nine days, more than a million people are expected to plunk down $10 each to attend the Los Angeles Auto Show. Little do they know, the show is already over.The spectacle that is the automobile exposition is a breathtaking demonstration of the organizational skill, planning, logistics, design, vision, ambition and piles of money possessed by carmakers, which in a matter of days have once again erected a 760,000-square-foot temple in which to worship the four-wheeled vehicle.All this, though, is not for you, dear reader. It's for us, the media.
Before the show opens to the public, thousands of reporters, photographers and bloggers are wined, dined and entertained for two days by the kingpins of Detroit, Tokyo and Wolfsburg, Germany, all in the pursuit of good press.Car shows are "all about making a venue to create publicity," said Andy Fuzesi, general manager and co-owner of the L.A. show.Last year, Fuzesi bowed to pressure from carmakers and moved the show five weeks earlier to attract more press and end overlap with the show in Detroit. It cost him a 17% drop in paid attendance. "It's about addressing the needs of the industry."Car shows are almost as old as cars themselves. The New York Automobile Show, founded in 1900, claims to be the nation's oldest.As big as those numbers seem, they're a drop in the bucket. The biggest automakers can spend upward of $10 million on their "stand" -- the lighting, stages, speakers, video screens and rotating car turntables that make up a display -- says Robert Vallee, CEO of George P. Johnson Co., known as GPJ, one of the two or three largest event-display houses in the car-show business. Add to that carpeting, electricity, transport, on-site product specialists, accommodations, advertising and public relations, Vallee says, and the tab for a single automaker can reach $50 million.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Car Stereo Basics




When it comes to purchasing a car audio system, the most important factor is what you want your system to be capable of. Other key factors are your budget and what kind of music you listen to.
Let's say you just want a basic CD player to replace your factory radio and you are keeping the factory speakers as they are. I recommend a CD deck that has a pre-amp built in so that it can power your speakers.
If you especially don't want to spend a large sum of money, you don't need one with all kinds of flashy animations, screen savers and other features that you really don't need. However, it should at least have some kind of LCD display to see the tracks text or numbers and EQ.
You should be looking at a CD deck with at least a 3-band equalizer so that you can adjust the bass, middle and treble levels to customize the sound to shape the style of your music.
If you have access to a computer and CD burner, you might also be interested in a deck that is Mp3 readable. This allows you to burn a CD in data format which will allow the CD to hold several hundred songs.

Speaker Basics

If you have an old car, or you want to upgrade your current factory speakers, you may be interested in a speaker set. If you want a basic system, do not go all out and get speakers that need power from a separate amplifier unless you have the money.Most decks are powered with around 50W/channel, so speakers that have an RMS of 50W or less will be able to be powered by your deck alone.I recommend getting a whole component set with tweeters for the front and multi-element speakers for the back, because it is cheaper than getting them all separate.

Car Stereo Subwoofers

If you are interested in a basic sub woofer to get a lot more bass out of your system, then you will require an amplifier.A class D (mono-channel) amplifier is only designed to power a sub woofer. Class D amplifiers are less expensive and they put all their power into one channel. This may eliminate having to bridge together two channels. Try to find an amplifier with an RMS power equal to or not much less than you sub woofer's RMS. (RMS is the power that the unit can handle continuously.)If you have two woofers, then make sure that your amp can give the necessary power to both. You may have to connect them in a parallel circuit for the best results. As long as the maximum RMS power of your amplifier is equal to or over the RMS of the sub woofer you should be okay. If your amplifier is more powerful than your sub woofer, be careful with blasting it because you don't want to give the woofer too much power or she'll blow.
f you get an amplifier with more than one channel and it is for your sub woofer, make sure that it is bridgeable. By bridging two channels you can get double the power of one channel. That is unless one channel provides enough power to supply your woofer alone, which will be more expensive and is not necessary for a basic sub woofer connection.Try to match the other specifications of the amp and woofer like frequency response or sensitivity. This way they can both operate to the fullest.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Mazda and Self-Proclaimed 'Car Girl' to Bring 2018 MAZDA3 to Life at 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show


