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Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence 848

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HomeLearnAbout CorvetteCorvette Hall of FameCarl Renner – GM/Chevrolet – 2007 Corvette Hall of Fame Carl Renner – GM/Chevrolet – 2007 Corvette Hall of Fame GM ~ Chevrolet Category b. 1924 – d. January 22, 2001 Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee Carl Renner was part of the “Project Opel” original Corvette Motorama project design team. In 1945, after leaving Walt Disney’s design studio where he worked as a cartoon animator, Renner took his portfolio filled with automotive designs and headed for General Motors Styling where he landed a job as a junior designer in the Orientation Studio. GM was then beginning to turn its attention back to producing automobiles for the general public and designers were needed. He was promoted to Senior Designer in 1946 and transferred to the Chevrolet Studio. From 1950 to 1955 Renner took an active part in the entire design process of the 1952 through 1957 Chevrolet models. Other Renner design contributions include the Corvette side cove (1956), Corvette ducktail rear end (1961), the Corvette Nomad roofline and the deluxe steering wheel, grilles, recessed hoods, the “notch belt” fender line, parking lights, bumper guards and side trim. In 1954, he was promoted to assistant chief designer in the Body Development Studio. As part of the “ninth floor” crew at the Body Development Studio that Harley Earl used to work on special, private projects, the group became responsible for the basic shape of the first Opel – the future Corvette. The grille of the “Project Opel” Corvette was based on Carl Renner’s 1950 and 1951 renderings where he served as part of the project’s design team, although the answer to who is most responsible for the Corvette remains a mystery, thanks in part to the level of secrecy enforced by Harley Earl. Renner was also responsible for the Nomad which was essentially a Corvette built with an extended station wagon roof. Carl Renner passed away on January 22, 2001.

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High demand keeps Jaguar Land Rover on its toes Car giant’s roaring success could be slowed by a lack of engineers Signage at the Jaguar Land Rover Halewood Operations Plant, Halewood, Liverpool Photo: PA By Rebecca Clancy 10:53PM BST 29 Jun 2014 Follow As the financial crisis sank its claws in, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) faced some of the toughest decisions in its history. Discussions were taking place as to which of its plants in the UK might have to shut. Fast-forward to today, and now one of the major headaches for the British car manufacturer – with all its factories intact – is how to keep up with demand. Having come through the crisis in rude health, the rate of expansion has been nothing short of impressive. Of the company’s 29,000 workforce, almost 28,000 are based in the UK. More than 10,000 workers have been recruited in the past three years alone. At the company’s Halewood plant in Merseyside, the workforce has trebled in size to 4,500 and is now working around the clock for the first time in its 50-year history, to meet demand for the Land Rover Freelander 2 and its top-selling model – the Range Rover Evoque. In Solihull, the largest of the three production sites in Britain, employees work on a 24-hour shift pattern Mondays to Fridays, and at the weekend the plant operates for 12 hours each day. Related Articles Jaguar Land Rover annual profits hit record £2.5bn Jaguar Land Rover breaks sales record Tata £1.3bn JLR gamble 'pays off' JLR to create 250 jobs in Halewood The company is investing heavily to increase production. More than £1.5bn has been invested in the Solihull site alone in the last two years, increasing its workforce by a third to 7,300. That includes a £370m investment to create the world’s largest aluminium bodyshop. JLR has also invested more than £500m in a new state-of-the-art engine facility in Wolverhampton. It will make its own engines again from next year. The demand for the company’s new models and the growing popularity of Jaguar and Land Rover in emerging markets pushed JLR to its best ever sales performance last year. It sold more than 425,000 vehicles, up almost a fifth on the previous 12 months. That drove the British-based car manufacturer to report record annual profits of £2.5bn, more than most companies in the FTSE 100, and levels unthinkable just a few years ago. The figures highlight the transformation of the business under its Indian owners, Tata Group, which bought the Midlands-based car-maker six years ago from Ford, for £1.3bn. The ownership structure appears to have suited JLR. It is understood that Tata are hands-off owners. Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Tata Group and the man who clinched the JLR deal, is still a regular visitor to the UK plants, as is his successor, Cyrus Mistry. But instead of interfering with how the business is run, senior executives say that their visits are mainly about satisfying their interests in all things manufacturing and to see the production lines in action. And they are impressive production lines. One of the buildings on the Solihull site is so big that a path for fork-lift trucks that runs down the middle is called the “Grey Mile”. It is actually just slightly longer than 1km, but it highlights the scale of the operation. But with increasing demand and factories running around the clock, is JLR facing constraints? There is only so much land the company can expand its factories on to, and space could become an increasing dilemma. However, the biggest challenge facing the company now, according Alan Volkaerts, the operations director for JLR at Solihull, is the shortage of engineers. Companies are facing a crippling “skills gap” as tens of thousands of engineers retire, without well-trained apprentices and graduates being on hand to replace them. It is not just about a shortage for JLR itself. There is a risk for the entire supply chain, which consists of about 190,000 people. Each tier of supplier is crucial in the manufacturing line and any disturbance could ripple through the entire chain. The skills shortage may be some way off but it is an issue that needs to be addressed now. The car industry has been a driving force behind the UK’s recovery, and any threat to the sector risks slowing down the economy. But JLR is not alone. The car industry has been booming in recent years and factories belonging to the likes of Nissan and Mini are now bursting at the seams thanks to growing demand from overseas. More than 80pc of production is exported abroad. JLR sells to more than 170 countries, with China now the company’s largest market, accounting for 23pc of total sales last year. Europe made up 20pc, while Britain made up just 18pc. Due to the growth from emerging markets, the companies are starting to build plants closer to their growing customer base. Later this year, JLR will complete its factory in China. The company is also building a plant in Brazil that is due to be completed in 2017, and has signed a letter of intent with Saudi Arabia as it looks at the possibility of building a production plant in the affluent Middle East. Mark Fulthorpe, director at IHS Automotive, believes the “fundamentals for the UK car industry remain in place” and he expects the sector to grow 2.1pc more this year than last. Despite the potential capacity crunch, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said the “prospects for the coming months and years are still bright”. But JLR has set its benchmark high, with record sales and record profits in each of the past four years. While it is still investing heavily in the UK, there is potential danger ahead. Unless the UK can solve its manufacturing skills shortage, the only way the car-maker may be able to continue its record-breaking recovery is to focus on opening new factories abroad. Industry Land Rover » Rebecca Clancy » Autumn Statement: family tax bombshell over new black hole In Industry A history of Kodak The UK's super-cities: in pictures Where will Britain's manufacturing revival come from? Made in Britain - great British inventions

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A thought-provoking man, rich with automotive history, that’s Jim Rose. A behind-the-scenes, living legend is now retired but spends his year split between countries but not between hobbies. Whether he is in England or the US, Rose is creating beautiful cars. He lives half the year in the US and the other six months in his home country. The memories he possess are filled with expertise and a knack for car construction. Rose recalls memories of working on Le Mans and rally cars in his younger days. He holds some unknown, quirky facts of the industry, for instance: he claims England had the Mustangs and rally cars before the US. His credibility comes from his extensive work history in the automotive industry. He’s been working with cars ever since he can remember and was on the team that won the Tour de France Automobile in 1964 with the “US-unreleased” car he previously spoke of. Rose has another impressive notch to add to his resume, he is responsible for building the lightest GT40 at 1800 pounds. The car, to this day, has not been driven more than seven miles! In his younger years, the automotive architect dabbled with many developing projects including a car called the F3L, a car that is referenced as one of motorsport’s biggest could-have-beens and later fizzled out due to insufficient funding. Rose fiddled with the NASCAR scene for a little while, specifically drafts for the cars. He says guys in the industry are great here are building things 100 off to tweak performance, but when it comes to a slight change to maybe 1 or 2 off of the original work they used him for his precision and skill. Although he’s retired now, the Englishman continues to perfect his skill of tweaking cars and building masterpieces. When he is in the states, he’s fueling his passion for cars and building them back to their original state of being at Holman Moody. Rose has simple advice for those of you wanting to build cars with a big grin on his face, saying the most important part is to make sure it doesn’t fall apart. You have to check everything. Although he has some of the most intriguing knowledge and recall, Jim Rose remains humble. Speaking with Jim Rose gives a new appreciation for behind the scenes of the automotive industry. -Back- This Site Was Created Using Wix.com . Create Your Own Site for Free >>Start

汽车

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Santana Santana Santana1300 Forward Control2000 Forward ControlArmando's 2500PS-10 / AnibalIveco MassifIveco CampagnolaMorattab Santana Print Email Details Category: Santana Published: 16 June 2012 Hits: 52773 Santana Land Rovers 1958-2011 The origins of the Santana company can be traced back to the formation of Metalurgica de Santa Ana, S.A. in Linares, Spain in 1955. In 1954 under "Plan Jaen", a government initiative to industrialize the Andalusian province, a group of businessmen obtained the license to produce 1,000 units of agricultural machinery per year. The company started out by building combine harvesters and other farming equipment, but anxious to diversify their production, they soon came into contact with Rover. The Linares factory had been built with the aid of funding from the Spanish government, and so with their help, the following year an agreement was reached with the Rover Company to build the Land-Rover at the plant. The initial worldwide success of the Land-Rover had outstripped Rover's ability to supply, and at that time Land-Rovers were being produced under license in Belgium by Minerva, and in Germany by Tempo. Rover was interested in the project, and talks focused on the choice of a model to be produced in Spain, as Rover wanted the Series I model to be built in Spain, using the machinery and tooling from Minerva whose contract had ended, while the Spanish wanted to produce an updated model, namely the new Series II. Import permits were obtained for the necessary machinery from the Ministry of Commerce and finally in 1958 the company began production of the Land-Rover Series II model. In 1959, just a year after the Series II became available from Land-Rover, the first Spanish-built Santana Land-Rovers are launched, 75 percent locally manufactured, with a choice of 2.25 litre petrol engine or 2 litre diesel engine. Due to the Spanish government's stake in the venture, the first 1500 vehicles had to be 75% locally made, the next 1000 85% locally made, and from there the Santana Land-Rovers had to be 95% of Spanish manufacture. This prompted the development of engine design and manufacture within the company. The first Santana Land-Rover vehicles were 88 inch models, with the long wheelbase 109 inch model following later. These were almost identical to their British counterparts. The large majority of the vehicles manufactured in these first years went to the Armed Police, Civil Guard, Ministry of Public Works, etc. The Spanish armed forces also purchased numerous vehicles, a military version with a canvas roof and a jerry can located at both ends of the front bumper. Santana military version. In 1962 production of the new Series IIa began, with few changes in comparison to its predecessor, but with the new 2.25 litre diesel engine as an option. Meanwhile the company diversified their production further by starting the manufacture of gearboxes for the Citroen factory in Vigo. The factory was enlarged several times, and a new centre of production was established for the production of components for engines such as blocks and rods, plus axles and differentials. In La Carolina, a new centre was set up dedicated to the distribution of completed models, and the installation of specific special order components, as well as hosting the training school of the company. In 1962, with local content of the vehicles now at almost 95 percent, the company began exporting operations with a first shipment of vehicles to Colombia, revealing the South American market as one of the main destinations for Santana Land-Rovers. Supplying fully-built or as completely knocked-down (CKD) kits to be assembled at the destination country, Santana exported Land-Rovers to Central and South America, North Africa and the Middle East, especially Morocco, Iran and Costa Rica. The Rover Company supported these exports as they were unable to access many of these markets themselves. Early on, Santana had also set up a research and development department, the first product of which was the 1300 forward control model, which appeared in 1967. Although totally of Santana design, it does bear many similarities to the Land-Rover IIa forward control, and was developed in a similar way. Santana decided to name this vehicle by it's load capacity rather than by it's wheelbase size, as Land-Rovers were named, and so the '1300' could carry 1300 kilos of goods. The vehicle was available in several different versions, including pick-up, chassis-cab, double-cab or, minibus / van, each being available with 2.25 litre petrol or diesel engines. Santana Land Rover 1300. In 1968 a new version was added to the range. The five door 109 inch "Station Wagon", having been available from Rover almost from the outset, finally aquires a Spanish cousin. The production of Santana Land-Rovers received a fresh impetus in the late 1960s with the emergence in 1969 of exclusively military models, developed entirely in Linares. Although these bear some resemblance to the 'Lightweight' Land-Rover, the emergence of both British and Spanish versions was parallel, and because of differing design considerations, none of the panels on the Spanish vehicles needed to be demountable to make it airportable. The 88 inch Ligero Militar and the 109 inch Militar were produced, with specifications for a payload of 1/4 ton for the 88, and a ton for the 109. These models received a new body with greatly simplified lines, angles and wings, with a canvas roof top on all versions. These were further developed, producing a special version equipped for deep wading, with a shielded electrical system, snorkel and high exhaust exit, specially designed for the Marines, and a model designed to carry a 106mm gun on the back. This model had backwards angled wing fronts, and the windscreen was split into two independent halves with a gap between them to allow the gun to protrude over the bonnet. Snorkel Equipped Santana Land Rover Santana militar 88 inch CSR 3 pics above supplied by Neele Wajnsztok Other versions were equipped for radio communications, in this case with a fibreglass hardtop, or intended to patrol in the desert, equipped with a cooling system, strengthened upper air intake and two fuel tanks. An ambulance version was also created, with capacity for four stretchers, with special bodywork in the same vein as the Series IIa Land-Rover ambulances. Santana Militar 109. The evolution of civilian Santana Land-Rovers continued and in 1970 they introduced two new versions (88 inch and 109 inch) called "Especial" with a more comfortable interior than the basic models. These were offered with their own paint colour range and had Alpine windows in the rear, although the most significant change occurred at the front, as the headlights moved to the wings for the first time, while on the grille panel, where the ordinary models had their headlights, driving lights were fitted. In 1972, due to a change in Spanish motoring legislation, the lights moved to the wings on all models, three years after they did so on their British counterparts. Most Santana Land-Rovers made prior to this date and still 'on the road' in Spain were forced to adapt to the rules and change the location of their headlights, with varying degrees of success, but for unknown reasons a few vehicles have been maintained to this day with the lights in their original position. In 1974, three years later than in Britain, the Series III model is launched, distinguished from its predecessors by various technical improvements which include a new gearbox with synchromesh on all gears and a redesigned dashboard, as well as adopting across the full range some of the improvements of the 1970 Especial. In 1975, all models were now supplied fitted with dual-circuit brakes. In 1976, all models gained a brake servo. The obvious need to provide more power for the vehicles gave birth to new 6-cylinder engines developed totally in-house. The V8 petrol engine used in the Range Rover and other Land Rover models was never adopted by Santana, as it was perceived as being too thirsty. The new 6-cylinder, 3.4 litre petrol (104 hp) and diesel (94 hp) engines were produced essentially by adding two more cylinders to the current Land Rover 2.25 litre 4-cylinder engine design. Because of this new longer engine type, 6-cylinder equipped vehicles were redesigned with the radiator grille moving out flush with the wings, whilst the gearbox and axles were upgraded to deal with the extra power. The engine was only available on the 109" versions as this allowed the capacity of the fuel tank to be increased, although on request it was installed on military models and in some versions of the '1300'. Overdrive and free-wheeling hubs were offered as a factory fitted option for the first time. Santana Series III 6 Cylinder Land Rover. One of the good qualities of a 6-cylinder equipped 109 was that it allowed road travel speeds previously unknown to the owners of Santana Land-Rovers, but against them was difficult starting due to the starter motor being too small, and fuel consumption was high. In 1978, the '1300' forward control model was replaced by the new 'modelo 2000' forward control vehicle, with a 2-tonne payload and 6-cylinder petrol or diesel engine fitted as standard, with an unladen weight (chassis-cab version) of 2,360 kg. The Santana 2000 was marketed in different versions as a double cab or panel van, although the most widespread was the chassis-cab bodywork supplied to specialist conversion companies. Santana '2000' Forward Control. In 1979 the Series IIIa 109" 6-cylinder 'Especial' was introduced, with rectangular headlights. The front door sliding glass panes became a wind-up/down type, the windscreen was made as one piece (no centre split) and the roof was now made of fibreglass rather than aluminium. The front central seat was eliminated and a centre-console was fitted, Overdrive and freewheeling hubs came as standard equipment, as well as two fuel tanks giving 92 litres capacity. The spare wheel was originally positioned on the tailgate, but ultimately this caused the breakage of the hinges and Santana had to find another location. Santana Series IIIa 4 cylinder Land Rover. In 1980 the 88 inch model was withdrawn, and a number of improvements were introduced across the remaining range, including a new engine block with a 5-bearing crank. To supply the then fledgling market for leisure vehicles, the Santana 'Ligero' (Ligero = 'Light weight'), a civilian version of the Series III 'Militar' lightweight-style vehicle was introduced. Soft-top or hardtop options were available, with an exclusive range of very bright colours. Santana Land-Rover Ligero. In 1981 the company name is changed from Metalurgica de Santa Ana, SA to Land Rover Santana, SA. The petrol engined Ligero was the cheapest model of the entire Santana Land Rover range, whilst the diesel version cost the same as the 88 inch base model. In 1982 Santana Land Rovers with a 6-cylinder engine were renamed 'Cazorla' and 1983's four-cylinder engined models were renamed 'Super'. The new 'Cazorla' version was visually rather like Land Rover's Stage 1 vehicle, it was fitted as standard with overdrive, front disc brakes, power steering and three windscreen wipers on the one-piece windscreen. The 'Super' versions incorporated part of the improvements of the Cazorla, and the 4 cylinder engine size was increased to 2,500cc. The 'Super Turbo' version was among other things the first turbocharged variant of the 2.25 litre Diesel, with an output of 75 bhp and a torque of 180 Nm, - three years before the British turbo-diesel appeared. Santana Land Rover - Cazorla 6 Cylinder. In early 1983 Santana signed an agreement with Suzuki to manufacture the Small Suzuki SJ-410 off-roaders, with first sales planned for 1985/86. Suzuki took a 20% stake in Santana. At around the same time, Land Rover decided to release its equity, which had become 30% thanks largely to its contribution of machinery, and so Santana terminated co-operation with Land Rover, removing the Land Rover name from it's vehicles. Santana had enjoyed a long association with Land Rover, having built in the region of 300,000 'Series' vehicles from 1958 through to 1985. By the end of this period however, the vehicles being built were quite different in many respects from British Land Rovers. 1983 saw the launch of the Santana Series IV 2.5 or '2500' model. As part of a cost cutting package, the hardtop windows each side of the rear door disappeared. The 2500 introduced the use of parabolic leaf springs, the same year Land Rover changed to coil springs. Power steering became standard equipment. The six-cylinder diesel engine remained with the designation of '3500', and petrol versions were only available by special order until stocks were depleted. Santana Series IV / 2500. In 1984 the six cylinder diesel engines were discontinued. 1991: Suzuki Motor Corporation became the majority shareholder in Santana, with 49% of the share capital. This led to the company being renamed Santana Motor, SA. Although on the sales catalogue until 1994, the appearance of the Nissan Patrol and the massive influx of new all-terrain vehicles caused a gradual decline in sales of Santana Land Rovers. This focused the firm on the production of the Suzuki, whose range was increasing with the emergence of the SJ-413, Samurai and Vitara models. 1994: Santana 2500 production ceased. A last attempt to revitalize the model occured with the development of the military prototype 300-M, equipped with the Italian VM Motori turbo diesel engine, but the Spanish Army chose another vehicle, which stalled the project that could have produced a new Santana model. 1994-96: The company was forced through re-structuring and ownership changes, and Santana sold it's 2500 production line machinery and tooling to Morattab in Iran. However a new licence contract was signed with Suzuki, and agreements were signed for the production of new diesel-engined Suzuki models and extension into new sales markets. 1997: The licence contract with Suzuki is extended to 2006. 1999: The PS-10 concept vehicle is introduced - Essentially a re-design of the 'Series IV' 2.5 / 2500, but using Iveco's 2.8 litre, four cylinder turbo-diesel engine. 2000/01 saw the company facing sharply declining sales (2000 - 33,821 units; 2001 - 22,736), resulting in a loss of 301 million Euros. Santana decided that it needed to broaden its product base, and so introduced their new model - the 'PS-10' (outside Spain) or 'Anibal' (Spain only) - at the 2002 Madrid Motor Show in May that year. They planned to sell more than six thousand units per year, and sell directly to Land Rover's home markets. Santana PS-10 / Anibal Bringing the story almost full-circle, the PS-10 was in fact a very thinly-disguised Land Rover, powered by an Iveco 2.8-litre 4 cylinder turbodiesel engine, using parabolic spring suspension, and produced in two main body styles - a 5-door station wagon and a pick-up. Interestingly, a front-wheel-drive only version was also available in both body styles. PS-10 / Anibal Pickup 2006 saw the release of a short wheelbase version, launched at the Madrid International Motor Show, with a new Iveco 3 litre diesel engine and a six speed gearbox. This machine was once again set to lock horns directly with the Defender. PS-10 / Anibal swb 2006 May 26th: Santana and Iveco signed an agreement to work together to develop new light 4 wheel drive vehicles. 2007: IVECO Massif - a re-badged and restyled PS-10 - is unveiled. Iveco are to market the vehicle worldwide, using the Fiat brand in the South American markets. 2009: Santana ceased production of right hand drive PS-10s for the UK market, Although parts were still available from Norfolk Trucks. With the change of industrial partner from Suzuki to Fiat-Iveco, Santana broke its relations with Suzuki in 2009 and from then on it no longer made any Suzuki models under license. The breaking of the partnership with Santana meant that in many countries, Suzuki no longer supported the cars that were made by Santana under the Suzuki license and brand. Because Suzuki had kept the distribution network previously used by Santana, Santana was not able to sell the cars that it was manufacturing under its own brand. Only the access to the commercial network of Iveco would have allowed the company to go on. However, In 2010, the sales of the Iveco Massif were not as expected and Iveco decided to stop the agreement with Santana. 2011: The owner of the company, the Government of Andalusia, decided to close the Santana Motor company and its car factory, and the company is put into liquidation (the liquidation notice was posted on the santana website - www.santana-motor.es) A. Miguel Zuniga Wrote: Sir, I have read the history you published on your website for Santana. It's well explained, but the end of the story is not written. Santana is not in liquidation, all production lines are kept inside the factory and can not be sold. Nobody works today in the factory producing cars, but there is a contract to manufacture aluminum casings for Renault. (Santana started in the 1950s building gearboxes for Citroen).Currently Santana is developing a new vehicle based on the Iveco Massif, the new version will be electric and will have a small diesel generator. They also plan to add a FIAT diesel motor version. Electrical prototypes have been built with Renault collaboration. They have not specified the vehicle's power output, but they announced a range of 600Km. They plan to build their own distribution (dealer) network. They talk to start production in 2013. There was some copyright property disagreement between Iveco and Santana. Currently, property is exclusively from Santana. You can read more in Diario de Jaen newspaper:http://www.ideal.es/jaen/v/20110915/linares/todoterreno-massif-debate-futuro-20110915.html (Spanish language) A. Miguel If you can help out with more information regarding Santana SA or their vehicles, past or present, please do so. You can contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Santana pictures Santana Land Rover Station Wagon. Scrapped Santana '1300' Minibus & Friend. Santana PS-10 rescue truck. Santana Militar. Prev Next © www.lr-mad.co.uk

