Automobiles Review

Tag: Car

Finding a Used Car the Proper Way

So you have a bit of money saved up and now the time has come to get yourself a car. You are in for a ride of your life even before you get in your car. Few things are more stressful looking for a car. Luckily though, there are places in the internet where your browsing pains can be relieved.

Head over there and start looking for your future car. Used car deals have a lot more benefits behind them than one might think. Why go for a brand new Kia Cee’d which is a great car overall, but a bit cold on the inside (figuratively speaking). For the same amount of you can get one of those BMW E60s you have always dreamed of. A quick search through exchangeandmart.co.uk’s engine and we found a perfect specimen from 2008 in an absolutely decent nick (50,000 miles in the clock). The price – £16,500.

How about a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 S Convertible – 10 years of age, 63,000 miles of passionate driving and roughly the same price. You are of the classic types? No problem – a 1991 Porsche Carrera 2 – 100, 000 miles of history, no difference in the price.

These are just shots in the dark really. Dive into the world of second hand cars, and you’ll find your own gem. Here are some tips from us when snooping around

Always look for the service history – keeping everything in check is essential for the car’s longevity

Check to see if the engine has been thoroughly cleaned – if so, pass to the next one. A thorough cleaning is usually an attempt to cover up an oily leak.

Check the upholstery, steering wheel, pedals and gear lever for waring – a car that has suspiciously few miles on the clock, might be clocked.

Make sure to view the car on a well light day, no rain, no fog – this may sound a bit daft, but noticing rust, bumps, cracks and scratches can be done most effectively during a bright day.

July 30, 2012
The Top 5 Automotive Upgrades for a New Vehicle

Elevate the style and performance of your new ride from off-the-lot stock to aftermarket hot by spicing it up with performance accessories. Whether you’re looking to add some sizzle to your daily driver or give your free-time ride an extra jolt of juice, custom accessories take your car, truck or SUV to unheard of levels of style and protection. And, as any automotive junkie knows, the best place to start your journey is to add some flashy protection to your front end. And, for stylish defense from the elements, a car bra is the way to go. Car bras are custom-crafted to fit every line of your exact vehicle for the stylish accent your new ride deserves. These beauties defend your bumper from pummeling pebbles, torpedoing wasps and anything else the open road can dish out. And, they’re available in a wide variety of styles and materials to compliment your unique look.

With your front end taken care of it’s time to focus on keeping your interior fresh and looking fly. And, for that you need to hook up your ride with a set of seat covers. From taking abuse from unruly teenagers to blocking Fido’s fur flinging ways, seat covers offer the best defense out there. Like putting your seats in a time capsule, seat covers put your seats on lockdown to block anything from getting at ‘em. That snug seal is all you need to stop the upholstery aging process in its tracks. Plus, they come in an astounding variety of fabrics and styles so your interior style is helped while your fabric stays factory fresh.

Now that your seats are squared away, your next step is to take care of your floorboards. Floor mats offer an unbeatable layer of defense from everything your active lifestyle can dish out. So, from mud-covered cleats to spilled soda, your floors stay stylish and clean. They’re available in a wide variety of styles and protection levels to compliment your interior. That means from matching to leather to adding some Hawaiian flare to your floorboards, you’re covered.

With your car properly protected it’s time to get to the really fun part: performance. And, nothing sets your horsepower and torque soaring like a cold air intake. These beasts suck in massive quantities of power-producing icy air and feed it to your hungry engine. That brawny breath boosts the performance of your ride better than any other upgrade. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your 4×4 for an all-out off-road attack or want to add an extra jolt of juice to your weekend ride, a performance CAI is the way to go.

Meanwhile, you can’t add that much furious power without boosting your braking system to keep pace. Upgrading your brake rotors to a brawny aftermarket setup is an essential step in the journey of any performance geek. From cross-drilled rotors to dimpled or slotted and every combination in between, performance rotors come in a variety of different styles to suit any situation from the dirt track to the raceway. Either way you go, performance rotors massively increase the stopping power of your ride. All this great gear raises your ride to a personalized statement of excellence for all on the road to envy.

March 8, 2012
Subaru BRZ 2013 To Handle Like No Other?

Brace yourselves as Subaru is about to unveil the latest 2013 rear-wheel drive BRZ sports car. Day and place – as soon as the NAIAS in Detroit kicks off. Baring the typical Subaru pedigree, the BRZ spirit will be all about handling. Sales are expected to start late at Spring.