LOS ANGELES, Nov. 13, 2007 -- It is neither a commuter vehicle nor boring sedan. It is also not an undersized sports coupe or awkward, disproportionate hatchback. At the moment, the 2018 MAZDA3 is nothing more than a lump of clay on stage at the Mazda booth at the 2007 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show -- and the vision of Mallory McMorrow of South Bend, Ind., the winner of the Mazda Design Challenge. By the time the auto show comes to a close, an exciting, life-size model will be unveiled for all eyes to see -- and a talented woman will be one step closer to fulfilling her automotive design career dream.A landslide victory, McMorrow's entry was voted number one by Facebook members, as part of the first-ever program between Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) and the social networking site. To enter, contestants submitted a 150-word description of their vision of the 2018 MAZDA3 and an optional sketch drawing.After weeks of voting -- first by Mazda designers, then Facebook members -- McMorrow was selected as a finalist, at which time she was paired with Mazda designer Jacques Flynn who helped bring her design to life on paper. "Jacques took everything I said and sketched, and put my thoughts and feelings on paper," said McMorrow. "I was thrilled when I opened up the images of the final renderings. I'm proud to say that the end design was still definitely my car and I can't wait to see it come to fruition on the show floor."On Nov. 14, McMorrow will begin working one-on-one with Franz von Holzhausen, director of design, MNAO, and his team to bring her concept to life, live from the Mazda booth at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. A formal press conference will be held at 12:50 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Mazda booth.

"The Mazda Design Challenge brought in a flood of cool, unique design ideas. The winning design concept is a fresh new way to look at the design of a vehicle," said von Holzhausen. "This competition was a tremendous success, and the entire process was really beneficial to my team and me to understand what design means to our target buyers. Now the hard part comes -- to see if we can actually build a full concept car on the show stand in ten days and in full-view of show goers."Auto show attendees can watch von Holzhausen and his team in action from 12 noon to 8:00 p.m. daily, as they mold, carve and smooth the would-be 2018 MAZDA3. The final clay sculpture of the concept will be unveiled at 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 24

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

The Hamann Black Miracle 540 horsepower Ferrari F430


The German tuner's latest take on the Ferrari F430 is certainly distinctive if nothing else, the Hamann Black Miracle.The words "raw" and "brutal" come to mind when glancing at the car's matte black foil with contrasting orange, red, or yellow racing stripes, painted mirrors, wheels, and ground effects, Lightweight, three-piece 20-inch wheels are also fitted for reduced rotational mass, resulting in quicker acceleration and reduced braking distances. Programmed engine management and a sports exhaust conspire to boost output by 50 horses (for a total of 540 horsepower), shorter and stiffer springs tighten up the handling, and the rear wing and diffuser add down force to the rear of the car.

2008 Hummer H2 SUT


This variant of H2 offers added functionality and versatility. The passenger and cargo areas of the SUT can be configured for a variety of needs. When the vehicle needs to carry passengers in the rear seat as a conventional SUV would, the bulkhead (called the Midgate) at the rear of the passenger compartment remains upright, still providing a rear bed with more than 30 cubic feet (850L) of cargo space. However, when more cargo space is desired, the rear window can be powered into the Midgate, and the Midgate and rear seat can be folded forward to allow access into the now-expanded 4-foot by 6-foot (122-cm by 244-cm) pickup bed.An express-down feature drops all vertical side windows and rear glass. An expansive sunroof gives passengers an open-air feel.

The hardcore Ferrari F430 Exposed

The New Ferrari Hardcore F430 Finally gets Unveiled


Review of hardcore Ferrari F430

The newest model of Ferrari i.e. F430, which was recently sighted at the Nurburgring, and which is much lighter and faster than the previous model is expected to make its official debut within the next few months. Instead of its own testing track the new hardcore Ferrari F430 was seen tested on German track, a F599 GTB Fiorano, but Herr Schumacher doesn’t appear to be behind the wheel of the tweaked mid-engined V8 F430, though there is no doubt that its specification would certainly appeal to the F1 champion.