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Molly Saleen Biography D.O.B.: January 27, 1983 Resides: Orange County, CA Molly-Anne Kelsea Saleen was born in Sacramento, CA and soon relocated with her family to Southern California during the early stages of her father’s legacy company Saleen, Inc. Along with her older brothers, Clint and Sean; she grew up in an automotive and racing environment which proved to be a unique and valuable experience for Molly. When she was old enough, she spent a lot of summers at racetracks around North America and Europe attending her father’s races and learning from the “ground up” about motorsports and marketing. From cleaning wheels, checking tire pressures and handing out posters, she developed her racing spirit. By the age of 15 she had the opportunity to experience everything from kart racing schools to Bob Bondurant’s School of High Performance Driving. The first car she learned to drive was a 510 HP Saleen S351, in which she took her test for her Driver’s License. Molly knew she wanted to be a part of her father’s life as an automotive pioneer. In the early 2000’s, Molly’s father, Steve Saleen, began development on the Saleen S7. He needed a code name prior to its release and aptly named it “The Molly Project.” The S7 has since set the benchmark for “America’s Supercar,” both on and off the track. After completing her Associates Degree at The University of Arizona; Molly transferred to her Dad’s Alma Mater, The University of Southern California, where she graduated with honors in 2005. She then joined her parents and brothers at Saleen, Inc. In July of 2006 “The Saleen Store” was opened to the public. This unique retail store for Saleen products, included aftermarket parts, apparel and accessories as well as Saleen vehicles. This never before seen approach to new car sales was another creation by her father that has set a new standard for automotive retailing. Molly served as the store’s General Manager since its inception. Among other honors, the store was named by “Maxim” magazine as the #1 Automotive Store in the U.S.. Molly’s drive and determination made the store a great success and a “must see” destination for all car enthusiasts. Determined to learn the family business from the ground up, Molly joined her father in 2007 with his SMS Supercars concept. SMS Supercars is the next phase in the Saleen legacy which allowed for a diversification across multiple American muscle platforms. The launch of the SMS Challenger in 2008, the SMS 302 Mustang in 2010, and the SMS Camaro in 2012 provided the market with a fresh take on the new muscle car era. With Molly at the helm of retail marketing, SMS Supercars has successfully implemented production on all new models, and received industry recognition with the release of its’ patented ultra efficient SMS 296 Supercharger system. On her own time, Molly has been designing a women’s racing inspired fashion line. Slated to launch in 2012, “Molly Pop” takes its’ design cues from Molly’s automotive and racing roots and artfully integrates them into a fun and fashionable form. When she’s not running the retail side of Saleen, or is looking for inspiration for her clothing line, Molly can be found at her local track where she is creating her own legacy on the oval. As one of the few known female drivers, Molly is preparing to run a full season in 2012. For Molly Saleen, who has become something of a road warrior in her own right, speed, style & success seem to be an open road. /// Copyright 2015 Molly Saleen

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BP ML PT SF USC Published: June 26, 2013 Local group to hold Fourth of July car cruise Courtesy Jim Gastgeb Al’s Cafe Car Cruise takes place 6-9 p.m. every Wednesday, “until the snow starts to fly,” said Jim Gastgeb. For years, Bill Allsop of Bethel Park attended car cruises, looked at the cars and talked to the car owners and wished he had a car to show. “For my 60th birthday I bought one,” said Allsop, who describes his 1995 red and white Chevrolet as a “muscle car.” Allsop still attends the car cruises, but for the last 10 years, those not displaying cars have looked at his with envy. One of the regulars at local car cruises, Allsop says he enjoys socializing with other car owners and those who come to see the cars. “They take the time to look at the cars and talk about the cars their dad had or their mother had,” he said. “I like the people.” Car cruises can be found almost any day of the week throughout the summer at local venues such Al’s Cafe on McMurray Road, where a group that goes by the acronym NRND (No Rules, No Dues) congregates from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday evenings. For the Fourth of July, the group is planning a special cruise which will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the Thursday holiday. The special event will include a disc jockey, who will be spinning some patriotic tunes along with the usual car cruise music, and a POW/MIA empty table ceremony by the members of the Keystone Young Marines. Al’s Cafe, which regularly runs food specials to eat in or take out, during the Wednesday evening cruises, will be offering specials during the holiday event. Jim Gastgeb, one of the group members, said owner of Al’s Cafe, which allows the group to use a roped off area of the restaurant parking lot for car cruises, will be giving patriotic dash plaques to the first 75 car owners at the event. Dash plaques are memorabilia that car cruisers collect and treasure, Gastgeb explained. Car owners are welcome to bring their cars, set up a chair and swap car stories with other participating car owners and car admirers, and enjoy food and entertainment along with the classic cars. “Our policy is ‘If you love it, bring it,’” said Gastgeb, adding that the cruises usually attract about 200 cars of various makes and models. Gastgeb, who owns several cars, said he plans to take his black and gold 1980 Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am to the Fourth of July event. Local car cruisers can be found at Gill’s restaurant on Brownsville Road in South Park Township on Monday nights, Al’s on Wednesdays, and Mineral Beach on Fridays. On Saturdays, the group alternates between the McDonald’s on Racetrack Road in Washington and the Giant Eagle at Donaldson’s Crossroads in Peters Township, and on Sundays they congregate at Caste Village, Gastgeb said. In addition, the group is planning to hold its Fifth Annual Rev ‘Em Up for Kids event from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. July 28 at the South Park Fairgrounds. Cost to attend the event is $5, with seniors and children getting in for free. Along with cars, and entertainment by Johnny Angel and the Halos, there will be special events such as a bouncy house and face painting for children. Over the years, that event, which helps support the Bethel Park Junior Football Program, has raised enough money that the group was recently able to fund $109,000 worth of work for the field at the Bethel Park Community Center on Park Avenue, Gastgeb said. But, the events are really about the cars and the people who love them, said Allsop, who worries that the younger generation won’t have the same affinity for the classic cars that he and his friends do. “I don’t know how much longer these old cars are going to be around,” he said.

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AboutApproachFacilitiesHistoryExpertiseDesignEngineeringHuman FactorsInnovationProject ManagementScienceWORKPEOPLECareersBenefitsGraduatesLife at TeamInsightinsightsMagazinenewsSubscribe to InsightCONTACT search First across the line: the great generics race Brennan Miles Senior Consultant In motor racing the 1980’s became known as the turbo-era. A period where a generation of super-fast, flame spitting, colourful race cars were born. But why the sudden change? Engine size, engine efficiency and particularly aerodynamics, all came to the fore. Drivers were important, but it was mostly the new developments in turbo technologies that drove innovation. The prize for being first across the finish line on a Sunday afternoon directly lead to more car sales on a Monday morning, and it was the big corporations like Renault, BMW, Porsche and Ferrari that invested heavily in development to capitalise on this. But having a technological advantage wasn’t the only thing that won races. Every aspect of the machine was examined… What did it take to win a race? Lancia Stratos was a company where the competition manager was looking for any advantage. He polled the entire racing crew to find out what they thought would make a winning car. It worked. They did have the advantage in their class of competition, winning for three years – but only three years… However, with the faster cars came more accidents. With every change to design, potential risks needed to be balanced. New regulations came into effect. New limits were set on the cars. Minimum weights were introduced, along with many other regulations. Big money poured into racing events, and with that came more and more competition to dominate racing. New companies entered racing and new markets opened up for Formula One in particular. The first Formula One race in Hungary was held in the 80s. Race organisers were looking for new markets to hold more races to make more money. This very same drive to be the first across the line can be seen in the successful but aging asthma and COPD drugs market. New races are opening up in the generics category. Competitive companies have been anticipating the expiry of intellectual properties. The generics know that just building a fast car might not actually bring them victory. If the driver can’t control it or it doesn’t meet with race regulations, their efforts will fail. Why is it then that so many companies seem to have underestimated the time and effort required to develop devices for generic drugs? “If it looks like a Porsche, it might not drive like a Porsche” If it looks like a Porsche, it might not drive like a Porsche; if a generic drug is an exact copy of an existing compound then it should follow that the combination delivery technology (the inhaler) can also be a copy of the existing product. The reality is that there is nothing generic about generic device development as there is nothing new about new device development. But to be real race competition, the generics have discovered that all device development projects need roughly the same amount of time and effort otherwise your ‘car’ might fail at the first hurdle and be disallowed. Generic pharmaceuticals are an identical copy of existing drugs that are sold at much lower costs than the original but without the brand name. These are fully regulated, bioequivalent, chemically identical products that do the same job as their branded counterparts. In the U.S. alone generic drugs account for approximately 80% of the prescriptions written. Companies who specialise in producing generics are legitimately able to market their own versions of the existing drugs when the patent protection on the existing ‘new drug’ has expired allowing full market competition to take place. The regulators understand the process and support it because the availability of cheaper generic drugs is a good thing for everyone. Over the past ten years the development of generic drugs and device combinations has been a big topic in the respiratory market. The basic business model for generics companies is to produce an exact copy of an existing blockbuster drug formulation and obtain regulatory approval in time to launch – preferably on the day after the current license holder’s intellectual property expires. “In the U.S. alone generic drugs account for approximately 80% of the prescriptions written” Generic products are sold at a lower price than the branded product to encourage users and prescribers to switch brands. It is a high volume, low margin business that is heavily reliant on being the first to market. The generics approach works well for pure pharmaceuticals (pills and some injectable drugs) but the development process seems to get more challenging when an existing branded drug is aligned (or combined) with a specific delivery technology or device, as is often the case with DPI (dry powder inhalers). With inhaler device technologies, an in-depth understanding of the complex interactions between the device and the formulation is needed to understand why and how they work. Analytical tools such as CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and aerosol science are useful to give an understanding of device performance, but equally important is an understanding of the human usability aspects (why and how patients use the device) which is fundamental for regulatory authorisation. The peculiarity in this rush by the generics to be first to market is that they are of course not the first. The first is always the original developer of the drug/device combination and their advantage often lies in their detailed knowledge of the device used to deliver the formulation, which ultimately governs the end performance. It is this profile that is often difficult to fully understand. In some simple inhaler technologies it is relatively straight forward to use reverse engineering tools, such as 3D component scanning, in combination with CFD analysis to measure and understand the critical aspects of the air-path geometry – the route inside the device that the drug comes into contact with. However in more complex devices, such as those multi-dose versions that use complicated gearing and timing mechanisms to meter and release the drugs, reverse engineering alone can give a misleading result. Typically, the developer will analyse the existing commercial device to understand the performance characteristics and traits. However, it is virtually impossible to tell if the commercial devices are operating at a nominal condition (in the middle of the design intent) or if they have components which are at the tolerance extremes. The physical differences are likely to be only fractions of one millimetre, which doesn’t sound like very much, but in order to produce a like-for-like performance copy an understanding of the nominal or median operating condition of the commercial device is necessary. Another factor that is important in controlling the unit costs for the generic device is to understand the production tolerance window which allows the manufacturer to minimise (or better still prevent) rejects as early as possible in the production processes. When you consider that since 1995 GSK have made over 550 million of their ‘Diskus’ devices in the UK (and have produced over 1 billion worldwide) the balance of the device operating window and the control of production tolerances becomes very important for efficiency. On the whole, facsimile (like-for-like) copies of inhaler technologies are mostly confined to the markets outside of the USA and Europe. The preferred approach for generic inhaler devices for the more tightly regulated markets could be to develop a ‘performs-like’ and ‘operates–like’ but not a ‘functions-like device’. Essentially a new device development that replicates the use steps of the predicate device – assuming that no critical use errors have been identified – but has a new internal ‘engine’ that has been developed from scratch with high scale production processes in mind. This gives the developer some scope to innovate and to avoid infringement of patents or copyright that may still be valid for the predicate device technology even though the pharmaceutical patents have expired. In response to the inhaled generics, the original developers are also doing all they can to retain as much of their market share as possible via both litigation and extending patent protection but also with new technology development. Between the factions, this has set up an interesting and ongoing scuffle to outdo each other. On one hand the generic drug developers are looking to create their replicate of the existing device performance, while in direct response the original developers are looking to retain market share of their existing asthma and COPD formulations by developing entirely new devices that pack in better usability, improved drug delivery efficiency and in some cases electronic intelligence and monitoring. What has become clear is that both paths are costly. But what is fascinating is that the same drive and ambition in the race industry is the same in the medical device industry. Being first across the line isn’t just about being the fastest. Share? Explore Developing a strategy for generic inhalers Gaining momentum on the road to accessible biosimilars 12 MIN READ Beyond asthma and COPD / Business Resources © 2017 Team Consulting