So why not AWD like most Subarus out there? Well, to achieve exceptional handling, Subaru engineers have figured that they need the lowest center of gravity achievable. Therefore an AWD system was deemed too complex and restrictive while with a RWD system the engine can be mounted pretty low. The whole car weights no more than 2,700 lbs and it will be powered by a 2.0 liter, 200 horsepower, 7400 rpm doomsday device. And because it is a compact flat (boxer) engine, technicians have the freedom to put it where they want it to in order to achieve perfect weight distribution and center of gravity.

The slippery looks scream of racing genes all around – 50.6 inches of height, a sloping roof line, miss maxi type fenders and short overhangs. Don’t despair though, because Subaru promise everyday practicality to go along with the lunacy – seating for four, handy boot space and generic passenger safeness.

It’s an ambitious project this but we are definitely ready to fall in love. For we play the waiting game.

Subaru BRZ (2013)

Source: Subaru

January 6, 2012
All-New Global Vehicle by Ford at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012

Ford is going to present an all-new vehicle at the 11th Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi. The vehicle is planned to be introduced in India and other global markets in the near future. The Ford’s high-tech and interactive stand will cover roughly 1,400 square meters, where the planned highlights will be presented by the company. For instance such include comprehensive safety and quality displays, a 3D theater, live shows and a crowd-sourced, interactive driving game.

The exclusive news is that the new vehicle will be the latest One Ford global product, which is designed to help expand Ford’s footprint in the world’s fastest-growing auto markets, including India. The expansion in the country will include eight more products to be introduced in the future.

More to be seen at Ford Stand is the Ford Figo, the All-New Fiesta, the Ford Classic and the Ford Endeavour. To go further into details Figo has already sold around 130,000 units since its launch in March 2010. Although it has only been in the Indian market for not so long time, it has become the country’s most awarded car ever. Moreover it has garnered industry-wide recognition as a great value-for-money vehicle, which is exported to close to 30 international markets. Next, the Ford Classic, has made an impressive footprint on the Indian market by winning more than 120,000 customers, thank to its on-road dynamics and best-in-class fuel efficiency. On the other hand there is Ford Endeavour, which is a popular all-action SUV. At last the All-New Ford Fiesta four-door sedan will also be on display. Additional detail here is that the car soon will be available with the new best-in-class PowerShift automatic transmission. Compared to the traditional four-speed automatics, the PowerShift transmission can improve fuel economy by up to 9 percent.

All-New Global Vehicle by Ford at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012

In addition if you happen to be at the Ford stand, you will experience the advantage of the latest technology. A major highlight will be allowing the audience to take virtual control of a vehicle on a large LED screen. With the help of a motion-sensing camera, the crowd will collectively control the vehicle as it rolls along the road, and unlock information at each bend. The display will prompt the crowd to lean left and right during a short drive as it shows highlights of the route. Furthermore Ford also will have a Figo Theatre which will allow customers to sit inside the car and watch a film played on a plasma television in front of the windscreen. The video of course will explain the Figo’s Smart technologies. Another theatre – this time in 3D will present the improvements in technology, design and development of Ford’s vehicles. Here visitors will navigate a virtual car interior under the guidance of a Ford engineer. In addition a Quality Touch Table will provide guests with a hands-on opportunity to feel the quality of the materials used in Ford vehicles. On the other hand there is a Green Touch Table as well. It will demonstrate the long-term value of Ford’s green technology, delivering on Ford’s commitment to provide customers with low total cost of ownership. Next a Fiesta body shell will also be on display, giving visitors an opportunity to discover the engineering features that make the Fiesta safe and secure on the road. And to make the best out of their experience, guests will be entertained by a local magician who will perform on the stand.

Auto Expo 2012 runs from January 7-11 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Source: FORD

December 19, 2011
STILLEN R35 Nissan GT-R Scale Slot Car

Christmas is just in one week and if you still haven’t bought anything for your beloved ones or if you consider making yourself a gift, we have a good idea for you. This present is perfect for the slot car enthusiasts and will add to their vehicle fleet.

If you still haven’t got it, we are talking about the Scalextric recreation of STILLEN R35 Nissan GT-R into a slot car. The fans of the Slot Car Racing, undeniably have heard the name Scalextric. But for those who are unfamiliar, they specialize in bringing realistic vehicles to the slot car world! The great news for this year is that they have recreated the STILLEN R35 Nissan GT-R. Moreover it is done in striking details in a 1:32 scale. Another good feature about this “mini” car is that it can be modified just like the real one. For example you can change anything starting with the tires or gears, or you can even swap the motor! Check out the picture below and you will definitely see for yourself how great this slot car is!

