Kudos to Marcus for the tip!
Source: Wtoc via Youtube
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While nothing has changed under the bonnet, the TS-1X is said to offer improved fuel efficiency and better handling car thanks to the aerodynamic enhancements which generate more downforce and reduce drag. Other improvements include a strengthened body, sport suspension and new 4-pot caliper brakes.
By Csaba Daradics
Via: Youtube
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Designed by Pininfarina, the FF is a large sports car measuring 4,907 mm in length, 1,953 in width and 1,379 mm in height. The elongated roofline, the styling of the rear quarter and the car's proportions bring to mind a variety of older models, one of which is the BMW Z3 Coupe.
The Prancing Horse company has not published any photos of the interior yet, but notes that the FF "can comfortably accommodate four people and their luggage". Talking about boot capacity, there's 450 liters of space with all four passengers about, or 800 liter with the rear seats folded.
Ferrari added that it has developed a vast array of personalization options and accessories for the FF, including include six model-specific exterior colors and interior trims.
There's a lot going on under the sheetmetal as the FF introduces company’s first ever [production] four-wheel drive system. Called 4RM, it is said to weigh 50 per cent less than a conventional four-wheel drive system, thus helping to maintain an almost perfect weight distribution [47:53].
The Italian company has released few other details about the system, but it claims "it delivers record levels of performance on all terrains and in all conditions via continuous and intelligent predictive torque distribution to all four wheels."
The FF is powered by a brand new 6.3-liter V12 engine with direct injection and Ferrari's HELE tech that includes a stop/start system. Sitting up front, the 12-cylinder motor delivers 660-horses at 8,000 rpm and is hooked up to dual-clutch F1 gearbox. Ferrari said the FF completes the 0-100km/h [62mph] sprint in 3.7 seconds and 335 km/h (208 mph), while returning a combined fuel economy of 15.4 lt/100km, equal to 15.3 mpg US, with CO2 emissions of 360 g/km.
The GT tips the scales at a hefty 1,790 kg or 3,946 pounds, but thanks to the powerful V12, it boasts a weight-to-power ratio of 2.7 kg/hp.
Other highlights include the latest magnetorheological damping system (SCM3), as well as the most recent development in carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo.
More details will be released at the Geneva Motor Show in March, but until then, check out the photos and video below, and tell us what you think about Ferrari's latest model in the comments section.
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As promised, Aston Martin released the second part of a new promotional series of films featuring the Rapide sports saloon. Called “True Power Should Be Shared”, it’s a more of an action-packed sequel, showing longer driving scenes and a spectacular fight sequence, as the story gets more substance. Still, this is no James Bond movie, although seeing and hearing the British four-door coupe kind of makes up for the lack of originality. Video available after the jump.
By Csaba Daradics
Via: Worldcarfans
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By Csaba Daradics
Source: Youtube via Ridelust
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Lingenfelter's engine tune includes a variety of mods such as ported LSA cylinder heads and the addition of LPE's GT9 ZR1 supercharger camshaft, which help push the V8's output to more than 700-horses at the crankshaft. The long-time GM tuner also tried out a CTS-V Coupe with a manual transmission on the dyno, with the test yielding 623HP and 617 lf-ft at the rear wheels. Follow the jumps for a video and detailed info on the tuning package.
Lingenfelter Cadillac CTS-V Turnkey Package:
- Engine removal and removal of supercharger assembly, cylinder heads and camshaft
- Lingenfelter CNC porting & polishing of LSA cylinder heads for optimal flow
- 2.165" diameter hollow stem intake valves
- 1.59" diameter high temperature inconnel exhaust valves
- Lingenfelter multi-angle valve job, cc chambers, surfacing and spring height adjustment
- Competition Cams valve springs, titanium retainers, 10 degree locks
- Lingenfelter GT9 camshaft
- GM Head gaskets & head bolts
- 2.55" diameter steel supercharger drive pulley - powder coated black - 8 rib
- 8 rib serpentine belt
- Lingenfelter LS9 solid supercharger isolator coupling
- Port and polish supercharger front cover
- Lingenfelter air intake duct
- K & N Air Filter
- Lingenfelter 10% overdrive harmonic balancer
- 63 lbs/hour fuel injectors
- Fuel injector connector change
- 160 degree thermostat
- Professional installation
- Engine testing and expert ECM tuning
- Chassis dyno testing before and after installation
- Excellent drivability, highway mileage not adversely affected
- Lingenfelter certificate of authenticity
- Lingenfelter 2 year/24,000 mile warranty
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By Csaba Daradics
Via: Youtube
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“The first Alpha is amazingly agile for a car of its size. It has great handling balance and poised ride with communicative steering. Just goes to show what combining a low center of gravity with a very stiff body structure can achieve”, said test drive Graham Sutherland.
According to Tesla, Alpha cars will be tested in the coming months in all sorts of climatic conditions, which should help engineers improve the EV’s driving dynamics.
Tesla’s second model after the Roadster offers seating for five adults and two children. The Model-S' drivetrain consists of an electric motor coupled to a single-speed transmission and a floor-mounted lithium-ion battery pack. Customers will be able to specify their cars with one of three available battery packs offering a driving range of up to 160, 230 or 300 miles (258, 370 or 483 kilometers).
Roughly the same size as a BMW 5-Series, the Model S sprints to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.6 seconds and can reach a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h). Production is set to begin in 2012 and Tesla is currently taking orders, with the base price set at US$49,000, including a US$7,500 Federal tax credit.
By Csaba Daradics
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“The EPA and Chrysler are working together to explore the possibilities for making this technology affordable and accessible to drivers everywhere," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "This partnership is further proof that we can preserve our climate, protect our health and strengthen our economy all at the same time”.