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Tag Archives: car Newfoundland Mustang the First Archival Moment April 17, 1964 Stanley Tucker with the first Mustang at Signal Hill. There was a bit of excitement at George Parson’s Ford dealership in St. Johns on April 17, 1964, a crowd of people were at the dealership looking at a Wimbledon White convertible with the 260 cubic-inch V-8, it was the first time that any of them had seen a Mustang. In the crowd was Stanley Tucker, an airline captain with Eastern Provincial Airlines (EPA) based out of St. Johns. Tucker, fell in love with the car and told George Parsons dealership agent Harry Philips he wanted to buy that Mustang. Philips originally hesitated wanting to hold on to the car to get a little more publicity out of it. When Tucker came with a check in hand the next day, Parson’s sold the car to Captain Tucker. Tucker at the time did not know it but he had unknowingly purchased Mustang #1, the very first Mustang off the assembly line. In an interview with Mustang Monthly Magazine years later Tucker said: “For a long time, I was the only Mustanger in Newfoundland. It was quite an experience. Many times, other motorists would force me to the side of the road and ask me about the car – what it was, who made it, how did I like it and how much did it cost? The car has been a real joy to own and drive. Getting into it is something like slipping into the cockpit, and I feel as much a part of the machine as I do when I’m flying.” Not long after Tucker unknowingly purchased the now-historic car, representatives from Ford learned that their Canadian promotional vehicle, the first-ever Mustang, had been let loose. Ford wanted the car back, but Tucker wanted to drive it. Tucker drove the car about St. John’s for nearly two years, putting 10,633 miles on the odometer. Meanwhile, Mustang sales blossomed. Before Mustang, Falcon held the Ford record of building a million vehicles in two years, 16 days. Mustang broke that record by reaching the million mark in one year, 11 months, and 24 days. As Ford prepared for the millionth Mustang celebration, a Ford official made Captain Tucker an offer: In exchange for the first Mustang, Ford would trade the millionth Mustang. At the millionth Mustang celebration in Dearborn, Michigan on March 2, 1966, Tucker stood at the end of the assembly line with a Ford executive and accepted his new car. While Tucker posed with the millionth Mustang, a white convertible, he didn’t actually receive that car. Tucker had earlier placed an order with George Parson’s Ford in St. Johns for a 1966 Silver Frost convertible with a black top. Meanwhile, the white Mustang #1 with VIN 5F08F100001 once again became property of Ford Motor Company. The Mustang that only knew Newfoundland roads is now at home in the Henry Ford Museum. In 1987, the car went on permanent display in the “Automobiles in American Life” exhibit, still sporting the 1965 Newfoundland and Labrador license plates. Archival Hint: Did you know that when trying to date a photograph often one of the factors considered is the age of the cars that appear in the photographs. Most archives have access to car experts – antique dealers – that help in the dating process. Share:TwitterFacebookEmailLike this:Like Loading... This entry was posted in Archival Moments and tagged car, George Parson's, Mustang, St. John's on April 15, 2017 by Larry Dohey. “A light sulkey, suitable for an outport clergyman” ARCHIVAL MOMENT July 6, 1879 Sulkey for sale On July 6, 2013, Pope Francis told the Catholic bishops and priests from around the world that it pained him to see clergy driving ‘flashy cars’, and told them to pick something more “humble”. This observation by the Pope that clergy like “flashy” transportation is nothing new, on July 6, 1879 the local St. John’s newspapers were advertising “the sale of a light sulkey, suitable for an outport Clergyman.” The sulkey is a lightweight two-wheeled, single-seat cart that was used as a form of rural transport in many parts of the world. The sulkey was the top of the line in transportation. It was not some old slow dray, not some old wagon, not some old cart, the sulkey was sleek and fast and as the advertisers put it in the day “suitable for outport clergymen and doctors.” They are called “sulkies” because the driver prefers to be alone. The clergyman’s penchant for the flashy is in short not a new phenomenon. Certainly the advertisers 134 years ago saw the potential for vanity in the clergymen. The reality in Newfoundland was however that the sulkey might not have been the most practical for the ‘outport clergymen.’ With the poor state of the roads in much of outport Newfoundland the more robust option was the horse and cart. The advertisement for the ‘light sulkey” appeared in the daily papers in St. John’s for most of the summer. It is not known if it sold!! Note: There are two variations on the spelling of the word. Newfoundland papers refer to sulkey. American publications use sulky. Share:TwitterFacebookEmailLike this:Like Loading... This entry was posted in Archival Moments and tagged car, outport, sulkey on July 5, 2015 by Larry Dohey. Reckless Drivers – Speeding on St. John’s streets Archival Moment April 20, 1903 H.D. Reid’s automobile at Cabot Tower, Signal Hill, St. John’s, NL, 1908 It was on April 20, 1903 that the first two cars were imported into Newfoundland by Robert G. and Harold D. Reid. The Reid family was one of the wealthiest in the colony. At the time they owned the Reid fleet of ships, the Newfoundland Railway and were the holders of large land, timber, and mineral concessions in the colony. A few weeks later on May 4, 1903 , Robert G. Reid’s “Thomas Flyer” became the first gasoline driven automobile to be operated in Newfoundland, when a Mr. Stewart, one of the Reid staff, took the car for a short drive in St. John’s. The St. John’s newspaper the Evening Telegram reported that the car: “made its trial trip in the West End this morning and was the object of curiosity to all who saw it speeding up the promenade and down the southside.” The following week the Telegram, on the occasion of Harold D Reid’s initial operation of his vehicle, reported: “It did not go fast through the city, but got up to a speed of about 12 miles an hour in some places on the road. The vehicle is a four wheeler and cost Mr. Reid landed here $1600.00. It is run by a gasoline motor. It is called a Locomobile…” Not everyone wanted to share the road with these new “autos.” In the city cabmen and farmers complained about the noise of the ‘autos’ that tended to make their horses skittish. It was also true that many of the good citizens of St. John’s were also reluctant to share the streets with autos. The editorial writer for the St. John’s newspaper, “The Workman”, on August 2, 1918 declared in a bold headline, “Reckless Autoists” that: “The life of the average pedestrian in the City (St. John’s) these days is one of perpetual peril. Let him attempt to cross a street, in broad daylight, and he is lucky if some auto doesn’t come around the corner, at a rate of 15 miles an hour, and just miss him by a scant foot, while the chauffeur glowers at him as much to say “Get off the earth you lobster. What right have you to be on the street?” The newspaper continued that the car was here to stay but that the police should be diligent in convicting those that exceeded eight miles an hour. He wrote: “The auto has come to stay off course. But a lot of haughty daring drivers seem to forget that the pedestrian was here first. Even he has a right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” The police should take the number of any auto driver who goes around the corner faster than eight miles an hour, and the magistrate should soak him the limit every time.” The number of cars imported into Newfoundland continued to increase; by 1925 there were 952 cars and 102 commercial vehicles. Upon joining Confederation Newfoundland boasted 9,022 cars and 4,743 commercial vehicles. Today in Newfoundland and Labrador there are more vehicles on the roads than there are people living in the province with almost 633,000 cars and trucks. There are about 500,000 people living in the province. Recommended Reading: Motor Vehicles, Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, Volume Three. Old Lost Word: Cabman – The driver of a horse-drawn carriage. Car words: auto automobile, car, vehicle, locomobile, Share:TwitterFacebookEmailLike this:Like Loading... This entry was posted in Archival Moments and tagged auto, cabman, car, Reid, The Workman, Thomas Flyer on April 20, 2015 by Larry Dohey. Search for: Most Read Australian Nurse writes a grieving Newfoundland Mother Newfoundlanders with "The Diggers" “Quite a commotion arose among the people of Branch.” “The Art of Gerald Squires: Materials and Sources" St. George's Day Is this holiday about St. George or William Shakespeare? Moose are not native to Newfoundland? Newfoundlanders serving with the Canadian Corps and at Vimy Ridge Excursion around the Bay Follow @LarryDohey Archival Moments Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Twenty Twelve. Send to Email Address

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Home / Interesting / Featured Posts / BMW M4 DTM – WORLD PREMIERE – 480 horsepower BMW M4 DTM – WORLD PREMIERE – 480 horsepower Featured Posts, Racing | March 1st, 2014 by Horatiu Boeriu 3 The new challenger makes its debut: Preparations for the start of the BMW M4 DTM’s first season enter the finishing straight. The submission of the necessary papers for the aerodynamic homologation of the 2014-spec DTM cars to the Deutsche Motor Sport Bund (DMSB) also marks the end of a busy, and yet exciting, period for BMW Motorsport. Development work on the BMW M4 DTM, which will compete in the forthcoming DTM season, has been in full swing in recent weeks and months. As of today, it is no longer possible to make modifications to fundamental areas of the car, heralding a new phase of preparations for the start of the season in Hockenheim (DE) on 4th May. The forthcoming tests will primarily focus on optimising detailed aspects of the total package and understanding how to exhaust the full potential of the BMW M4 DTM. The new car will make public appearances out on the track at the official ITR tests in Budapest (HU, 31st March – 3rd April) and then at the final test in Hockenheim (DE, 14th – 17th April). Like last year, the official presentation of all eight BMW M4 DTMs on 25th April in Munich’s BMW Welt will provide BMW Motorsport fans with a mouth-watering taste of what they can look forward to in the new season. “Even before the BMW M3 DTM completed its final race last season, our development team was already hard at work on the 2014 car,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “Preparing a new car for the DTM is a big challenge. In few other series is aerodynamics so important. Even the slightest detail can make the difference between success and failure. And this attention to detail shown by our engineers is apparent at first glance – from the elongated bonnet with its steeply sloping front and aerodynamically optimised wing mirrors, to the contoured roofline that is a characteristic feature of the BMW M4.” Marquardt added: “For me, the BMW M4 DTM is an absolute highlight. Like its production counterpart, it looks fantastic and it also made a positive first impression at our tests. Unlike when we were developing the BMW M3 DTM for our return to the DTM in 2012, this time around we were able to call upon the wealth of experience gained over the last two seasons. Despite this, we still have a long road ahead of us – the opposition have continued to develop their cars in the meantime. It is important to continue gradually improving the new car and ensure we can get the very best out of it, in order to be able to compete on a par with our strong and experienced rivals right from the outset with the BMW M4 DTM. I am confident we will achieve this. Every DTM fan can already look forward to the first showdown in Hockenheim on 4th May: only then will we know exactly how competitive the BMW M4 DTM really is.” Presenting the BMW M4 DTM for the 2014 season: BMW Motorsport engineers started to look ahead to 2014 and began working on the development of the new BMW M4 DTM well before the start of the 2013 DTM season. The first model made its first appearance in the wind tunnel at the BMW Group’s Aero Lab on 22nd April – 13 days before the opening race of the 2013 season in Hockenheim (DE). In the summer of 2013, while continuing with aerodynamic testing, the experts in Munich (DE) turned their attention to designing new suspension parts. The new components made their first on-track outing in December 2013 – but still within the BMW M3 DTM at that point. The final parts for the chassis of the BMW M4 DTM were in production by the turn of the year, allowing the BMW teams to assemble the first models of the new car in January and February. Three hundred days after the first test in the wind tunnel, the BMW M4 DTM took to the track for its track debut in Monteblanco (ES) on 11th February 2014. The production version of the BMW M4 Coupé provided BMW Motorsport with a perfect basis for developing the DTM racing car. Hardly surprising, given the fact that the primary goal of the BMW M GmbH engineers working on the BMW M4 Coupé was to create a robust car suitable for use on the racetrack. Among those to make valuable contributions towards achieving this goal were DTM drivers Bruno Spengler (CA) and Timo Glock (DE), who took part in tuning tests at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE). “I am proud to have played my part in the fine-tuning,” said Spengler. “The chassis of the BMW M4 Coupé is very sporty. The feedback from the front axle is extremely direct, and the grip on the rear axle is phenomenal. This car is the ideal basis for our car in the DTM.” The last BMW M car to roll off the assembly line at the main BMW Plant in Munich did so back in 1991. After that, production shifted to BMW Plant Regensburg (DE). Almost 23 years later, the assembly process returned to the main factory – and just a few metres away BMW Motorsport engineers were hard at work tinkering with the racing version of the new car. However, the BMW Plants in Regensburg and Dingolfing (DE) were also involved in the development of the BMW M4 DTM. Among other things, the kilometre-long test tracks at the modern production facilities were used for aerodynamic tests. Throughout the development phase, the 2014 DTM car was to be seen at what is otherwise the venue for the exhaustive quality control checks performed on all BMW M cars. The BMW M4 Coupé and the BMW M4 DTM lie low and flat on the tarmac. Even when stationary, the design’s powerful contours underline the performance of the two brothers. Characteristic design elements, such as the modern take on the twin headlight arrangement and distinctive twin-bar kidney grille, ensure that the car clearly stands out as a BMW M vehicle. The power dome on the bonnet is equally striking. The side of the car extends the dynamic impression created by the front end. The proportions typical of the BMW M4 Coupé, such as the long bonnet, long wheel base, set-back greenhouse and a short front overhang, formed the basis for the low and aerodynamic silhouette of the BMW M4 DTM. Aerodynamics. Aerodynamics plays a vital role in the DTM. For this reason, the BMW Motorsport engineers devoted a lot of time to issues such as aerodynamic drag and air flow. As on the production model, the air curtains at the front of the BMW M4 DTM are designed to reduce air drag. Narrowing air ducts accelerate the airstream flowing through the front skirt, guide it systematically past the wheels, and reduce turbulence around the wheel arches. Another new feature on the BMW M4 DTM is a plate along the side channel, which lends the racing car an even more striking outline. The eye-catching contoured roofline decreases the front surface area of the BMW M4 DTM and further reduces aerodynamic drag. The flatter rear window optimises the way the airflow approaches the rear wing. The striking wing mirrors, with their twin-stalk mounts, are already a striking feature of the production model, and the mirrors on the BMW M4 DTM have also been aerodynamically optimised for the racetrack to ensure they aid efficient airflow towards the rear of the car. Lightweight construction. The BMW M4 Coupé itself is a prime example of intelligent, lightweight construction. The high-performance sports car weighs just 1,497 kilograms when empty – that is a whole 80 kilograms less than its predecessor. This reduction of weight has a positive effect on the driving dynamics and consumption. This has been made possible by the extensive use of lightweight materials, such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic and aluminium. The use of carbon is also widespread in motor racing. Virtually the entire body of the BMW M4 DTM is made of this ultra-light and durable material. The weight reduction and consequent lowering of the centre of gravity are key to the car’s performance on the racetrack. The basic weight of the BMW M4 DTM, with driver, is 1,110 kilograms. Like the BMW M4 Coupé, the racing version also meets the highest safety standards. Over 50 of the 5,000 plus parts that make up the BMW M4 DTM are standard components, which are used in all DTM cars. One of these is the carbon fibre monocoque, which sets the benchmark in terms of safety in motorsport. With an integrated tank, steel roll cage and additional crash elements, it offers the driver effective protection in case of a crash. Parts like the gearbox, clutch, dampers and rear wing are identical in all DTM cars. This also keeps a lid on development costs. The BMW P66 engine in the BMW M4 DTM generates approx. 480 bhp with the air restrictor specified in the technical regulations. It is made up of 800 different components, consisting of 3,900 individual parts. When designing the DTM drivetrain, BMW Motorsport took full advantage of the technological know-how within the BMW Group. The high-tech foundry connected to BMW Plant Landshut (DE) accounts for the large cast parts, such as the cylinder head and crankcase – just as it does in the production of the six-cylinder in-line engine for the BMW M4 Coupé. The cast parts are coated and given the necessary heat treatment within the appropriate departments in Munich. The BMW V8 for the DTM is both a sprinter and a marathon runner. It allows the BMW M4 DTM to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/ in about three seconds. Only ten engines are permitted for all eight BMWs over the course of the entire season. Therefore, reliability is a prerequisite to success. The engine’s power is transferred via a sequential six-speed sport gearbox, which is operated pneumatically using shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. The gearbox is one of the standard components, which are used by all the DTM manufacturers. It has 11 final drive ratios, which allow the engineers and drivers to react to the respective circuit and engine characteristics when setting the car up. Steering wheel. Additional status displays and a customised layout of the controls make the steering wheel in the new BMW M4 DTM even more comfortable for the drivers to use. The individual buttons can be allocated as the driver desires. As with the racing car, the gears on the BMW M4 Coupé can also be changed using shift paddles on the steering wheel, depending upon the configuration. Drivers of both the BMW M4 DTM and the BMW M4 Coupé can rely on the performance of modern LED headlamps. Light emitting diodes do more than simply save energy. Thanks to the significantly shorter reaction time compared to conventional filament lamps, the driver behind is given more notice when a driver in front of him is braking. And every fraction of a second counts on the racetrack. The light generated by LEDs is also very similar to sunlight, making it particularly easy on the eye. Technical data for the BMW M4 DTM. Chassis: carbon-fibre monocoque with integrated tank and steel roll cage; carbon-fibre crash elements on sides; carbon fibre crash elements on front and rear Length/width/height: 4,775 mm/1,950 mm/approx. 1,200 mm Tank capacity: 120 litres Engine: 90° V8 aspirated engine, four valves per cylinder, 2 x 28.0 mm air restrictors (in accordance with regulations) Capacity: 4,000 ccm Output: approx. 480 bhp (with air restrictors, in accordance with regulations) Max. torque: approx. 500 Nm Engine management system: Bosch MS 5.1 engine control unit, central display Transmission: Sequential 6-speed sports gearbox, operated via pneumatic shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel; 4-plate ZF Sachs carbon-fibre clutch; adjustable multi-disc limited-slip differential Front axle/rear axle: Double wishbone axle with pushrods and adjustable shock absorbers with six settings; H&R coil springs Brakes: Hydraulic dual-circuit braking system; monoblock, light-alloy brake callipers; inner-ventilated brake discs at front and rear; brake-force distribution can be adjusted by driver; electromagnetic starting valve Wheels: Forged aluminium rims; 18″ x 12″ front, 18″ x 13″ rear Tyres: Hankook; front: 300-680-18, rear: 320-710-18 BMW M4 DTMfeatured Previous post BMW X4 to be unveiled on March 6th – Teaser Video Next post 2015 BMW M3 spotted in California Video: 3D Mapping the 2017 BMW M4 DTM Down to the Smallest Details In the world of motorsport the smallest details can be the difference between winning or losing a race. Even though BMW is no longer involved … Exclusive photos of the new BMW M4 CS Our coverage of the new BMW M4 CS continues today with exclusive photos from the floors of the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. Earlier today, BMW … 3D measuring technology for maximum precision in the BMW M4 DTM The motorsport department at BMW has long worked hand in hand with series development – and this remains the case for the quality controls on … BMW i8 Protonic Frozen Yellow Edition – Live photos from Shanghai The BMW i8 has developed into the world’s highest-selling plug-in hybrid sports car. And its appeal is given fresh lustre at Auto Shanghai 2017 with …