STILLEN Scalextric Nissan GT-R

STILLEN Scalextric Nissan GT-R

STILLEN Scalextric Nissan GT-R

STILLEN Scalextric Nissan GT-R

STILLEN Scalextric Nissan GT-R

STILLEN Scalextric Nissan GT-R

STILLEN Scalextric Nissan GT-R

This little STILLEN R35 Nissan GT-R will make the excellent present under the Christmas tree! And we are sure that you have already imagined it beautifully packed under the lights of the holiday tree!

And for those who are more interested, additionally STILLEN also did the STILLEN Ford GT a couple of years ago. Check it out:

Stillen Scalextric Ford GT

Stillen Scalextric Ford GT

Stillen Scalextric Ford GT

Source: Stillen

December 19, 2011
Gordon Murray Design introduce T.25 City Car

Gordon Murray Design’s T.25 City Car is not only designed around a central driving position but an MPV package offering 6 internal layouts within the same vehicle, each layout being easily achieved within 30 seconds.

The T.25 City Car has been packaged to accept three 95th percentile occupants and the central driving position has been named ‘iCentre®’, although the actual concept dates back to 1966 when Gordon Murray first came up with the idea during his Mechanical Engineering studies at Durban Institute of Technology in South Africa. The three-seat configuration was put into production with the McLaren F1 and then resurrected in 1999 during the original study for Murray’s City Car – then known as Project 3. (more…)

September 4, 2009
First Impreza WRC stars on new car sales website

The very first Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC), which debuted at Rally Monte Carlo in 1997, is for sale for £85,000 on a new website dedicated to pre-owned Prodrive-built rally cars.

The 1997 Impreza WRC, chassis number PRO-WRC-97-001, was the very first car built under the new WRC regulations introduced in 1997. (more…)

February 21, 2009
Nissan: Note the changes for 2009

First seen at the 2008 Paris motor show, the compact and spacious family car from Nissan is about to grow up, with changes made to the exterior and interior providing a new look with innovative and friendly technology. (more…)

December 16, 2008
Dodge to Arm Police Officers with Best-in-Class Power and Even Better Fuel Economy
The new 2009 Dodge Charger police car is ready to patrol the streets with the ultimate in pursuit power – the new-generation 5.7-liter HEMI® V8 engine. The new engine will give the good guys more horses under the hood and even better fuel economy.

“With rear-wheel drive and HEMI power at the pavement, our new 2009 Dodge Charger provides optimum police car pursuit performance,” said Mike Accavitti, Director – Dodge Brand Marketing. “Dodge has a strong police car heritage, and we are proud to offer a vehicle armed with modern muscle and cutting-edge technology to help law enforcement agencies perform their duties.”

With the new 5.7-liter HEMI, the 2009 Dodge Charger is the most powerful production police vehicle on the road, producing 368 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque. The 2009 Dodge Charger is the only police vehicle that offers best-in-class performance in four key pursuit categories: available power, acceleration, top speed and vehicle dynamics.

With a fuel economy rating of 16 city/25 highway, the new HEMI engine also gets up to 20 percent better fuel economy with the addition of fuel-saving Multi-Displacement System (MDS) technology, which deactivates four of the eight cylinders when less power is needed while cruising.

“Our fuel-saving MDS technology functions so smoothly that officers won’t notice when four of the eight cylinders are deactivated, but they’ll always have the power of the V8 when they need it,” said Roxie Thomas, Senior Manager — Government Sales.

The 2009 Dodge Charger police car comes standard with a five-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick® mated to a powerful, 3.5-liter High-Output V-6 engine that provides 250 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque, offering an outstanding blend of performance and fuel economy (16 city/25 highway).

The Dodge Charger police vehicle was designed from the ground up in order to meet the needs of law enforcement agencies. Police-specific features include greater stability and improved handling achieved through a “wheels-to-the-corners” design; performance-tuned steering and suspension; convenient shifter mounted on the instrument panel to make room for police equipment in the center console area; police interior lighting shines white to illuminate the interior and red for use with night vision equipment; heavy-duty seats accommodate fully equipped officers; and a spacious trunk.