Features

1. The standard F430 offers a power to weight ratio of 3.0kg per bhp using Ferrari’s official weight of 2. 1450kg
2. V8 engine.
3. 483bhp to 520 bhp horsepower.
4. Side windows of the 360 CS due to safety legislation – as well as a stripped-out interior.
5. Mounted exhaust outlets,
6. Revised braking system
7. More track-biased suspension set up.
8. F1 paddleshift transmission.
9. Improved cooling for that more powerful engine.
10. Aerodynamic yanks to enhance downforce pull,

Note: The price is expected not to go beyond £150,000 appx. The matching cars include: Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera..

Special edition Ferrari 612 Sessanta celebrates 60

A choice of Grigio scuro and Nero with a Grigio scuro sideline, it’s mostly color and trim. That's Tifosi for flat black and gray, part of its Colori Classici '50s and '60s colors. Interior is new "natural" leather. Rubino Micalizzato with Nero Daytona, a.k.a. metallic burgundy and black, and with gray interior, is also available. The car you can buy for Ferrari's 60th anniversary -- well, could buy if there were any left to sell -- is the 612 Sessanta.A lot of new trim details, carbon-ceramic brakes with black calipers, a rear parking camera, TV tuner and cruise control and new 19-inch wheels, the car comes with an electro-chromatic sunroof featuring three transparency positions. Here's where it goes beyond cosmetics: Ferrari lightened and stiffened the frame to counteract the extra weight of the sunroof and other features.
And here is the rest of it.

2007 Audi RS4 Sedan quattro



The advent of the user-friendly mid-engined supercar is fairly recent.Ferrari finally cottoned on to the idea in the 90s, but only after being gob-smacked by the competence and sheer turn-key utility displayed by Honda's NSX.There are still compromises to be made if you use a road-going Ferrari or Lamborghini. They aren't that easy to drive, though owners wouldn't have it any other way. They see it as part of the mystique.They're also eye-wateringly expensive to buy and run, which is a part of the NSX equation the Italians have not quite fathomed. The Honda can be serviced by any franchised dealer and day-to-day is as easy to use as a Civic, despite being able to run with the Ferraris and Porsches.Leaders of the turn-key supercar hierarchy are the more powerful versions of Porsche's 911. But they are not mid-engined.Their power units are way out back and despite employing several decades' worth of engineering solutions, electronic chassis enhancements and leading edge tyre technology, a 911 can still induce a cold spinal shiver by way of its pendulum-like rear if you're not concentrating.
Enter Audi's R8.

Porsche must have seen it coming. After all, the company is planning to become a 51 per cent shareholder in VW next year and already has a controlling interest. Which means it will have known about VW affiliate Audi's plans for years.Audi saw merit in a mid V8 engined car by combining some of the expertise gained from its work with Lamborghini and its own knowledge of working with aluminium body and suspension components.With a simple alloy tub housing the same tuned and lightened Quad Cam V8 already employed by Audi's RS4, the R8 almost designed itself.Its look was even pre-ordained, being very closely related to Will Smith's wheel-less transporter in the movie I Robot.The car was the star, of course. Turning more heads than a Federer-Nadal tennis rally, thanks to a blood-curdling sound signature and a low-slung profile that puts its driver level with the lug nuts on trucks, the R8 is one of the best-looking cars on the road, despite costing $260,000, or about half as much as a Ferrari or Lambo and about the same as a similarly powerful 911.The V8 engine is magnificent. With no need of exhaust or crank-driven supercharging, the unit still makes more than 400 horsepower, sufficient to propel the beast to the legal limit in 4.5 seconds and on to 300kmh if a long enough track is handy.Bonuses to be gained from its lack of supercharging are that the engine has not only more linear power delivery, but also a voice that's not strangulated by plumbing. Thus its inlet and exhaust beat is a pure, deep and visceral sound, with the lilt and descant as you go through the gears rendering the terrific stereo almost redundant.