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2016 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Concept Revealed at the 2016 Pebble Beach in California, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 is a two-door, 2+2 passenger coupe that spans over 18 feet long. The exterior design clearly defined contours and organically formed fenders stand in contrast to the sharply drawn, extended feature line on each side which defines the upper vehicle body from the radiator grille across the entire length of the vehicle to the rear. Below this, the main body has a bulging, muscular look, extending across the entire flank. There is also a striking contrast between the Maybach red paintwork and the chrome strips which sit above the wheel arches and in the center of the hood and trunk lid. The company claims that the grille was inspired by a pinstripe suit. Powering this massive coupe are four electric motors that can produce a combined 738 horsepower. Mercedes says that will be enough to get the car to 62mph from a standstill in under 4 seconds. The motors are backed by an 80 kWh battery that the company says can propel the car up to 200 miles. Perhaps more interesting than its range is the fact that the Mercedes-Maybach 6 can pick up a charge worth 62 miles in just 5 minutes, assuming you've got the right charger. The car can be charged either by being plugged in, or wirelessly with an inductive charging system. Inside, the dashboard wing curves across the door trim into the seat landscape, creating a 360° lounge. It does retain analog gauges as a link to the past, but augments them with wrap-around glass trim that doubles as a display and touch-sensitive interface. The windshield seems to be pulled from Mission Impossible with its ability to display information. Sensors in the seats are designed to read the condition of the passengers and even their outfits to custom tailor everything from lighting to massage features. (autoblog.com & conceptcarz.com) (Photos from autowp.ru, autoblog.com & conceptcarz.com) 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R

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Around the world in a year with Audi Tradition 10:04 PM PST - 11/10/2011 Written By: AUDI AG Photography by: Audi AG Source Audi AG Calendar for 2012 shows Audi classic cars from Eastern Europe to America 13 vehicles from various periods of the company’s history Calendar now available for €29.90 “Discover Worlds with Audi Tradition”: This is the title of the Audi Tradition calendar for 2012, with 13 different classic vehicles from the company’s history of more than 100 years pictured in 13 different countries – all the way from Eastern Europe to America. The aim is for the cars to tell a story, whether at a classic car event, a photo shoot or in those special moments in years gone by when Audi Tradition rediscovered vehicles from its own history which had almost been forgotten. A particular insight is provided by the calendar pictures from the USA, Brazil and Peru. It was in 2008 that Audi Tradition rediscovered the missing “last Horch” and took it home to the Audi museum mobile. The Horch 830, built in 1953 and the only one ever manufactured in Ingolstadt, was found at a scrap yard in San Angelo in the south of Texas. The vehicle was at the mercy of the scorching sun in the Texan steppe for more than 40 years, and its recovery is pictured in the new Audi Tradition calendar. In 2010, Audi historians discovered a Wanderer from 1915 in Lima, Peru: a “Puppchen” with boat-type body, the last of its kind still in existence. And the picture in the calendar is just as unique as the car itself. This Wanderer is photographed in its “home town” of Lima – indeed in one of the less attractive parts of the Peruvian capital. One shot which is without doubt one of the most spectacular of all was taken in Rio de Janeiro. In the 1950s and 1960s, DKW vehicles were built in Brazil under the licence of Auto Union GmbH, including models which were never manufactured in Ingolstadt, such as the DKW Fissore and the DKW Belcar. These two DKW specimens can be seen together on the picture for April beneath the world-famous statue of Christ, complete with a spectacular view of the “Cidade Maravilhosa”. Once again this year, the images in the calendar were captured by the photographer Stefan Warter, who lives in Berlin. He also took the pictures for the current Audi Tradition calendar “Timeslip – The Auto Union Silver Arrows on the Original Circuits”, which enjoyed outstanding reviews and received large volumes of orders from all over the world. Warter is generally known as a prominent expert in the area of dynamic visual language. Born in Franconia in southern Germany, he has devoted himself to reportage photography for many years and has worked for magazines such as GEO and Stern; he is particularly notable not just for his eye for the situation but also his outstanding talent for capturing brilliant images with the camera, often in appalling conditions and within the most fleeting of moments. An example of his success in doing so is demonstrated in the cover picture of “Discover Worlds with Audi Tradition”, where he was faced with the challenge of capturing the atmosphere of the “Gran Premio Nuvolari” in Italy, with evening drawing in and with rain falling in the mountains behind Parma. The calendar “Discover Worlds with Audi Tradition” is available for €29.90 – in the museum shop at Audi museum mobile, by calling +49 (0)841/89-41009, or on the Internet at www.audi.de/tradition-parts

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Gov't Announces New SUV Fuel Standards Print ATLANTA – The Bush administration proposed new fuel economy standards (search) for pickup trucks, minivans and some sport utility vehicles on Tuesday, calling upon automakers to make modest improvements to gas mileage amid rising prices at the pump. The plan, announced by the Department of Transportation in Atlanta, would require the auto industry to raise standards for most vehicles other than cars beginning in 2008. All automakers would have to comply fully by 2011. "This is a plan that will save gas and result in less pain at the pump for motorists without sacrificing safety," said Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta (search). Mineta said the program is expected to save about 10 billion gallons of gasoline. But the plan does not apply to cars and the largest SUVs, such as the Hummer H2 (search). It was immediately criticized by environmentalists, who said the proposal would fail to reduce the nation's dependence on imported oil and create new loopholes that would weaken fuel economy requirements. Passenger cars and light trucks, a vehicle category that includes pickups, minivans and SUVs, account for about 40 percent of the nation's oil use. "At a time when Americans are paying record prices for gas, the Bush administration has sided with its cronies in the auto industry and rejected real solutions," said Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's global warming program. Automakers are currently required to maintain an average of 27.5 miles per gallon for passenger cars and 21 mpg for light trucks. Light trucks are required to meet 22.2 mpg for the 2007 model year. The proposal would change the method of calculating fuel economy compliance, dividing light trucks into 6 categories based on size, with the smallest vehicles being required to get better gas mileage than larger trucks. The current system represents an average of manufacturers' entire fleet of light trucks. At a news conference, Mineta did not unveil complete details of the plan. But he cited one example: minivans currently required to average 21 mpg would be required to get 23.3 mpg by 2011. Officials referred reporters to the department's Web site, which had not been updated with details late Tuesday morning. Mineta said the plan represents the first significant change to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, known in the industry as CAFE, in three decades. With gas prices soaring this summer to an average of $2.55 a gallon nationally, the new requirements also expect to generate a debate on the nation's dependence on foreign oil. Jeffrey Runge, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said that by categorizing vehicles based on size rather than weight, the plan will increase highway safety. He said some automakers responded to current standards by making lighter, and less sturdy, vehicles. The plan replaces "an old system that conserved fuel but also resulted in more deaths on our highways," he said. Advertisement

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CATEGORIES (articles) > Steering, Suspension, brakes & drivetrain > Technical > Four wheel drive in automotive design Four wheel drive in automotive design Jeep_Wrangler_TJ.jpg (76KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster 2005, Photographer: Robert Paprstein Date: 23.01.2005 Location: Vienna Motor Show, Messegelände Wien StockSide001.jpg (130KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mercedes-Benz M-Class 2006 ML350 SUV.-Muchosucko 9 July 2005 00:32 (UTC) w:HMMWV Hummer Humvee Hum-vee Car_rally.jpg (40KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Four wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 ("four by four"), all wheel drive, and AWD are terms used to describe a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously. While many people think exclusively of off-road vehicles, powering all four wheels provides better control on slick ice and is an important part of rally racing on mostly-paved roads. Four wheel drive (4WD or 4x4 for short) was the original term, often used to describe truck-like vehicles that required the driver to manually switch between a two wheel drive mode for streets and a four wheel drive mode for low traction conditions such as ice, mud, or loose gravel. The "all wheel drive" term (AWD for short) was invented to distinguish vehicles that are capable of driving all four wheels on normal roads without causing poor control and excessive tire and drivetrain wear. The AWD term is now being used to market vehicles which do not continuously drive all four wheels, but instead switch from two wheel drive to four wheel drive automatically as needed. The terms are thus quite vague in modern usage, with AWD being used to describe vehicles with a wide variety of very different drivetrains. The buyer must be wary. It is common for identical drivetrain systems to be marketed under different names for upmarket and downmarket branding, and also common for very different drivetrain systems to be marketed under the same name for brand uniformity. For example, both Quattro and 4motion can mean either an automatically engaging system with a Haldex clutch or a continuously operating system with a Torsen differential. When powering two wheels simultaneously, something must be done to allow the wheels to rotate at different speeds as the vehicle goes around curves. When driving all four wheels, the problem is much worse. A design that fails to account for this will cause the vehicle to handle poorly on turns, fighting the driver as the tires slip and skid from the mismatched speeds. A differential allows one input shaft to drive two output shafts with different speeds. The differential distributes torque (angular force) evenly, while distributing angular velocity (turning speed) such that the average for the two output shafts is equal to that of the input shaft. Each powered axle requies a differential to distribute power between the left and right sides. If all four wheels are to be driven, a third differential can be used to distribute power between the front and rear axles. Such a design would handle very well. It distributes power evenly and smoothly, making it unlikely to start slipping. Once it does slip though, recovery will be difficult. Suppose that the left front wheel (of a design that drives all four wheels) slips. Because of the way a differential works, the slipping wheel will spin twice as fast as desired while the wheel on the other side stops moving. (the average speed remains unchanged, and neither wheel gets any torque) Since this example is a vehicle that drives all four wheels, a similar problem occurs between the front and rear axles via the center differential. The average speed between front and rear will not change, torque will be matched, torque goes to zero, speed at the rear goes to zero, and the speed at the front goes to double what it should be... making the left front wheel actually turn four times as fast as it should be turning. This problem can happen in both 2WD and 4WD vehicles, whenever a driven wheel is placed on a patch of slick ice or raised off the ground. The simplistic design works acceptably well for a 2WD vehicle. Since a 4WD is twice as likely to have a driven wheel on an icy patch, the simplistic design is usually considered unacceptable. Traction control was invented to solve this problem for 2WD vehicles. When one wheel spins out of control, the brake can be automatically applied to that wheel. The torque will then be matched, causing power to be divided between the pavement (for the non-slipping wheel) and the brake. This is effective, though it does cause brake wear and a sudden jolt that can make handling less predictable. By extending traction control to act on all four wheels, the simple 4WD vehicle design based on three differentials can now recover from wheel spin. One nice feature of this design, is that it is traction control, and thus will not work against traction control. This design is commonly seen on crossover SUVs. Another way to solve the problem is to temporarily lock together the differential's output shafts, usually just for the center differential that distributes power between front and rear. Recall that a drivetrain without differentials will fight the driver, causing tire wear and handling problems. This is of little concern when the wheels are already slipping. One very common design joins the output shafts together via a multi-plate clutch under computer control. This design causes a small jolt when it activates, which can disturb the driver or cause more wheels to lose traction. Another common design uses a viscous coupling unit. A dilatant fluid inside the viscous coupling unit acts like a solid when under shear stress caused by high shaft speed differences, causing the two shafts to become connected. This design suffers from fluid degradation with age and exponential locking (joining) behavior. It can also waste fuel, because it requires that there be a slight shaft speed difference under normal driving conditions (via gearing) to prepare to fluid for operation. Older designs used manually operated locking devices. Yet another way to solve the problem is via a Torsen differential. When a normal differential is replaced with a Torsen differential, it is possible to drive the output shafts with different amounts of torque. While this is useless in a zero-torque situation, it will help greatly when the slippage is not so extreme. As the slipping side begins to spin out of control, more power is delivered to the other side. A typical Torsen differential can deliver up to twice as much power to the non-slipping side as it delivers to the slipping side. Most Audi Quattro cars, notably excluding the A3 and TT, use a center Torsen differential. For a time, the Volkswagen Passat 4motion shared this design. The HMMWV uses front and rear Torsen differentials, but only has a normal differential in the center. Torsen differentials generally work very well, though they are expensive and heavy. Many vehicles entirely eliminate the center differential. These vehicles behave as 2WD vehicles under normal conditions. When the drive wheels begin to slip, one of the locking mechanisms discussed above will join the front and real axles. Such systems distribute power unevenly under normal conditions, and thus do not help prevent loss of traction; they only enable recovery once traction has been lost. Most minivan 4WD/AWD systems are of this type, usually with the front wheels powered during normal driving conditions and the rear wheels served via a viscous coupling unit. Such systems may be described as having a 95%/5% or 90%/10% power split. Light trucks and SUVs tend to use multi-plate clutches under computer control, often with 100% of the power going to the rear axle under normal conditions. Sports cars using this type of system always drive only the rear under normal conditions. For example, Lamborghini uses a viscous coupling unit to drive the front, and the Nissan Skyline GT-R uses a clutch. The Audi TT normally powers the front, and has a multi-plate clutch to power the rear. The first ever four wheel drive car (as well as hill-climb racer), the so-called Spyker 60 HP, was built in 1903 by Dutch brothers Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker of Amsterdam. Designs for four wheel drive in the US, came from the Twyford company of Brookville, PA in 1905. The first US four wheel drive vehicle was built in 1911 by the Four Wheel Drive auto company (FWD) of Wisconsin. FWD would later produce over 20,000 of its four wheel drive Model B trucks for the British and American armies during World War I. Bugatti created a total of three four wheel drive racers, the Type 53, in 1932, but the cars were legendary for having poor handling. It was not until "go-anywhere" vehicles were needed for the military that four wheel drive found its place. The Jeep, originally developed by American Bantam but mass-produced by Willys and Ford, became the best-known four wheel drive vehicle in the world during World War II. Willys (since 1950 owner of the Jeep name) introduced the CJ-2A in 1945 as the first full-production four wheel drive passenger vehicle. However, it was not until Jensen applied the Formula Ferguson four wheel drive system to their 1966 Jensen FF that the system was used in a production sports car, but with a total of 320 build units this did not sell in appreciable numbers. The first manufacturer to develop four-wheel drive for road-going cars was Subaru, who introduced the mass-produced 4WD Leone in 1972. This model eventually became the best-selling 4WD car in the world. Audi introduced the first permanently all-wheel driven high volume road-going car, the Audi quattro, in 1980. Audi's chassis engineer, Jörg Bensinger, had noticed in winter tests in Scandinavia that a vehicle used by the German Army, the Volkswagen Iltis, could beat any high performance Audi. He proposed developing a four-wheel drive car, soon used for rallying to improve Audi's conservative image. This feature was also extended to Audi's production cars and is still available nowadays. Some of the earliest mid-engined four wheel drive cars were the various road-legal rally cars made for Group B homologation, such as the Ford RS200 made from 1984-1986. In 1989 niche maker Panther Westwinds created a mid-engined four wheel drive, the Panther Solo 2. Today, sophisticated all wheel drive systems are found in many passenger vehicles and most exotic sports cars and supercars. Although in the strictest sense, the term "four wheel drive" refers to a capability that a vehicle may have, it is also used to denote the entire vehicle itself. In Australia, vehicles with offroad capabilities are referred to as "four wheel drives". This term is sometimes also used in North America, somewhat interchangeably for SUVs and pickup trucks and is sometimes erroneously applied to two-wheel-drive variants of these vehicles. The term 4x4 (read either four by four or full times four) is used to denote the total number of wheels on a vehicle and the number of driven wheels; it is often applied to vehicles equipped with either full-time or part-time four-wheel-drive. The term 4x4 is common in North America and is generally used when marketing a new or used vehicle, and is sometimes applied as badging on a vehicle equipped with four wheel drive. Similarly, a 4x2 would be appropriate for most two-wheel-drive vehicles, although this is rarely used in practice, as vehicles are assumed to be two-wheel-drive unless stated otherwise. A 2×4, however, is unambiguously a piece of lumber. Toyota Landcruiser, Africa. The vehicle is equiped with roof rack, spare fuel cans, an extended fuel tank and spare wheel Large American trucks with dual tires on the rear axles (also called duallys or duallies) and two driven axles are officially badged as 4x4s, despite having six driven wheels because the 'dual' wheels behave as a single wheel for traction purposes and are not individually powered. True 6x6 vehicles with three powered axels such as the famous "Deuce and a Half" truck used by the U.S. Army has three axles (two rear, one front), all of them driven. This vehicle is a true 6x6. Another related term is 4-wheeler (or four wheeler). This generally refers to all-terrain vehicles with four wheels and does not indicate the number of driven wheels; a "four wheeler" may have two or four wheel drive. SUV_Territory.jpg (22KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Four wheel drives in Australia There are two main players in the Australian market: Toyota and Nissan. The typically more massive American four wheel drive trucks and SUVs are generally not as popular among Australian consumers because they are not well suited to the Australian outback. They are often not rugged enough for the harsh conditions, and with their typically larger size they are too wide to fit on the existing wheel tracks created by previous cars (so the driver ends up attempting to carve out his or her own track). As in other countries, four wheel drives have become popular with city-dwelling people, who by and large will never actually drive "off road". This is commonly referred to as driving a Toorak Tractor. Related Articles Fiat Panda history

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Zanardi, Alguersuari, Senna linked with DTM move UPDATE Former F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari is linked to the eighth and final BMW seat for the 2013 DTM season. BMW were unwilling to confirm or deny the Spaniard's link to the eighth seat but expects the name to be revealed in January, similar to Alguersuari's answer when asked by Motorsport Total. "I will talk about my future in January, I can't say anything about it now," said Alguersuari.12/05/12 (GMM) Three well-known F1 names are being linked with the premier German touring car championship DTM. When former F1 and Champ Car driver Alex Zanardi recently tested a modified hand-controlled BMW, the 46-year-old played down suggestions his next project could be a DTM race seat. But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said there is a chance the popular Italian will soon be chosen by BMW. "Who will drive the eighth BMW M3 DTM in the coming season will be announced at a later date," a spokesman is quoted as saying. Former Toro Rosso driver and 2012 Pirelli tester Jaime Alguersuari has also been linked with the seat. And Portuguese reports say 2012 Williams driver Bruno Senna, who has been replaced for 2013 by Valtteri Bottas, did some test laps at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz DTM car at the Estoril circuit at the beginning of this week.