The Dodge Charger police vehicle comes equipped with Electronic Stability Program (ESP), a segment exclusive that includes Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), All-speed traction control, Yaw Sensor and Steering Angle Sensor. ESP electronically detects and automatically assists drivers in critical driving situations, including adverse conditions. ESP works by constantly comparing the driver’s intended course with the vehicle’s actual course, detecting differences, applying the brakes to individual wheels and controlling engine power in order to help keep the vehicle on its intended path. Dodge Charger is also equipped with Brake Assist, which helps apply maximum braking power in emergency situations.

Both passive and active safety features are incorporated into the 2009 Dodge Charger police vehicle. These features include unibody steel construction; standard advanced multi-stage driver and front-passenger air bags; available supplemental side-curtain airbags and seat-mounted air bags; best-in-class braking from 60 mph to zero in 135 feet*; and mid-vehicle-mounted saddlebag gas tank.

Standard Features

Standard features on the 2009 Dodge Charger police vehicle include the following items of particular importance to law enforcement customers:
- 3.5-liter High-Output V6 engine with 250 hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque
- 160-amp high-output alternator
- 160-mph or 260–km/h(certified) calibrated speedometer
- 18 x 7.5-inch steel wheels
- 800 CCA battery
- AM/FM radio with CD player, changer controls, four speakers and clock with auxiliary audio input jack
- Bright hubcaps
- Easy Path Wiring Grommet between underhood and passenger compartments
- External oil coolers
- Four-wheel disc heavy-duty antilock brakes with all-speed traction control
- Four-wheel independent performance suspension
- Heavy-duty cloth front bucket seats with manual lumbar and a cloth rear bench seat
- Column-mounted shift lever
- Load-leveling, height-control shock absorbers
- P225/60R18 BSW V-rated performance tires
- Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with Brake Assist and all-speed traction control
- Police performance-tuned steering
- Trunk-lid key lock cylinder
- Separate key and key fob
- Severe-duty cooling system
- Independently switched red/white LED dome lamp
Additional standard features and optional equipment are available on the 2009 Dodge Charger police vehicle in order to provide law enforcement customers an affordable vehicle with industry-leading innovations that make upfitting the vehicle faster and safer.

Police Car Heritage

The former Chrysler Corporation dominated the police car business throughout the 1960s, ‘70s and early ‘80s, with U.S. market shares ranging from 45-60 percent. Police vehicles manufactured by the former Chrysler Corporation included the Dodge Monaco, Dodge Royal Monaco, Dodge Coronet, Dodge Diplomat, Dodge Dart, Dodge St. Regis, Plymouth Fury, Plymouth Gran Fury, Plymouth Volare and Chrysler Newport.

After a 12-year hiatus, Dodge returned to the police car market with the 2002 Dodge Intrepid. The front-wheel-drive Dodge Intrepid earned a 4 percent share of the approximately 70,000 unit U.S. market. That vehicle was phased out of production in 2003.

In the fall of 2004, Dodge previewed the 2006 Dodge Magnum as a police vehicle, offering enhanced rear-wheel-drive performance and handling with a spacious, flexible interior for police special service uses. In 2005, the Dodge Charger joined the ranks, offering law enforcement agencies a four-door sedan option.

The Dodge Charger continues to gain momentum in the marketplace as the preferred vehicle for law enforcement. Sales of the Dodge Charger police car have increased 17 percent over 2007.
October 10, 2008
Mazda Kiyora Concept Car

Mazda Kiyora gives an indication where Mazda could go with a small, eco-friendly city car in the near future. It is highly fuel efficient, with a very small CO 2 footprint, delivering Zoom-Zoom driving fun and high levels of safety. (more…)

October 2, 2008
Xtrac sees a number of applications for flywheel hybrids in road cars

Transmission technology specialist Xtrac says the flywheel kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) currently being developed for Formula One could be applied to road vehicles in a number of ways.

“By providing an additional boost of power, the F1 technology is particularly relevant to the trend to fit cars with smaller engines in pursuit of better fuel efficiency and lower CO2 output,” says Xtrac technical director Adrian Moore.

“The technical challenge with engine downsizing is compensating for the loss of engine torque and driveability, which can be restored by applying flywheel technology. It is also possible that a mechanical KERS system could be used as a range extender in a battery electric hybrid vehicle or even to power vehicle auxiliaries.

“All are potential applications of the technology, subject to the size of the flywheel, compactness of the system and vehicle packaging requirements. These are all resolvable technical issues. The intent of the KERS technology in F1 is to consider energy recovery, storage and discharge, and to demonstrate that technology in a novel and effective way.”