Full enjoyment of the R8's talent is very much at the behest of your footwear. Any shoe with a prominent welt tends to make the left foot snag between the clutch pedal and footrest, while on the right, it is possible to brush the brake when prodding the throttle.The pedals are undeniably close-set, but wearing my old Loakes loafers all of a sudden the drivetrain becomes smoother, gearshifts slicker and progress more relaxed.You could eschew the manual gearbox, complete with its sexy slotted alloy gate, by opting for Audi's sequential-shift R-tronic, which is the company's take on VW's DSG twin-clutch electronic manual system.It's no gimmick, works well, and if you have big feet, this might be the only R8 you can drive.Once you've sorted your footwear and driving position, you'll find slicing – literally with that alloy gate – through the gears a second-nature affair. The engine may lack the lazy flexibility of its lesser versions, but that's not what the R8 is all about and keeping the free-revving V8 on the boil is all part of the fun, not only because of its seat-crushing acceleration but also because it makes such a wonderful racket while providing it. It's very tractable and feels less quick than it is, but there's no doubt that the car will hit 100kmh in its quoted 4.5 seconds, thanks to its quattro all- wheel-drive system and the traction delivered by having an engine mounted where it is.Unlike many powerful mid- engined cars, the R8 does not display too much low-speed understeer, needing to be constantly compensated for by wheel or throttle. Even when trickling at low speed around town, the car goes exactly where it's pointed, though if you're stuck by a non-signposted road- works as I was, you'll soon discover that the weakest point of the car is its tight steering lock – I had to make an eight-point turn.

On the open road, the R8 really comes to life. In the Canterbury foot hills, coursing through those addictive gorge roads, the Audi is as faithful as they come. The massive grip afforded by 11.5-inch wide rear tyres is remarkable, while the narrower front pair transmit a lucid, tactile "picture" through the wheelrim of the surface below, to the extent that you'll detect the tiniest of road repairs before you even see them. Despite all four wheels being driven, the R8 does not handle like the A4-based RS4 that uses the same engine. It's much more power adjustable than that and with its rearward-biased weight distribution, the R8's tail will smoothly ease out into oversteer, but only if you take time to switch out the car's standard ESP system. The big confidence-builder is the way the car's reactions are telegraphed to the driver. Nothing occurs too quickly, so the transition from slight understeer through neutrality to eventual rear-end breakaway is gradual, linear and predictable. Of mid-engined cars I've experienced, the R8 is the easiest ever to drive.

What really sets the R8 apart from its Ferrari and Lamborghini competitors and to a lesser extent Porsche's 911 is the Audi's uncanny ride quality. The Audi has a magnetic ride system, also used by Cadillac and some HSV Holdens. It works by allowing the level of magnetism of particles suspended in the R8's shock absorbers to slacken or stiffen the fluid according to the speed and frequency of compression. You can switch the system off, but you won't want to, as it really does allow the R8 to glide effortlessly over bumps and holes that would jar the suspension – and occupants – of lesser cars. It also means that the car is not knocked off-line by changes in road surface and despite its massive rubber, the R8 is no more prone to tramlining than a family sedan.The car's ride quality also contributes to the refreshingly quiet cruising demeanour. Throttled back to a 100kmh cruise at 2600rpm in sixth, the Audi sighs quietly along, though the volcanic power of its V8 engine can be made to erupt into its full sound signature at any time.The cabin is good to look at and live in. There's classy dark carbon fibre and leather lining everything, with classy brightwork around the shift gate, instruments and sound system to add some subtle relief.Being mid-engined, the R8's rearward visibility is less than ideal, but better than other cars of similar configuration, so its in-town driveability is easy enough. In town at night, gatherings of seen-it-all teens and other pavement strollers give the car gestures of appreciation, and when you stop at the lights, they even step off the pavement to look at the illuminated engine compartment.It engages the driver completely, strikes up conversations from both sexes and all ages and engenders opinions wherever you park.Some don't like all the slats and many argue about the decorative slash of contrast material on the R8's rear side quarters – ours was carbon fibre on plain silver and there are other combinations using alloy or paint. But no-one argues about the stance, shape and basic design. No matter how beautiful it is to look at, it's even more beautiful to drive. Even if it requires a good pair of shoes to get the best out of it.

Thursday, November 1, 2007