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Nissan Coaxes 400hp from 88-pound, 3-cylinder Turbo Engine for Hybrid Racecar Shane McGlaun (Blog) - January 28, 2014 10:17 AM Engine will power the ZEOD RC hybrid race car When it comes to racing cars, lighter is always better as long as the components can survive the stresses of racing. In keeping with the “lighter is better” mantra, Nissan has unveiled one of the smallest engines that has ever been used on the racetrack. The new 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder engine will be used to power Nissan’s entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. The tiny engine, which is called the DIG-T R, weighs only 88 pounds and uses a turbocharger to develop an impressive 400 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque. The engine produces 4.5 hp per pound giving it a better power to weight ration than the new turbo 1.6L V6 engines that will be used in F1 this year. The little engine will be used to help power the Nissan ZEOD RC racecar. The drivetrain in the racing car will be able to switch between electric and gas power during the race, with the battery packs charged by regenerative braking. The engine will be mated to a 5-speed gearbox, which will manage power from both the electric and gas engines. "Our engine team has done a truly remarkable job with the internal combustion engine," said Darren Cox, Nissan's Global Motorsport Director. "We knew the electric component of the Nissan ZEOD RC was certainly going to turn heads at Le Mans, but our combined zero emission on demand electric/petrol powerplant is quite a stunning piece of engineering.” According to Nissan, for every hour driven the car will be able to complete a single lap on battery power alone. Source: Nissan "We shipped it on Saturday. Then on Sunday, we rested." -- Steve Jobs on the iPad launch

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2012-12-21 Industry initiative targets the development of a network of hydrogen refueling stations for fuel cell electric vehicles in Germany Industry initiative targets the development of a network of hydrogen refueling stations for fuel cell electric vehicles in Germany Munich, 21 December 2012 - Building up a refueling station network for fuel cell electric vehicles is taking on a concrete form. The current partners in the H2 Mobility initiative (Air Liquide, Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell, and Total) are working on implementing a business model to build up a nationwide hydrogen refueling station network in Germany. The objective of this initiative is to prepare for the planned series launch of fuel cell electric vehicles and build up a hydrogen refueling station network infrastructure. In September 2009, the cross-industry H2 Mobility initiative already joined forces to develop scenarios to build up a hydrogen supply infrastructure in Germany within the scope of a study. Based on this study, H2 Mobility assessed the probable success of potentially building up this infrastructure and developed various business models along with an implementation road map in a second phase in 2011. Beyond the six partners, seven associated partners from the automotive industry (BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Intelligent Energy, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen) as well as the National Organization of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW) as interface to Germany's federal government are also involved. In the currently launched third phase of preparations initiative partners are negotiating the foundation of a joint corporate entity to implement the business model and invest in building up the infrastructure. The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 62,000 employees in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2011 financial year, Linde generated revenue of EUR 13.787 bn. The strategy of the Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. The Group is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. Under the "Clean Technology by Linde" label, the company offers a wide range of products and technologies that help to render renewable energy sources financially viable, and significantly slow down the depletion of fossil resources or reduce the level of CO2 emitted. This ranges from specialty gases for solar module manufacturing, industrial-scale CO2 separation and application technologies to alternative fuels and energy carriers such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen. For more information go to www.linde.com/cleantechnology. E-Mail: stefan.metz@

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Category: Cars What Is a Trophy Truck? Building a trophy truck can be quite expensive. Dan Cavallari Edited By: Bronwyn Harris A trophy truck is a certain type of off-road vehicle designed to operate at extremely high speeds over rough terrain. These trucks generally feature a significant amount of suspension, lightweight frames and bodies, and large engines designed to propel the light vehicle forward at high speeds. The trophy truck class of racers must meet certain specifications to be considered for entry into races, though some variations of equipment and performance may exist from truck to truck. The design of these vehicles is similar in aesthetics to pickup trucks, but that's about where the similarities end; these trucks are not designed for hauling or driving on roads. The wheelbase of a trophy truck is likely to be wider than that of a street-legal truck; this is done to improve cornering stability and handling over rough terrain. The frames of the trucks are usually custom built from lightweight composite metals, and the bodies are generally made of lightweight fiberglass. The engine of a trophy truck is usually a V8, which is exceptionally large for such a light vehicle. This allows the driver of the trophy truck to reach high speeds even over rough terrain or in adverse conditions. Racing is the primary function of the trophy truck, though some versions are also simply used for off-road recreation. Purely recreational trucks are less common, since the cost of building a trophy truck can be quite high. In most cases, the engine of the truck must be made from the same company as the body; this is, of course, only a regulation for racers, and it can be ignored for recreational drivers. The tires of the truck tend to be wide and will feature an aggressive tread designed to enhance stability and handling even through rough or muddy terrain. The high speeds often attained by these trucks necessitate a significant amount of suspension. The truck is likely to leave the ground at certain points, meaning the suspension and frame will need to be durable enough to handle the weight of the vehicle as it comes back down to the ground. Trophy trucks will feature very long suspension units, which can affect the handling of the truck in corners and at high speeds, so drivers of these trucks often need a fair amount of practice and training to drive the trucks safely. Even with a significant amount of training, racing is dangerous and accidents are likely, so the driver must wear the appropriate safety equipment at all times while in the vehicle. Ad What Is a Pickup Truck Hoist? How Do I Build a Hot Rod Chassis? What Is a Hot Rod Show? What Are Hot Rod Kits? What is a Hot Rod? What is a Pickup Camper? What is a Pickup Truck?

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Bajaj to launch Pulsar 150NS in May Snapshot: Pulsar 150NS is the Bajaj's answer to Suzuki GIxxer and it is set to launch next month Posted on 20 April 2015, 10:51, by | 5737 views Bajaj is set to launch the 150cc Naked Sport version of the bigger 200NS. The new 150NS will replace the current 150 Pulsar and is expected to be a big hit in the 150cc segment motorcycles. Bajaj Auto has launched three new Pulsars in less than a month and is set to launch another Pulsar next month. 150NS has been spotted many times being tested. The same perimeter frame will be carried over to the 150NS that was used in Pulsar 200NS. The new 150NS will get a slew of power boost compared to the present Pulsar 150 selling in market and we hope that this bike will be priced less than Pulsar AS150 that was recently launched at INR 79,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi). Both of the AS150 and NS150 will be sharing the same 149.5cc engine that is a 4-valve twin spark DTSi engine that churns out near 17bhp of power at 9,000rpm and 13Nm of torque at 7,500rpm. The engine is mated to a 5 speed gearbox. Pulsar 150NS gets a 240 mm alloy disc brakes unit at the front and 130 mm drum brakes unit at the rear. Pulsar 150NS carries an 80/100/17 tire at the front and 110/80/70 at the rear. This bike is will go head to head against Suzuki Gixxer 150 and Honda CB Unicorn.

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European Business News German Car Makers Hit Road Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler Ratchet Up Investment Plans Beyond Troubled European Market Vanessa Fuhrmans Updated Nov. 25, 2012 4:30 p.m. ET Volkswagen AG's announcement on Friday that it would invest €50 billion ($65 billion) in its global operations over the next three years marks the latest push from Germany's robust auto industry to limit its exposure to crisis-stricken Europe and widen its lead over the rest of the region's auto makers. The investment plan, much of it aimed at expanding Volkswagen's presence outside of Europe, marks the German auto maker's efforts... By Vanessa Fuhrmans

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DealsEvents LIVE: CBS 2 News LIVE From The Broadcast Center WATCH NOW. Opinion: Auto Manufacturing Is Back In America. Obama Was Right, Romney Was Wrong. Filed Under: auto bailout, Barack Obama, Bob Lutz, China, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, George W. Bush, GM, Jeep, Lee Iacocca, manufacturing, Mitt Romney, Outsourcing, Steve Rattne Barack Obama (Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images) ”If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye.” That was the lead of Mitt Romney’s op-ed entitled “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt”. It has been one of the costliest political statements he has made. It made it impossible for him to contest in Michigan, the state his dad was governor of. It has cost him in Ohio, a state whose economy is better than the national average because of their ties to the auto industry. Auto manufacturing is back in America – especially in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania because President Obama made the politically risky decision to bailout the auto industry after bailing out the banks. It was a decision that worked. Obama was right, Romney was wrong. Agree with Bill? Vote in the CBS Local Pundit Showdown So Romney is now in full lying mode. He is trying to retroactively re-write the wrongs in his writings. He now claims that the president did what Romney suggested. But the record exposes Romney’s falsehoods. Romney never would have secured the financing necessary for the auto industry. On November 20, 2008, the same day he published the article in question, Romney also did a media tour. That morning he told CBS “there’s no question but that if you just write a check that you’re going to see these companies go out of business ultimately.” He also told NBC: “If you write a check, they’re going to go out of business. If instead you help them restructure, you make them cost-competitive with the Japanese, they can stay in business virtually forever. And so this is a time, an opportunity for us, to help these companies shed their excess costs so they can stay in business.” Ultimately, Mitt Romney was wrong on two major fronts. First of all, that the tax payers would lose money and the auto companies would shut down if the federal government wrote the check. Second, that private financing was available at the time. It was not. Bob Lutz, a Republican who was the vice chairman of GM at the time of the bailout, told the Detroit Free Press about financing: “The banks were even more broke than we were. Who had the money? Loan guarantees don’t do any good if the banks don’t have any money.” Dan Akerson, CEO and chairman of General Motors, said that Under Romney’s plan that GM “would have been in bankruptcy for years and I think you could have written off this company, this industry and this country.” At the time of the bailout, Steve Rattner who was in charge of government task force for the auto bailout said in his own New York Times op-ed in February of this year addressed this issue and said the following: “As a presidential aspirant, Mr. Romney evidently hasn’t felt a need to be consistent or specific as to what should have been done to address the collapse of the auto industry starting in late 2008. But the gist is that the government should have stayed on the sidelines and allowed the companies to go through what he calls “managed bankruptcies,” financed by private capital. “That sounds like a wonderfully sensible approach — except that it’s utter fantasy. In late 2008 and early 2009, when G.M. and Chrysler had exhausted their liquidity, every scrap of private capital had fled to the sidelines. “I know this because the administration’s auto task force, for which I was the lead adviser, spoke diligently to all conceivable providers of funds, and not one had the slightest interest in financing those companies on any terms. If Mr. Romney disagrees, he should come forward with specific names of willing investors in place of empty rhetoric. I predict that he won’t be able to, because there aren’t any. “Without government financing — initiated by President George W. Bush in December 2008 — the two companies would not have been able to pursue Chapter 11 reorganization. Instead they would have been forced to cease production, close their doors and lay off virtually all workers once their coffers ran dry. Romney was wrong in 2008 and he is wrong now. Worse, he is lying about what he said and he is lying about the auto industry in a bigger way today. Romney made a false claim based on a wrong blog post in the right wing rag The Examiner that jobs are leaving Toledo’s Jeep plant. It is based on an article that was written in contradiction of a Bloomberg article. Those are Mitt Romney’s standards. Even though Chrysler beat back the story with a statement that read in part, “let’s set the record straight: Jeep has no intention of shifting production of its Jeep models out of North America to China. It’s simply reviewing the opportunities to return Jeep output to China for the world’s largest auto market. U.S. Jeep assembly lines will continue to stay in operation. A careful and unbiased reading of the Bloomberg take would have saved unnecessary fantasies and extravagant comments.” But the Romney campaign turned this lie based on the writings of a crack pot publication into an ad. It is the ultimate example of what a shiftless, lying and manipulative person Mitt Romney is. About Bill Buck Bill Buck is a Democratic strategist, President of the Buck Communications Group, a media relations and new media strategies consulting business based in Washington, DC, and Managing Director of the online ad firm Influence DSP. He has over twenty years of international and national communications experience. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CBS Local.

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The V-Series: Road or Track? "NEW CADILLAC V-SERIES DOES BOTH AS THE IDEAL BLEND OF PERFORMANCE AND PLEASURE" The legendary Nürburgring is a beast. Built nearly a century ago in the shadow of a medieval castle in Germany’s Eifel Mountains, it’s home to nearly 21 kilometres of merciless track- 154 turns mixed with numerous elevation changes including one stretch once dubbed the ”Green Hell.” It’s here specifically the Nordschleife or “‘North Loop” that automakers come to test the speed and prowess of new performance models, as well as their durability in handling one of the world’s most demanding circuits (not to mention fickle weather conditions). Many a car has crashed or fallen apart here, to be sent back to the garage for repairs or updates. No wonder, then, that Cadillac engineers brought the redesigned new CTS-V and first-ever ATS-V to this track last year to put them through the paces during the final phases of testing. The team was determined to push these vehicles to new heights, and the Nürburgring was just the track to let them know how they’d done. The V-Series handled the track just fine, proving that these are vehicles like no others. They are lighter, faster, more tech-forward, and more luxurious than anything Cadillac has ever put on the road. But more than that, they’re a unique fusing of pleasure and performance luxury models with sophisticated road manners and track-capable sports cars, straight from the factory. Of course, no vehicles just roll off the line like that. The V-Series story starts back in 2004 when Cadillac introduced the first CTS-V, a car that would soon build its own following. "It’s time to tame the beast." Book a CTS-V test drive Book a ATS-V test drive As the fans grew, so did demand for the vehicles, and it didn’t hurt that Cadillac put a special race version on the track for the Pirelli World Challenge GT circuit. Tens of thousands of development hours later, the V-Series breaks new ground in so many areas it’s hard to keep track. ”We made a lot of fans for life with the last generations of the V-Series, but now we’ve taken things a few steps up,” says John Buttermore, lead development engineer, Global Vehicle Development. //We’ve made major improvements in speed. The car is lighter. The chassis grip is much higher.” It starts where it always starts with the engine. The CTS-V features a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that produces 649 horsepower and 855 Nm of torque. It goes from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 3.7 seconds. This is the fastest Cadillac ever, capable of reaching 320 km/h mph on the test track. The ATS-V is close behind: It sports the first Twin Turbo Cadillac has built, a 3.6-liter, 470-hp V6 and goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, topping out at over 300 km/h on the test track. The V8 in the CTS-V is so big and powerful that the engineers had to upsize the radiator with additional outboard coolants to keep the powertrain cool. Even so, the engine weighs 9 kg less than the previous model, helping boost fuel economy and improve weight balance, which makes the car handle better on the road. With all that power, it isn’t easy to keep these vehicles attached to the road; they want to take off. To ensure they stay fully grounded, the engineering team made structural enhancements to bolster stiffness by 25 percent over the standard CTS and ATS models. They also widened the front and rear footprint, helping enhance grip and reduce body motion. They added stiffer wheels and custom-made tires that offered greater road feel all of which results in more precise handling and steering and a more confident feel behind the wheel. In fact, the ATS-V is capable of exceeding 1.0 g of maximum lateral acceleration, a threshold once reserved for the racing exotics. This is performance without punishment, though, so the team also boosted the ride dampening by 40 percent helping the V-Series glide over fissures in the track and potholes on the streets. During reveals this past winter, both the ATS-V and CTS-V won acclaim for their bald stance, wide-set front grille, and aerodynamic curves. These vehicles are designed with performance in mind. Nearly every exterior panel is unique, from the fascias and fenders to the hood, rear spoiler, and rocker molding. The hoods are made of a lightweight carbon fibre with air-extracting vents that pull hot air out of the engine compartment, helping keep the vehicle cool. A carbon fibre hood also helps reduce mass at the front of the car, where the reduction is needed most. Larger grille openings in the fascia bring in more air, providing optimal aero performance. Design played a role in the interior of the vehicles, too, but here the emphasis was on creating a premium feel. Leather-trimmed RECARO® performance seats with adjustable bolsters help hold the driver and front passenger in place during high-load cornering. The technology really shines in the interior, starting with the available Performance Data Recorder that tracks lap time, average and maximum speed, GPS, temperatures, and other variables on any route. A redesigned and upgraded Head-Up Display projects speed and other variables on the windshield in front of the steering wheel, making the driver feel like a jet pilot. There’s also Bose® active noise cancellation to keep out road noise and other nuisances, plus Base engine sound enhancement for the sound you really want to hear. And both the ATS-V and CTS-V feature sophisticated parking assist systems that help fit the vehicle into even the tightest spaces. What is amazing is that you get all of that performance in a package that doesn’t sacrifice comfort or the luxury amenities that you would expect,” says John Kraemer, Cadillac’s marketing manager for the V-Series. ”We call that performance without punishment.” The Cadillac ATS-V is currently not available in the United Kingdom. Learn more about the CTS-V Build your own CTS-V Learn more about the ATS-V Build your own ATS-V Filed under: Experience related articles: Arrive In Style with the Cadillac Escalade Cadillac XT5: Don’t You Dare