Complementing its work in F1, the transmission technology provider is also an active partner in a new project to develop a flywheel hybrid system for premium cars. Xtrac forms part of a consortium supported by the UK government’s Technology Strategy Board, which recently announced funding of ?23 million for 16 innovative low carbon vehicle development projects.

The flywheel hybrid project will involve the design and development of a mechanical KERS system for use in a premium segment passenger car as an alternative solution to other hybrid systems and to prove its effectiveness and viability for production. Jaguar is leading the project, which will be carried out by a consortium made up of Flybrid Systems, Ford, Prodrive, Ricardo, Torotrak and Xtrac.

“We are very excited about being part of a consortium that has successfully secured funding to undertake one of the major UK low carbon vehicle programmes,” said Peter Digby, managing director of Xtrac. “Taking a technology that has been developed for motorsport and implementing it for road vehicles in order to improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions so quickly after the emergence of the base technology shows how rapidly the UK motorsport industry can react. It is no surprise that a number of our consortium members are successful motorsport engineering companies who have taken up the challenge.”

Xtrac has been involved in energy efficient motorsport initiatives since 2001 and more recently has played a key role in designing, developing and integrating a mechanical KERS system for F1 with partners Flybrid and Torotrak. Xtrac’s role is to provide the toroidal continuously variable transmission (CVT) between the flywheel and the vehicle powertrain.

Given the need to develop systems in time for the 2009 season, the CVT has already undergone rigorous bench testing on Torotrak and Flybrid test rigs. The three F1 project collaborators all strongly believe that the mechanics of this system can be transferred to other technology areas including road vehicles.

“There are some peculiarities which are distinct to F1 due to the regulations, such as the control system, integration of the ECU and the operating parameters,” says Moore, “but as the original Torotrak CVT concept was intended for road vehicle transmissions, the flywheel KERS opportunity readily allows for the use of toroidal CVTs in cars.

“Historically, there are many instances where a new technology initially looks challenging to install in certain applications only to find a few years later that it is smaller, lighter and performs better than anyone ever envisaged. F1 will certainly help advance this process.”

The energy recovery rate and storage requirements of a flywheel for a road car could be considerably less than that required in F1 where the energy which can be recovered from 5g braking is significant. As the flywheel is required to be charged, some preliminary motion may be required; though road cars could store energy in the flywheel directly from the engine, which is not currently permissible under F1 regulations. Road driving conditions also vary from the stop-start conditions experienced in a town environment to constant speed cruising found on motorways.

“Although still maturing, KERS has stimulated the introduction of radical new technologies to F1 and ultimately to other engineering sectors,” says Moore. “The mechanical based concept offers one such solution and indeed could offer significant energy efficient benefits to the driveline of both race and road vehicles.”

Moore is presenting a paper outlining the design and development of the CVT used in the Flybrid F1 system this week to leading automotive engineers and technical experts attending the Global Powertrain Congress being held in Vaals in the Netherlands.

This is not the first time that Xtrac has presented a paper at this high level conference demonstrating the potential crossover of transmission technology between motorsport and road vehicles. Last year it presented details of its gearbox developed for the world’s first commercially viable diesel-electric drivetrain. The low-cost energy-efficient drivetrain had been prepared by automotive engineering consultancy Zytek for assessment by carmakers in a vehicle fully meeting the requirements of the UK government’s Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge (ULCCC).

A published copy of Xtrac’s latest paper on the CVT development for the flywheel KERS for F1 and its potential for road vehicles is available from the International Council for Powertrain Engineering and Management (ICPEM), the non-profit organisation that organises the conference. Information is available at www.gpc-icpem.org.

The Global Powertrain Congress, currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, has established itself as an international event focused exclusively on the needs of the powertrain community. The event is sponsored by IPCEM to help advance knowledge of science, engineering and safety related powertrain technologies.

June 11, 2008
The NICE decade is far from behind us

Commenting on the economy last week, Bank of England governor Mervyn King said the nice decade is behind us. But in terms of low-cost, sustainable motoring, NICE is very much the way forward.

Industry heavyweight Carlos Ghosn recently joined government adviser Julia King in pointing to electric cars as the route to sustainable motoring. London’s NICE car company, launched at the 2006 British Motor Show, agrees. And it has all-electric cars on sale today. (more…)

May 21, 2008