The focus will be on adapting the technology to a Chrysler Town & Country minivan powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine. The hydraulic system includes a 117 cc engine pump, a 45 cc drive electric motor and 2-speed automatic transmission, with an additional 14.4-gallon high-pressure accumulator storing the fluid for the system.
Power is produced as the engine torque drives the hydraulic pump, which, in term, charges the accumulator up to 5,000 psi. The pressure energy is then directed through the axle hydraulic motor to the driven wheels. As long as there’s enough pressure, the thermal engine remains off, thus reducing fuel consumption.
“In this hydraulic hybrid project, the Chrysler Group and EPA will evaluate and, hopefully, validate fuel-efficiency gains and greenhouse gas reductions”, Marchionne said. “One of the aims of Chrysler Group’s integration efforts will be to meet driver expectations for smooth and quiet operation, so that Americans will want to buy and will enjoy driving vehicles with this technology”.
Chrysler and the EPA plan to have a running demonstration vehicle by 2012. The automaker also announced that it would introduce 150 Ram 1500 trucks with a plug-in hybrid system in the near future, as part of a project with the U. S. Department of Transportation.
The video below shows an industrial application of the hydraulic hybrid system.
By Csaba Daradics
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Fortunately, there are a few potential solutions. Carbon fibre is one. It’s said to be ten times stronger than steel and five times lighter. Unfortunately, it’s also four times as expensive, making it impractical for use in non-luxury vehicles. Now, engineers are looking to green energy and new manufacturing methods to make carbon fibre cheaper. Still, the results are yet to be seen.
There’s also the burgeoning belief that ultracapacitors are set to replace lithium ion batteries in hybrid and electric vehicles, though this is far from certain. Like carbon fibre, ultracapacitors are very expensive and unlike today’s lithium ion batteries are quite bulky and heavy. Think of the first generation of phone batteries for a worthy comparison. Fortunately, costs are coming down. According to Mike Sund, VP of investor relations at Maxwell Technologies, “[Ultracapacitor] costs have been reduced by two-thirds over the past three years.”
Even in this post-GFC world, the price of oil is also becoming an increasing concern for consumers and big business alike. Products, like Ethanol E10 and E85, are decent stopgap measures though aren’t solving the bigger problem. Now, companies are looking to manufacture synthetic gasoline from biomass such as woodchips and other waste materials. .
The technology still isn’t at the stage where it can compete with the major oil refineries, meeting only 1/8th of their capacity. Another hurdle is the raw biomass itself, which is too heavy to transport long distances. Still, new advances and investment in the industry are sure to produce some interesting results in the near future.
Lastly, the Scuderi Group has developed an experimental split-cycle engine that causes combustion to occur after the piston reaches the top of the cylinder, which it claims is 50% more fuel efficient than contemporary petrol engines. How about a 1L engine that offers the same performance as a 1.8, with better fuel economy than a contemporary 1L? By using some clever trickery that allows the spark to come later, along with a turbocharger and small air-tank, the Scuderi engine could reinvigorate faith in the internal combustion engine – if it ever reaches production.
So, the future of the automobile is looking bright. Now all that’s left is the wait to see if these technologies will reach production status.
By Tristan Hankins
Source: WSJ , Video: Scuderi Group
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By Csaba Daradics
Source: Youtube via Autogespot
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This particular broadcast ad is titled “Chain” and it shows a crane slowly lifting the front end of a LS, which is attached to four more Lexus models (RX, GS, ES and IS) using nothing more than cables and stretch bars. At the end of the spot, a $375,000 LFA comes into the shot and parks directly below the chain of vehicles weighing a total 21,000 pounds.
The key point here is that the commercial is real and that no special effects were used for its creation as Lexus proves in the 'Behind the Scenes" video.
“It isn’t enough to just say that we pursue perfection, we want to demonstrate the great lengths we go to in our pursuit,” states Dave Nordstrom, vice president of marketing for Lexus.
“The new broadcast spot allows us to focus on the foundation of our vehicles, the chassis, and show its almost unbelievable strength. In fact, we feared that it would be so unbelievable, we invited a physicist and structural engineer to witness the shoot, to prove that it did, in fact, occur without the use of special effects or computer generated-imagery.”
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The idea was to create intelligent convoys of vehicles with a professional driver in the lead vehicle leading the rest of the cars. Each car measures distance, speed and direction and adjusts to the car in front, while being totally detached. Vehicles can leave the platoon at any time, but once in, drivers can relax and do other things, without having to worry about actually driving their cars.
Tests carried out involved a lead vehicle and single car that was able to steer itself as it was trailing the lead truck around the test track.
According to SARTRE, platooning is designed to improve a number of things, such as road safety and fuel consumption. It also allows drivers to concentrate on other matters than driving and, since vehicles in a platoon travel just a few meters apart, it may relieve traffic congestion.
The program is lead by Ricardo UK with other six companies contributing, including Volvo Car Corporation. The technology development is said to be well underway and could go into production in a few years. However, public acceptance and legislation issues will prolong the process, thus the announced 10-year timeframe.
“We are very pleased to see that the various systems work so well together already the first time”, said Erik Coelingh, engineering specialist at Volvo Cars. “After all, the systems come from seven SARTRE-member companies in four countries. The winter weather provided some extra testing of cameras and communication equipment”.
“This is a major milestone for this important European research program”, said Tom Robinson, SARTRE project coordinator, of Ricardo UK. “Platooning offers the prospect of improved road safety, better road space utilization, improved driver comfort on long journeys and reduced fuel consumption and hence CO2 emissions. With the combined skills of its participating companies, SARTRE is making tangible progress towards the realization of safe and effective road train technology”.
For a more in-depth look at the SARTRE project check out the video below.
By Csaba Daradics
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