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About Tesla Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Tesla was founded in 2003 by a group of engineers in Silicon Valley who wanted to prove that electric cars could be better than gasoline-powered cars. With instant torque, incredible power, and zero emissions, Tesla’s products would be cars without compromise. Each new generation would be increasingly affordable, helping the company work towards its mission: to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Tesla’s engineers first designed a powertrain for a sports car built around an AC induction motor, patented in 1888 by Nikola Tesla, the inventor who inspired the company’s name. The resulting Tesla Roadster was launched in 2008. Accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and achieving a range of 245 miles per charge of its lithium ion battery, the Roadster set a new standard for electric mobility. Tesla would sell more than 2,400 Roadsters, now on the road in more than 30 countries. In 2012, Tesla launched Model S, the world’s first premium electric sedan. Built from the ground up to be 100 percent electric, Model S has redefined the very concept of a four-door car. With room for seven passengers and more than 64 cubic feet of storage, Model S provides the comfort and utility of a family sedan while achieving the acceleration of a sports car: 0 to 60 mph in about five seconds. Its flat battery pack is integrated into the chassis and sits below the occupant cabin, lending the car a low center of gravity that enables outstanding road holding and handling while driving 265 miles per charge. Model S was named Motor Trend’s 2013 Car of the Year and achieved a 5-star safety rating from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In late 2014, Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled two dual motor all-wheel drive configurations of Model S that further improve the vehicle’s handling and performance. The 85D features a high efficiency motor at the front and rear, giving the car unparalleled control of traction in all conditions. The P85D pairs a high efficiency front motor with a performance rear motor for supercar acceleration, achieving a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.2 seconds – the fastest four-door production car ever made. Tesla owners enjoy the benefit of charging at home so they never have to visit a gas station or spend a cent on gasoline. For long distance journeys, Tesla’s Supercharger network provides convenient access to high speed charging, replenishing half a charge in as little as 20 minutes. Superchargers now connect popular routes in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Tesla’s vehicles are produced at its factory in Fremont, California, previously home to New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. The Tesla Factory has returned thousands of jobs to the area and is capable of producing 2,000 cars a week. The company is expanding its manufacturing footprint into other areas, including in Tilburg, the Netherlands, where it has an assembly facility, and Lathrop, California, where it has a specialized production plant. To reduce the costs of lithium ion battery packs, Tesla and key strategic partners including Panasonic have begun construction of a gigafactory in Nevada that will facilitate the production of a mass-market affordable vehicle, Model 3. By 2018, the gigafactory will produce more lithium ion cells than all of the world’s combined output in 2013. The gigafactory will also produce battery packs intended for use in stationary storage, helping to improve robustness of the electrical grid, reduce energy costs for businesses and residences, and provide a backup supply of power. Tesla is not just an automaker, but also a technology and design company with a focus on energy innovation. Press [email protected] Australia and Asia Video: Model S in Norway (.mov 256MB) Tesla Superchargers Tesla Stores and Service Centers Tesla Factory in Fremont, California User login Username Password Create new account

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Finding a greener future Ford plug-in hybrid solar car uses fresnel lenses to concentrate sunlight for charging Derek Markham (@derekmarkham) Technology / Solar Technology © Ford Ford's latest concept car builds on the innovations in its C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid by adding solar panels to the roof and coupling it with a concentrating solar charging canopy, allowing owners to produce renewable energy to charge its batteries."Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept shines a new light on electric transportation and renewable energy. As an innovation leader, we want to further the public dialog about the art of the possible in moving the world toward a cleaner future." - Mike Tinskey, Ford global director of vehicle electrification and infrastructureThe Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept car, said to be the "first-of-its-kind sun-powered vehicle," promises to deliver the benefits of a plugin hybrid, without the reliance on fossil-fuel inputs for its electric drivetrain, which could help reduce the associated GHG emissions for owners of hybrids.The SunPower X21 solar panels integrated into the roof of the Solar Energi car aren't that large (1.5 square meters, with a 300 to 350 watt capacity), but an innovative solar concentrating canopy that uses Fresnel lenses to amplify the sunlight (said to be by a factor of 8) is claimed to make this solar-powered hybrid vehicle "feasible for daily use.""Researchers developed an off-vehicle solar concentrator that uses a special Fresnel lens to direct sunlight to the solar cells while boosting the impact of the sunlight by a factor of eight. Fresnel is a compact lens originally developed for use in lighthouses. Similar in concept to a magnifying glass, the patent-pending system tracks the sun as it moves from east to west, drawing enough power from the sun through the concentrator each day to equal a four-hour battery charge (8 kilowatts)." - FordIn addition to the solar concentrating canopy, Ford also integrated a feature into the C-MAX Solar Energi car that allows it to automatically move itself while under the canopy to maintain the best position as the sun moves through the sky, in order to optimize the amount of sunlight that can be captured.© FordAccording to Ford, the concept car has the same overall range as its conventional C-MAX Energi car, which allows for up to 21 miles on electric only, and 620 miles total. The Solar Energi isn't solely dependent on the sun for its electric drive, as it can still be plugged into the grid at a charging station if necessary.With the solar canopy and solar panels working together, the new concept car is said to be able to reduce the annual GHG emissions by about four metric tons, when compared to the original C-MAX Energi model. While this is strictly a concept car, not a production model, Ford estimates that if the technology was integrated into all light-duty vehicles in the US, GHG emissions could be reduced by about 1 billion metric tons.C-MAX Solar Energi Concept will be shown to the public at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas, and is a collaborative project of Ford, SunPower Corp. and Atlanta-based Georgia Institute of Technology. This solar panel produces up to 5 liters of drinking water per day from the air Flecks of "solar glitter" can make almost anything solar powered Mobile solar-plus-storage device could be an entry-level gateway to clean energy Solar Technology |

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Home » Heritage Long before the Ford Model T, even before the first Mercedes ‘horseless carriage’, there was Lucas. Our business was established in 1872, the same year that the petrol engine was first patented. The story of the business that Joseph Lucas founded in Birmingham, still the global HQ of Lucas today, is the story of one of the most successful automotive brands in history. If you would like to know more about the heritage of Lucas, visit www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk, whose support we gratefully acknowledge. Our founder, Joseph Lucas, born in Birmingham in 1834, knew how to deliver what customers needed. He began in the early 1860s as a dealer in paraffin oil for domestic lamps and soon saw potential to expand into the transport market. In 1875, he opened a small workshop on Little King Street with 5 employees. The early product range included ship's lamps (Tom Bowling) with the first "King of the Road" cycle lamp, for use on the Penny Farthing, produced in 1878. Such was the demand for the "King of the Road" bicycle lamp that Joseph Lucas secured an official patent in 1880 and reaped the rewards during the “bicycle boom” of the time. A new factory was built, which later developed into the iconic Great King Street premises and became the hugely successful Lucas Electrical business in Birmingham. In 1897 a public company, Joseph Lucas Ltd, was formed with Joseph as Chairman. The company had now achieved a leading position in its market and the strength of the business enabled Joseph to enter the infant automotive parts and accessories market. Joseph Lucas died in 1902 to be succeeded by his son, Harry, as Chairman. Harry was able to take full advantage of the automotive boom, which had been spurred on by an act of Parliament that had raised the speed limit above walking pace! The range extended to include cycle, motorcycle and car accessories, including oil, acetylene, and electric lamps. Great King Street was expanded to meet increased demand and Lucas continued to grow and grow. Lucas grew because it continued to identify and deliver innovations that automotive manufacturers really needed. For example, when the acquisition of Thomson-Bennett Ltd provided magneto capability to add to the growing Electrical portfolio, Lucas added starters and dynamos to its range. This revolutionised night driving as this quote from the 1914 catalogue shows; "The illustration is from an actual photograph of road illumination, taken on a dark night, by aid of the LUCAS DYNAMO LIGHTING SYSTEM." And still Lucas continued to grow. This period saw further rapid expansion as Lucas grew alongside motor car production. With the acquisition of C.A. Vandervell & Co. Ltd. and Rotax (Motor Accessories) Ltd. Lucas became the largest supplier of electrical equipment to the vast majority of British vehicles and the largest manufacturer of accessories. The illustration shows the sign of the first Service Agent, appointed in 1929. This decade saw establish many of the key product lines – not only electrical but beyond – that we still operate today. There was heavy-duty electrical vehicle equipment, fuel injection pumps for diesel engines, and the beginning of the aviation business that was the foundation of Lucas Aerospace. In 1943, the Girling brake business was acquired from the New Hudson company, adding hydraulic braking to the company's product portfolio. With a multi-award-winning history in F1, Girling is still a thriving brand today. In 1951 the company was renamed Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited, now a holding company, and distributive subsidiary companies were set up due to the ever increasing range of products. There were eight manufacturing groups in the UK and more than 12 distribution companies operating overseas. Product milestones included the first disc brake fitted to a production car and the introduction of the DPA rotary fuel injection pump. Lucas grew yet again in 1960 as expansion across Europe gained momentum, with brake manufacturing in France and Germany, diesel partnerships in France and Spain plus a significant development of the aftermarket network. As Lucas manufacturing spread through Europe, Lucas Service became a global enterprise, exporting to over 130 markets with around 4,000 authorised outlets. The group was renamed as Lucas Industries in 1974 and, as part of a new corporate identity, the Lucas diagonal was introduced, a brand icon now familiar throughout the world. That diagonal first became a familiar feature of garages in 1975 when 35% of all cars manufactured worldwide were fitted with brakes manufactured by Lucas Girling, its associate company, or one of its licensees. While the UK car manufacturing base declined in the 1980s, Lucas remained strong by restructuring and refocusing into overseas markets. Lucas Automotive, created in 1988, moved into the production of high-technology engine management and braking systems for automotive customers around the world. Our three core technologies of Electrical, Braking and Diesel were recognised through the red, yellow and blue representations of Lucas with the diagonal logo providing the continuity of one company. In 1994 we met the need for globalised production by adopting a green brand colour for all our signage, publications, product packaging and advertising, and by providing high technology products. The merger to create Lucas Varity in 1996 resulted in the formation of one of the top ten automotive component suppliers in the world. This was followed by acquisition by TRW in 1999. TRW is now the global leader in automotive safety systems. By the year 2000, Lucas has been trading continuously for over 125 years and began the new millennium as a renowned supplier of premium quality, technically excellent automotive and motorcycle products for both vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket. To continue innovation, development and investment in Lucas, TRW decided to license the brand to specialist licensees. To celebrate the new levels of success we have achieved, and how this has been built on our proud heritage and the strong recognition of our brand, we launched the Icon campaign, showing our familiar green boxes towering into the skylines of France and the UK, two of our key markets. The campaign has been seen by 190,000 people. Automotive technology changes fast. We’re successful because, as you can see from our history, we’ve always been innovators, giving you the solutions that keep you equipped for the future. 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s CONTACT US

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Consumer Reports: Small Turbo Engines Don't Meet Efficiency Claims Not all small turbo engines are more fuel-efficient says Consumer Reports Consumer Reports isn't letting up on its testing of fuel efficiency claims for various vehicles. According to the publication, small turbocharged engines aren't delivering on the fuel efficiency claims by the manufacturers. Small displacement turbocharged engines have become common in a variety of vehicles in place of larger displacement, naturally aspirated engines. The claim by the automotive manufacturers is that the small displacement turbocharged engines offer the same power as larger displacement engines and improved fuel efficiency. Consumer Reports, however, states that in its real world testing many vehicles with turbocharged engines aren't as efficient as the manufacturers claim. The publication recently tested the 1.6-liter EcoBoost in a Ford Fusion and found that the turbocharged version has a slower 0-to-60 mph time than its competitors and achieved only 25 mpg in testing, making it among the worst for fuel efficiency in the recent crop of family sedans. The publication also claims that the larger 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which promises the power of the V-6 with the fuel economy of four-cylinder engine, fails to deliver on either front. Chevrolet is also under fire for the 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder in the Cruze. Consumer Reports claims that real world performance wasn’t much better than the standard, naturally aspirated 1.8-liter engine and overall fuel economy was similar as well. Ford and General Motors representatives offered similar statements explaining the discrepancy. "When you have an EcoBoost engine, you have the opportunity to have performance and fuel economy, but not at the same time,” said Ford Powertrain Communications Manager Richard Truett. “EcoBoost adds a dimension that you won't get by just making the engine smaller. We're telling the driver, it's up to you on how you want to drive." "The Cruze turbocharged engine provides a much broader torque curve than a non-turbocharged engine, and that means better acceleration across the rpm range, making for a more fun-to-drive car,” said GM spokesman Tom Read. “However, if you have a heavy foot on a turbocharged engine, you're not necessarily going to see a lot of fuel economy benefits." The EPA is going to investigate Ford after Consumer Reports and other owners have complained that fuel efficiency doesn't meet the automakers claims in the Fusion Hybrid and C-MAX. Source: Consumer Reports "There is a single light of science, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere." -- Isaac Asimov EPA Ready to Investigate Ford C-Max, Fusion Hybrid Fuel Economy Claims Ford's 2013 Fusion Hybrid Clobbers the Competition, Delivers 47 MPG City/44 MPG Highway

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Hyundai to Finally Launch Apple CarPlay in Sonata in the First Quarter of 2016 Discussion in 'Apple iPad News' started by dgstorm, Dec 28, 2015. By dgstorm on Dec 28, 2015 at 3:23 PM Even though Apple and Hyundai originally promised to bring their CarPlay infotainment system to the Sonata line of automobiles in 2015, that didn't quite happen. Whether the delay was because of licensing or technical issues, neither company has said. Regardless, they have made a new statement promising that CarPlay will be available for the Hyundai Sonata in the first quarter of 2016. Hyundai indicated their plan is to sell an SD card with new software to get the system. They didn't reveal the price for the SD Card, but the installation itself shouldn't have any other costs associated. Here's a quote with a brief description of CarPlay's capabilities: CarPlay provides hands-free or eyes-free access to Maps, Phone, Messages, Music, Podcasts and third-party apps including Spotify, Rdio, iHeartRadio, CBS Radio and MLB At Bat. The platform uses Siri and interfaces with your vehicle's knobs, dials and buttons for safer access to common iPhone features. The software is compatible with iPhone 5 or later running iOS 8 or above.Click to expand... Source: MacRumors

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Today Marks the Anniversary of the First Auto Death in the US we take them for granted, autos have only played a part in our transportation for the past 125 years. And, as with anything new, there were plenty of “firsts” where the motorized wagon was concerned. In fact, it was 114 years ago today that the first known person was killed in a motorized vehicle accident in North America. Henry H. Bliss It was around 9 p.m. on September 13, 1899, when 62-year-old Henry Hale Bliss, a Manhattan real estate dealer, stepped from a streetcar at West 74th Street and Central Park West in New York, to stand in front of the San Remo Hotel. Bliss turned to offer his assistance to a female passenger, a Miss Lee, who was also getting off the streetcar, when an electric-powered taxicab struck him. Bliss Death Certificate Roosevelt Surgery to reports, Bliss was knocked to the ground by the impact and the taxi ran over his head and chest. Roosevelt Hospital surgeon, Dr. Marney, told officials that Bliss had been injured so badly he could not be expected to live. Bliss died of his injuries at Roosevelt Hospital the next morning around 6:25. driver of the oncoming cab, Arthur Smith was arrested and charged with NYC Electric Cabs in 1899 manslaughter. Smith said that a large truck was blocking the right lane, “making it necessary for him to run his vehicle close to the car.” Smith was later acquitted on grounds that the accident was not intentional. passenger in Smith’s cab at the time of the accident was Dr. David Orr Edison, son of former New York City Mayor Franklin Edison. Edison was returning from a call on a patient in Harlem at the time of the accident. He immediately sent for an ambulance after examining Bliss and proceeded to do what he could to keep him alive until help arrived. Bliss Accident Scene New York City Pedestrians and motormen referred to the area where Bliss was killed as the “dangerous stretch” because so many accidents had occurred there during the preceding Bliss's Grave Site Hale Bliss was buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Flushing, New York. There is no stone to mark his grave today. One hundred years later, on September 13, 1999, a plaque to commemorate the event was placed at the original scene of the accident. The plaque reads: Commemorative Plaque at West 74th Street and Central Park West, Henry H. Bliss dismounted from a streetcar and was struck and knocked unconscious by an automobile on the evening of September 13, 1899. When Mr. Bliss, a New York real estate man, died the next morning from his injuries, he became the first recorded motor vehicle fatality in the Western Hemisphere. This sign was erected to remember Mr. Bliss on the centennial of his untimely death and to promote safety on our streets and highways. were actually two other vehicle deaths recorded in the world before Bliss. On August 31, 1869, 42-year-old Irish scientist Mary Ward was thrown from an experimental steam-powered car on a bend in the road in County Down in Ireland. Ward was thrown under the wheels of the car and run over. She died almost instantly from a broken neck. Ward is the first known person to have been killed in a motor vehicle accident. Bridget Driscoll (Circled) and Family England on August 17, 1896, 44-year-old Bridget Driscoll was the first known U.K. pedestrian killed by an auto. Driscoll was crossing the grounds of the Crystal Palace on Sydenham Hill when she was struck by a motorized vehicle that was giving demonstration rides. Crystal Palace Grounds driver of the car, Arthur Edsall claimed to be going 4 mph when the accident occurred, although some versions of the car could go up to 8 mph. The jury found the death to be accidental. accident occurred just a few weeks after Parliament had enacted a new speed limit allowing vehicles to travel up to 14 mph – an daring increase from the past limits of 2 mph in towns and 4 mph in the country. the close of 1900, there were close to 14,000 motorized vehicles on the roads in the U.S. and 36 people had died as the result of an auto accident. As of 2010, there were almost 240,000,000 vehicles on the road in America and there were over 25,500 vehicle deaths that year. Morale of the story: Drive (and walk) safely! auto fatality, Bridget Driscoll, car fatalities, death by auto, first auto death, Henry Bliss, Mary Ward, turn of the century auto accidents

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Father Libor serves the Czech Catholic diaspora - The Pope meets with artists Father Libor Svorcik came to Canada to assist Czech immigrants for a period of five years. He has been here for eleven already. Based at St. Wenceslaus Parish Church in Toronto, the priest is still in his 40s and vigorous; Father also acts as an itinerant chaplain for Catholics of Czech origin in Kingston, Montreal and Ottawa (generally every three weeks in good weather; less frequently in winter when driving the roads is hazardous). From time to time, he extends his reach even farther, heading west to minister to Czech-speaking Catholics in Calgary and Winnipeg. On one of his recent visits to Ottawa for an anticipated Sunday Mass on a Saturday afternoon, I met with Father; these Masses are celebrated at St. Leopold Mandic church, our archdiocese's Croatian Parish directed by Father Adam Tabak at 170 Hinchey in the Mechanicsville neighbourhood. We discussed the possibility of my concelebrating Mass with the Czech faithful in the future, with an opportuniyt to meet this tiny flock for whom we both share responsibility. In September of this year, the Holy Father visited the Czech Republic. Here are excerpts from Pope Benedict's reflections upon that visit at the Wednesday General Audience on his return to Rome:"The Love of Christ Is Our Strength": This was the theme of the journey, an affirmation that echoes the faith of so many heroic witnesses of the distant and recent past -- I am thinking in particular of the past century. But, [also a theme] which above all wishes to interpret the certainty of today's Christians. Yes, our strength is the love of Christ! A strength that inspires and animates true revolutions, peaceful and liberating, and which sustains us in moments of crisis, allowing us to rise again when liberty, arduously recovered, runs the risk of losing itself, [of losing] its own truth....The love of Christ began to reveal itself in the face of a Child. Arriving in Prague, in fact, my first stop was in the church of Our Lady Victorious, where the Child Jesus is venerated, known precisely as the "Infant of Prague." This effigy refers to the mystery of God made Man, to the "close God," base of our hope. Before the "Infant of Prague" I prayed for all children, for their parents, and for the future of the family. The real "victory" for which we pray today to Mary, is the victory of love and of life in the family and in society!...Symbol of this synthesis between truth and beauty is the splendid Cathedral of Prague, dedicated to Sts. Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert, where the celebration of vespers took place with priests, religious, seminarians and a representation of laymen committed to ecclesial associations and movements. This is a difficult moment for the Central Eastern European community: To the consequences of the long winter of atheist totalitarianism, are being added the noxious effects of a certain Western secularism and consumerism. Because of this I have encouraged all to draw new energies from the Risen Lord, to be able to be evangelical leaven in the society and to commit themselves, as is already happening, to charitable activities, and even more so to educational and school activities.I extended this message of hope, founded on faith in Christ, to all the People of God in the two large Eucharistic celebrations held respectively in Brno, capital of Moravia, and in Stara Boleslav, site of the martyrdom of St. Wenceslaus, the nation's principal patron. Moravia makes us think immediately of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, evangelizers of the Slavic peoples and, hence, of the inexhaustible force of the Gospel that, as a river of healing waters, crosses history and continents, taking life and salvation everywhere. On the portal of the Cathedral of Brno are engraved the words of Christ: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).Dear friends, I thank the Lord because, with this journey, he has allowed me to meet a people and a Church with profound historical and religious roots, which commemorates this year different events of high spiritual and social value. To the brothers and sisters of the Czech Republic I renew a message of hope and an invitation to the value of the good, to build the present and future of Europe. I entrust the fruits of my pastoral visit to the intercession of Mary Most Holy and to that of all the saints of Bohemia and Moravia. Thank you.* * * * * *"Dear Artists, You Are the Custodians of Beauty"Here is an excerpt from the text of the pope's speech given on November 21, 2009, in the Sistine Chapel, to representatives of all the arts: painters, sculptors, architects, novelists, poets, musicians, singers, men of the cinema, theatre, dance, photography With great joy I welcome you to this solemn place, so rich in art and in history. I cordially greet each and every one of you and I thank you for accepting my invitation. At this gathering I wish to express and renew the Church’s friendship with the world of art, a friendship that has been strengthened over time; indeed Christianity from its earliest days has recognized the value of the arts and has made wise use of their varied language to express her unvarying message of salvation. This friendship must be continually promoted and supported so that it may be authentic and fruitful, adapted to different historical periods and attentive to social and cultural variations. Indeed, this is the reason for our meeting here today. I am deeply grateful to Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture and of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church, and likewise to his officials, for promoting and organizing this meeting, and I thank him for the words he has just addressed to me. I greet the Cardinals, the Bishops, the priests and the various distinguished personalities present. I also thank the Sistine Chapel Choir for their contribution to this gathering. Today’s event is focused on you, dear and illustrious artists, from different countries, cultures and religions, some of you perhaps remote from the practice of religion, but interested nevertheless in maintaining communication with the Catholic Church, in not reducing the horizons of existence to mere material realities, to a reductive and trivializing vision. You represent the varied world of the arts and so, through you, I would like to convey to all artists my invitation to friendship, dialogue and cooperation.Some significant anniversaries occur around this time. It is ten years since the Letter to Artists by my venerable Predecessor, the Servant of God Pope John Paul II. For the first time, on the eve of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, the Pope, who was an artist himself, wrote a Letter to artists, combining the solemnity of a pontifical document with the friendly tone of a conversation among all who, as we read in the initial salutation, "are passionately dedicated to the search for new ‘epiphanies’ of beauty". Twenty-five years ago the same Pope proclaimed Blessed Fra Angelico the patron of artists, presenting him as a model of perfect harmony between faith and art. Blessed Fra Angelico, The Annunciation of the Lord, in the Dominican Convent of San Marco, Florence -- note that, in the artist's view, this saving mystery "takes place" in the convent itself (in the very act of contemplation, the vocation of the followers of Dominic; they are to pass on what they have contemplated contemplata tradere), thus undoing the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden I also recall how on 7 May 1964, forty-five years ago, in this very place, an historic event took place, at the express wish of Pope Paul VI, to confirm the friendship between the Church and the arts. The words that he spoke on that occasion resound once more today under the vault of the Sistine Chapel and touch our hearts and our minds. "We need you," he said. "We need your collaboration in order to carry out our ministry, which consists, as you know, in preaching and rendering accessible and comprehensible to the minds and hearts of our people the things of the spirit, the invisible, the ineffable, the things of God himself. And in this activity … you are masters. It is your task, your mission, and your art consists in grasping treasures from the heavenly realm of the spirit and clothing them in words, colours, forms – making them accessible." So great was Paul VI’s esteem for artists that he was moved to use daring expressions. "And if we were deprived of your assistance," he added, "our ministry would become faltering and uncertain, and a special effort would be needed, one might say, to make it artistic, even prophetic. In order to scale the heights of lyrical expression of intuitive beauty, priesthood would have to coincide with art." On that occasion Paul VI made a commitment to "re-establish the friendship between the Church and artists", and he invited artists to make a similar, shared commitment, analyzing seriously and objectively the factors that disturbed this relationship, and assuming individual responsibility, courageously and passionately, for a newer and deeper journey in mutual acquaintance and dialogue in order to arrive at an authentic "renaissance" of art in the context of a new humanism. Andrew: the 'first-called' apostle - National CWL ... First Sunday of Advent - A New Papal Pastoral Staf... School visits and Confirmation at Paroisse St-Pier... Visiting with Ottawa's Anglican Bishop John Chapma... Photo Round-Up of Recent Confirmation Celebrations... Father Libor serves the Czech Catholic diaspora - ... LifeTeen Mass and Evening at Divine Infant Parish,... Martyrs old and new: Pope Clement I and Miguel Aug... Christ the King of the Universe - A Visit to St. P... New Bishop for Antigonish - The Presentation of Ma... Celebrating Catholic Education in the Archdiocese ... Remembering Mgr Joseph Charbonneau - on the 50th a... The Roman Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul - Cardi... St. Elizabeth of Hungary - Getting Ready for Winte... 20th Anniversary of El Salvador Martyrs --- Ottaw... The Pope Uses Email, the Internet - St. Albert the... Visiting with friends...remembering St. Joseph Pig... Weekly Photo Round-Up: The Parishes of Curran, Pla... St. Josaphat, Martyr of Reunion with Rome Remembrance Day - St. Martin's Feast - Toronto Pri... Jesuit Infirmary in Pickering - Feast of St. Leo t... Anglicanorum coetibus (the Apostolic Constitution)... A Widow's Generous Self-giving - A Visit to "La Me... Two New Bishops for Toronto - Judy Savoy's Comedy ... A New Catholic Press Weekly Photo Round Up: NET Canada Board Meeting, K... St. Charles Borromeo - Resuming the Pastoral Visit... Feast of Martin de Porres - A Diplomat's Farewell

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Jack Key Kia Enter to win a BFF Big Apple Trip from Jack Key Kia! – Ladies, Jack Key KIA wants to send you and your best friend will spend a weekend exploring New York City including tickets to a Broadway show and more Jack Key KIA! About Jack Key Kia Mr. Jack Key has over 55 years of automobile experience and founded Jack Key Motor Company June 1, 1985. Along with him, he brought his son Kevin Key into the business within the same year and have both been very successful ever since. Mr. Key built his company on the philosophy of “Customer is King” and “Service After the Sale” with the attempt to run an open door dealership, where customers tend to drop in from time to time even just to have a cup of coffee. Mr. Key is a past president for the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce and the New Mexico Automobile Dealers Association and has also constantly been involved in numerous organizations in New Mexico and West Texas supporting programs involving High Schools, Universities and even public services such as the Las Cruces Police Department. Today, Mr. Key and son are the proud owners of five dealerships in three cities including Las Cruces, Alamogordo and Deming. Their line of brands include Nissan, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Honda, Kia, Ford and Lincoln growing from 40 units to over 300 units per month in sales, becoming an industry and community leader in the Southern New Mexico and West Texas region. Over the years, Mr. Key has enjoyed how his employees have bloomed and grown along with the company and he now currently employs over 130 people in West Texas and Southern New Mexico Subscribe to 600 ESPN El Paso on Sorry, we couldn't find what you were looking for, but please enjoy these articles from 600 ESPN El Paso

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By Michael Ellis In Search of Minto This is a story about a 9'1" sailing dinghy with a lapstrake fibreglass hull, teak gunwales, thwarts, knees and breast hook, Sitka spruce boom, and two-piece mast. It is called a Minto. It has been one of the most popular boats in the Northwest for the past 40 years, and it is hard to find a long-time NW sailor who hasn't owned or sailed a Minto at some point. I don't remember exactly when or how my story of the Minto sailing dinghy began. However, in piecing together the past it seems to me it must have been at the Seattle Boat Show in 1979. For several months prior to the show, my father and I had been talking about the possibility of being partners in a sailboat. I had looked at an Aquarius 23 in Gig Harbor, which I thought was too small. I drove out to Southworth to take a look at a used Balboa 26, but it wasn't in great shape and we didn't pursue it. Then my dad started talking about American 25s and Buccaneer 24s, and I started to get nervous. Not that those aren't fine boats, but I was looking for something with more of a classic appearance, and with 6'2" standing room. For you see I wasn't really a sailor, but I thought I knew what one looked like. At the 1979 Seattle Boat Show I found Ranger Boats of Kent, WA, displaying their Ranger 26 sailboat, and I fell in love. However, the cost of a new Kent Ranger 26 in 1979 was about $23,000 USD, which was around twice our sailboat budget. So I started searching for a used one while holding my dad's American and Buccaneer urges at bay. I am pretty sure I remember seeing a Ranger Minto at the show, but my focus was on the Ranger 26. I had driven past Howard Smith's Ranger Boat Company on HW99 numerous times and noticed the cute little boats he had on display, but it never occurred to me to stop. After the show we did stop at Smitty's to get another look at the Ranger 26, and I remember standing in the display room and admiring the beautiful little Minto. Ranger only built about 70 Ranger 26s before shutting down its production, and since at that point they had probably only built about half, finding a used one took some time. As this was before the Internet, my searches were restricted to regular checks of the two main Seattle papers. Then, after several months of fruitless checking, my wife and I left the kids with the grandparents and took a short weekend getaway to Vancouver, BC. After taking in a Friday night movie, I got up Saturday morning and went out for some donuts and coffee, and of course a newspaper. And of course there was an ad for a Kent Ranger 26, which just so happened to be in Bellingham, which just so happened to be on our way back home, which just so happened to cut short our first weekend without the kids. So we bought our first Kent Ranger 26 in 1980, and some time in 1982 we bought a used Minto. I bought the Minto primarily to be used as a tender for the 26. However, it came with a sailing package and I discovered how much fun they were to sail. It also became a fishing, crabbing, and crawfish-catching boat. It went on just about every family vacation that we didn't go by plane. Sometimes on top of a motorhome, sometimes on top of the car, and sometimes in a trailer, and sometimes even behind our boat. When we moved to a new house and sold our first Kent Ranger 26 in 1997, there was no question of selling the Minto. For the past eight years, it has been a common sight in Rich Passage, between Waterman Point and Bainbridge Island, serving as both a rowboat and sailboat. So that was my 25-year introduction to the Minto, and until this year when I started building Mintos I hadn't been all that curious about how the boat got its name or how the boat came to be. Over the years, I had heard a number of stories about the origins of the Minto. Initially, I just assumed it originated with Ranger Boats. Then I read an article published in 48North magazine that identified Ed Hoppen, the boatbuilder who was the first builder of the Thunderbird sailboat, as also being the father of the Minto. That story told of Ed finding an old wood boat washed ashore somewhere in south Puget Sound and using the boat to make the mould for the first Minto in his Eddon Boat Yard in Gig Harbor. After that, the Minto history is pretty straightforward. At least for the history of the authorized Minto. As one of the most popular boat designs in the NW, it has been frequently pirated, both commercially and as home projects. The roots are undoubtedly Eddon, and the main trunk is Ranger, but there are numerous offshoots to the Minto sailing dinghy tree. After building a couple hundred Eddon Mintos, Ed licensed Ranger to make the Minto in the mid-1960s. Ranger built about 1,000 Ranger Mintos until Ranger was sold in 1999 to Dave Livingston and his sons. The Livingstons decided to concentrate on powerboats, and by 2002 both Minto moulds had been sold. One went to Hal Palmer in Gig Harbor, who subsequently sold it to Ed's son, Guy Hoppen. The other mould went to Steve Metz, also of Gig Harbor, and this was the mould I used to put the Minto back into production this year as the Rich Passage Minto. As the latest in the line of Minto builders, after owning one for 23 years, I finally got interested in the Minto history. My first step was to find out why the Minto graphic was a little steamship. I did an Internet search and discovered the steamship SS Minto, built in 1898 and used in service on Upper Arrow Lake in British Columbia until 1954. This seemed too much to be coincidence, but I wanted confirmation and an explanation. I called Ken Wheeler, who for many years was Smitty's production manager at Ranger Boats. Ken confirmed the graphic and name did come from the old steamship, and according to the story, he was told it was because Ed Hoppen had found the original wood boat lying in the weeds next to the derelict steamer. Well, that was a nice little story and with that information I wrote a nice little article for Small Craft Advisor magazine. The problem was, like other handed-down stories, it was mostly true, but not entirely so. When I contacted Guy Hoppen for confirmation, he told me his dad's friend, Heine Dole, was the person who actually found the boat, and it came from a barn on Orcas Island, not the weeds holding the old SS Minto. Guy speculated the Minto name was adopted for the dinghy because it reminded Heine and his dad of the lifeboats carried by the SS Minto, and to make the dinghy distinctive. Guy said he remembers watching Heine and his dad designing and cutting out the first little Minto steamer icon to go on the dinghy's sail. I would have been satisfied with the Minto history at that point, but shortly before we left for our 2005 San Juan Island cruise in our second Kent Ranger 26, I received an e-mail from Mary Schoen, saying "you might be interested to know the wood boat used to make the original Minto mould came from my barn." Obviously this was something to be investigated. So when we were in the area we stopped to see Mary in West Sound on Orcas Island to learn more of the story, which began after Bob Schoen, who graduated from the University of Washington in 1943, and Mary married and traveled to Orcas Island for their honeymoon. Since they never left, I guess it was a long honeymoon. Bob played many roles on the island. He delivered oil and logging equipment to the outer islands, raised sheep, worked with the ferry system and Union Oil on charting local tides, and in 1947 he started the first commercial air service for Orcas Island. He also loved boating and had many friends involved in NW boating, including Heine, Ed, and a man named Rob Whittlesey, who in 1946 had purchased a 24-foot four-ton sloop built by Hugh Rodd at Canoe Cove on Vancouver Island. The boat Rob purchased happened to be named after the SS Minto, and it came with a fancy skiff, which had "Minto RVYC" carved into its transom. Besides thinking the skiff was a little too fancy to be used as a dinghy, he also thought the 10-foot skiff was too long for his 24 foot sailboat. So he traded it for a shorter dinghy Bob Schoen had bought in Vancouver for $65 for his larger Chantey sailboat, and after Chantey was sold the original Minto dinghy eventually got stored in the Schoen's barn. That is where Heine, a naval architect, saw the boat and convinced Bob it would make a great boat reproduced in fibreglass, but would have to be shortened. At this point I should mention that before Rob Whittlesey sent me a photo of the original Minto skiff, everyone had remembered Ed and Heine lengthening the plug by about two feet. When I got the photo from Rob I suspected perhaps the photo was of the wrong boat. We are talking about something that occurred about 60 years ago, and those involved still living didn't realize they were engaged in creating a NW classic. However, Rob's memory was confirmed by another old friend, Terry Dalton, who was with Bob on Chantey when the trade was made. Ed Hoppen died in July 1985. Bob Schoen died in March 2003, and Heine died one month later. Mary Schoen and Peggy Dole both remember Ed Hoppen's Eddon Minto #1 being destroyed, #2 going to Ed, #3 going to Chuck Ogden, #4 going to Heine, and #5 going to Bob. Mary still has #5, which she still sails in front of her home on West Sound, and she also has the last Eddon Minto built. Besides having my curiosity satisfied, the real reward in this search has been learning about and meeting some of the wonderful people behind the story, each of them owning a part of the Minto sailing dinghy history. Even though Bob Schoen was known for many achievements in his life, according to Mary he took special pleasure in having provided the wood boat that was used to make the Minto sailing dinghy. So with the question about the origin of the Minto sailing dinghy sufficiently resolved, my next question was from where does the Minto name come? There are numerous geographic applications of the Minto name, but they all relate back to Minto village in south Scotland, near the border with England. But the use of the Minto name does not refer to the village itself, but to the persons who have carried the title of Lord Minto. At the time the SS Minto steamship was built, the Governor General of Canada was Lord Minto, Gilbert John, 4th Earl of Minto. It is assumed by the British Columbia History Museum archivist the SS Minto was named to honour Lord Minto for his recent selection as Governor General, and his previous service to Canada from 1883 to 1885 as the military secretary to the then Governor General of Canada, Lord Lansdowne. However, during his first stay in Canada, Lord Minto, who was born Gilbert John Elliot but assumed his father's title of Lord Melgund, was commonly known as just "Melgund". It gets a little confusing with given names, titles, and the names actually used by British aristocrats. Regardless, as Governor General of Canada from 1898 to 1904 and Viceroy of India from 1905 to 1910, he was known as Lord Minto and is considered in Britain's history one of its most notable diplomats and administrators. If the BC History Museum archivist's assumption about the name relationship of the SS Minto steamship on Upper Arrow Lake is correct, then it probably also applies to the icebreaker SS Minto built in 1899 for use around Prince Edward Island to keep the shipping lanes open during the winter. If naming one boat to honour the current Governor General of Canada was good politics, then naming two should have been better. So Canada had two co-existing SS Mintos, until the icebreaker SS Minto was sold to Russia during WW I and subsequently sunk, thereupon eliminating significant opportunity for confusion. Then again, one or both of the SS Mintos could have been named for one of the three Lord Mintos that preceded Melgund in honour of him or one of his ancestors. So we will just say the SS Minto of Upper Arrow Lake was named for Lord Minto, and leave it at that. And be thankful they didn't name the steamship the SS Melgund. So now you know why the pretty little sailing dinghy created by Heine Dole and Ed Hoppen in Gig Harbor is called a Minto. The Minto sailing dinghy is the namesake for the Minto skiff, which was the namesake for the Minto sailboat, which was the namesake for the SS Minto, which was the namesake for Lord Minto, who was himself a namesake for Minto village. So does that make the dinghy a Minto fourth removed? I think we will just continue calling it a Minto. If you want more information about the Rich Passage Minto sailing dinghy you can go to the Rich Passage Boats, LLC website at www.richpassage.com, e-mail Mike at [email protected], or call him at 360-769-3972.

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Johnson Controls to explore strategic options for separation of automotive business MILWAUKEE, June 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE: JCI) announced today that it is exploring strategic options for the separation of its automotive business. "Today's announcement continues our strategy of proactive portfolio management to drive focus on strategic product-oriented businesses where we can be a global market leader, drive more profitable growth and deliver maximum long-term value for our customers and shareholders," said Alex Molinaroli, chairman and chief executive officer, Johnson Controls. "I am very pleased that we are consistently delivering on our operating commitments while also building a strong foundation for growth by leveraging our Johnson Controls Operating System (JCOS) across the company." The JCOS reflects "the Johnson Controls way" and provides an operational vehicle to create value through systemic application of strategic capabilities across the company. As discussed at the company's analyst meeting in December 2014, the JCOS is already delivering results and is expected to yield $2 billion in incremental segment income by 2020 through operational effectiveness and increased speed to market. Johnson Controls said it had no specific timetable for the completion of the strategic review, which includes a full range of strategic options for the automotive business. The company is also continuing to actively evaluate growth platforms that are aligned with the unique operational capabilities and specific attributes of its multi-industrial portfolio. Johnson Controls has engaged Goldman Sachs and Centerview Partners to serve as financial advisors, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz to serve as legal advisor in connection with this strategic review. Johnson Controls will host an analyst call today at 10 a.m. CDT. It is available via webcast in the investor section of http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/investors. About Johnson Controls: Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in more than 150 countries. Our 170,000 employees create quality products, services and solutions to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles. Our commitment to sustainability dates back to our roots in 1885, with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. Through our growth strategies and by increasing market share we are committed to delivering value to shareholders and making our customers successful. In 2015, Corporate Responsibility Magazine recognized Johnson Controls as the #14 company in its annual "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list. For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow @johnsoncontrols on Twitter. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Johnson Controls, Inc. has made statements in this document that are forward-looking and, therefore, are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements in this document other than statements of historical fact are statements that are, or could be, deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "forecast," "project" or "plan" or terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Johnson Controls cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the company's control. These factors include uncertainties as to the timing of any separation transaction and whether it will be completed, the possibility that various closing conditions for a separation transaction may not be satisfied or waived, the impact of the strategic review and any separation transaction on the businesses of Johnson Controls and the Automotive Experience business on a standalone basis if the separation is completed, whether the operational, marketing and strategic benefits of separation can be achieved and whether the costs and expenses of the separation can be controlled within expectations. Other factors include strength of the U.S. or other economies, automotive vehicle production levels, mix and schedules, cancellation of or changes to commercial contracts, as well as other factors discussed in Item 1A of Part I of Johnson Controls' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2014. Shareholders, potential investors and others should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and should not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this document are only made as of the date of this document, and Johnson Controls assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this document. CONTACT: Fraser Engerman (Media) [email protected] Glen Ponczak (Investors) [email protected] SOURCE Johnson Controls, Inc.

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2009 Aston Martin DBS Coupe 2dr Cpe 2009 Aston Martin DBS for Sale Go to Aston Martin Aston Martin dealer locator Aston Martin Benefits of Driving a 2009 Aston Martin DBS Coupe At about twice the price of the V8 Vantage, Aston Martin's 2009 DBS is a much more exclusive model that competes with some of the world's top grand-touring sports cars, such as the Porsche 911 Turbo and Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. The DBS has the fastest acceleration of any production Aston Martin yet. What's new for 2009? The 2009 DBS is Aston Martin's new flagship sports car in the English sports car maker's lineup. It carries over from 2008 virtually unchanged. Base prices have increased by about $7000 over last year. Model Strengths World-class performance advanced engineering and light weight striking interior Model Review The 2009 DBS promises the best performance yet in a production Aston Martin model, with a zero-to-60-mph time of only 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph. All that go is courtesy of Aston's familiar V12 engine from the DB9 and V12 Vanquish models--here 5.9 liters and making 510 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Power is delivered, with the help of a six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip rear differential, to the rear wheels. Side Air Bag 10 Years/Unlimited Miles

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SEAT unveils new Leon – greater design, technology and functionality SEAT is continuing its relentless product offensive with the unveiling of the New Leon, ahead of its launch in early 2017. The latest incarnation of the Barcelona-based brand’s best-selling model already has a multi-award-winning recipe , blending key ingredients of comfort, technology and quality, with emotional design and driving pleasure. The successful “Leon formula” Is now having a drop of extra technology and design added to the mix. “With the New SEAT Leon, we want to continue the success story of one of SEAT’s most emblematic models, including further technologies in terms of driving assistance systems, safety systems and, of course, connectivity” added the Vice-President for R&D, Dr. Matthias Rabe. A sharper, even more harmonious design Without a doubt, one of the main reasons for the current Leon’s success has been its striking and high quality design, so, for 2017, some subtle changes have been added. SEAT Design Director, Alejandro Mesonero Romanos, affirmed, “The Leon is a very attractive model and it isn’t necessary to change its image, only reinforce it, refresh it. The objective is to harmonise all parts of it, in particular the front and the rear, with the sides of the car.” For that reason, the front and rear have sharper, more assertive lines than the current model, with incisive lateral lines that are less distinct at the front and rear. The intention has been to emphasise this sharp image, achieving it with a more coherent look. It is noticeable especially in the new bumper design. Another goal was to increase the perceived size of the car, stretching the grille an extra 40mm in a richer chrome, like that more traditionally found on more expensive, larger cars. The character has also been reinforced as much inside as outside in terms of quality. It is worth noting too, that the new Leon is also even quieter than before. Inside the car, the ambient lighting LEDs’ intensity can be regulated as the driver wishes from the newly designed eight-inch screen, which eliminates the need for many of the buttons and dials on the current model. The new, improved exterior lights are particularly noteworthy thanks to new rear lights and headlights complete with Full-LED technology. LED technology has also been used in the indicators and fog lights. The latest in driver assistance and connectivity technology Following the launch of the Ateca with such a vast range of driver assistance systems, it’s now the Leon’s turn to take onboard the latest technological developments. For example, Traffic Jam Assist, a function that offers great comfort in traffic with frequent and intermittent stops. Thanks to the combination of Lane Assist and ACC, in traffic jams the car manoeuvres, accelerates and brakes automatically within the limits of the system. Up to 37 mph, the system provides assistance with speed while keeping the car in the correct lane. Another added feature is the Pedestrian Protection System which recognises vehicles, as well as pedestrians, ensuring that safety is paramount both in the city and on the motorway. Further new systems include Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Detection, and the most advanced parking assist technology with both bay and parallel parking, Emergency Assist and High Beam Assist. The camera and navigation systems have been improved too, to now recognise a higher number of traffic signs. The New SEAT Leon also includes a new centre console with an Electric Parking Brake. The New SEAT Leon offers the very highest level of connectivity. Its myriad systems include the latest generation of Easy Connect infotainment systems, SEAT Full Link and the exclusive SEAT ConnectApp that comes with voice recognition and gesture control technology, allowing functions to be activated with just a finger swipe on the touchscreen. The Media System Plus, with its eight-inch screen, is the highlight of the former. The New SEAT Leon has, for the very first time, a Connectivity Box in the central console that enables wireless smartphone charging. Not forgetting SEAT Full Link, which opens up the world of connectivity for users of virtually all smartphones. Alongside MirrorLink, Full Link also incorporates the functions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. For areas with low satellite reception, the system also comes equipped with a GSM signal booster. New engines and the new XCELLENCE trim The new SEAT Leon will be offered with five trim levels at UK launch: S, SE Dynamic, SE Technology, FR and the new XCELLENCE. The new highlight is the latter with its distinctive upmarket feel, including luxurious upholstery (Alcantara and leather as an optional), extensive trim elements and multi-colour ambient interior lighting. On the outside, it gleams with a chrome design front grille, new front and rear bumpers, and also comes with rear LED indicators. On the inside, it benefits from an aluminium XCELLENCE kickplate, LED interior illumination pack and KESSY (Keyless Enter and Go). The New SEAT Leon’s range of Euro 6 compliant engines satisfies a wide range of needs. The TDI engine range begins with a 1.6 90 PS and goes up to the 2.0 184 PS, plus, it includes a new 1.6 115 PS powertrain. In terms of petrol power, the New Leon’s options range from 110 to 180 PS, with a new 1.0 litre TSI three-cylinder 115 PS for the UK being the latest addition. When it comes to gearboxes, the range includes five- or six-speed manual units, all well as double-clutch DSG with six- or seven-speeds. The New SEAT Leon will be available in the three existing body types; five-door, SC (Sports Coupé) and ST (Sports Tourer). In summary, the New Leon boasts an updated design, an even broader range of efficient engines, plus, a raft of advanced technology, to keep it at the top of the class. A new Leon CUPRA will be available in the near future, complete with its own surprises. But that’s a story for another day. www.seat.com

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Billionaire Motoring Tycoon Sir Arnold Clark Dies 10th April 2017, 14:22 Comments Motoring tycoon Sir Arnold Clark has died at the age of 89. The billionaire, who founded his Arnold Clark car dealership in Glasgow in 1954, died on Monday surrounded by his family.He was knighted in 2004 for services to the motor industry and last year became Britain's first billionaire car dealer, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.A family statement said: "Sir Arnold Clark passed away peacefully this morning, April 10 2017, surrounded by his family."He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and a great friend and employer to many."He was an inspiration and the family will continue to carry on his vision."He will be greatly missed."We wish to thank all those who have sent messages of condolence and appreciate your kind support.''Sir Arnold founded his company after leaving the RAF in 1954.He is said to have used his demob money to buy a Morris Ten Four for £70, before restoring it and selling it on for a profit.He soon opened the first Arnold Clark showroom in Glasgow's Park Road, going on to establish hire car schemes, repair centres, franchises and a car finance and insurance business over the next decades.Sir Arnold opened his first site in England with a retail centre in Liverpool in 1994.Adding to his knighthood, awarded by the Queen, and numerous business honours, Sir Arnold also collected an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow in 2005.A statement from the Arnold Clark Group described the founder as a "truly inspirational business leader and influential public figure''.It added: "His unsurpassed work ethic and strong family values led him to build a market-leading automotive retailer that continues to go from strength to strength."Sir Arnold's entrepreneurial ideals continue to be at the heart of the business. His personal philosophies will continue to inspire everybody who works in the business, and will be the cornerstone of its future growth and continuing success."Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.''Paul Cooney, chief executive of charity Kiltwalk, which has been sponsored by Arnold Clark, said: ''Scotland has lost one of its greatest business figures and someone who embodied the ethos that business success should be used as a force for good in society.''Sir Arnold Clark and the organisation he built have been enormously supportive of Kiltwalk and the growth of the charity has been due in no small measure to the kindness and enthusiasm which they have shown towards us.''Our thoughts are with his family and his many, many friends at this difficult time.'' Dr Bridget McConnell, chief executive of Glasgow Life, the cultural arm of the city council, praised Sir Arnold's contribution to Glasgow.She said: ''Sir Arnold was a true friend of Glasgow and an enthusiastic contributor to our cultural life.''For decades he and the company which bore his name supported what was the old Museum of Transport and latterly the Riverside Museum, where he served as a trustee on the fundraising appeal which raised almost #5 million for the iconic, Zaha Hadid-designed gallery on the banks of the Clyde.''Sir Arnold also had huge affection for Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and was a trustee on the refurbishment appeal which raised #12.9 million, as well as the hugely successful organ programme.''His contribution cannot be understated and he will be very sorely missed by his family and all of his friends and colleagues across Glasgow and Scotland.''

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Efficiency Expert The concept behind GM's new displacement on demand technology is simple: more power, less gas! Johnny Hunkins In describing GM's new fourth-generation small-block, we run the risk of sounding like that popular light beer commercial, "tastes great, less filling!" As silly as it sounds, the technology packed into GM's new Gen IV powerplant does allow one to have his proverbial cake and eat it too. Fuel efficiency and power are two goals high in any engineer's criteria; they also happen to be important to GM's customers. The down side is that they are usually at cross-purposes where one goal (fuel efficiency for instance) must be sacrificed for the other (power). Unfortunately, it's a compromise we're all too painfully aware of in our quest for performance.We recently got a chance to sit down with Chris Meagher, assistant chief engineer of small-block truck engines at GM. And while we were initially intent on milking every last bit of information concerning the Corvette's new 400-hp LS2, we quickly realized that the real technology party is happening in the more utilitarian 5.3L version know as the LH6. As it so happens, the LS2 is a subtle evolution of the LS1, so we'll let the other magazines focus on it and we'll concentrate on the much-anticipated displacement-on-demand technology, which has managed to pass the LS2 by. In our brief one-hour interview, we learned a lot about what the future of hot rodding will look like. In some respects, it looks very similar to what we've seen with the Gen III LS1 and LS6 engines, but in other ways, it's an evolutionary leap forward. Chris Meagher explained the impetus behind the redesign: "The design goal is pretty simple, we wanted to take the 5.3L V8 and make it more efficient. We wanted the customer to have the same characteristics of throttle response, power, general performance and towing capability that we had with the original LM7--and provide the customer with a more fuel-efficient package." What GM Powertrain came up with--the 5.3L LH6--is almost identical to the outgoing LM7 on the surface, but technologically advanced on the inside. That technology enables cylinder deactivation (called displacement-on-demand or "DOD" by GM insiders) during periods of low load demand and is the source of the increased efficiency mentioned earlier. "We know that there are a couple of areas that we can attack to make an internal combustion engine more efficient," says Meagher. "These areas are mechanical efficiency, pumping losses, and unused heat energy. We knew that we could attack the area of pumping losses relatively easily with our displacement-on-demand system. That's the area this system addresses."While typical hot rodding tricks revolve around making the engine bigger or getting more air and fuel inside an engine, the engineer working for the factory can't always afford the luxury of this approach. The working principle from the engineer's point of view is that the power available is what's left over after you take away everything else that robs power, such as friction and pumping losses. Meagher explains: "Pumping losses represent the work needed to bring a fresh charge into the combustion chamber and to expel the products of combustion. We have some tools that can simulate the vehicle performance characteristics relative to fuel economy. When we looked at mid-sized utility vehicles, we saw that we could achieve about an 8 percent increase in vehicle fuel economy."To an engineer, eight percent is a huge improvement. At the gas pump or on the dyno, it's also a huge improvement. "Displacement-on-demand is a win-win for drivers who rely on the power of the small-block V-8 and are conscious about fuel economy. The implications of this technology are tremendous," says Meagher. For now at least, those implications will be exclusive to three vehicles, the 2005 Chevy TrailBlazer EXT, the GMC Envoy XL and Envoy XUV. But before moving on to the nuts and bolts of DOD, we'd like to point out that it has far-reaching possibilities for performance enthusiasts. Had GM elected to apply DOD technology to performance vehicles such as the Corvette, GTO or a future Camaro, there would be far less pressure from corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) to import sub-compacts from outside GM as is the case now.The bottom line is, DOD on more cars could mean more--and better--choices for enthusiasts. As an example, an early prototype C6 Corvette with an LS2 running DOD provided equal power and acceleration to an LS2 without DOD, but produced 35 mpg instead of 30 mpg. When applied over a large volume of vehicles, GM could have the choice to pocket the improvement in economy and reduce the need to import small outside-sourced cars, or it could build a larger V-8 with more power (say a 6.5L V-8 with 430hp) and keep the same 30 mpg. In the end, for reasons not entirely understood by us but conceivably related to exhaust packaging, DOD technology did not make it into the C6 Corvette, GTO, CTSv or any other performance application as we had hoped. One thing Meagher did share with PHR is that the goal of DOD (on the limited range of SUVs currently planned) is to allow additional vehicle mass (in the form of increased content) without a commensurate decrease in fuel economy or performance.All corporate politics aside, the engineers at GM Powertrain have designed yet another mechanical marvel, and it's all due to some remarkably modest changes to the very robust Gen III architecture on which the Gen IV is based. The new DOD-specific hardware includes two-stage switching lifters, a lifter oil manifold assembly (located in the valley of the engine), a redesigned lube circuit and oil pump, electronic throttle-by-wire operation, a pressure-activated muffler valve, and an improved E40 engine controller running DOD-specific software."In order to eliminate the pumping losses," says Meagher, "you need to disable both the intake and exhaust valve." This results in a completely sealed, deactivated cylinder, which is essentially an air spring being acted upon by a piston. Virtually all the work put into it during compression is returned to the crank during decompression, finally giving credence to the old joke about piston-return springs. (That's nothing. Wait 'til you hear about the muffler valve...)"Currently, we could disable just the fuel delivery," says Meagher, "but the valves would still be opening and closing and each cylinder would still be doing work pumping air in and out. So there would be no net gain in efficiency--you wouldn't have eliminated the pumping losses at all."In support of cylinder deactivation is some very interesting choreography from things ranging from throttle valve modulation to active exhaust tuning, but it all starts with the additional job tasked to the lifters. "We disable the valves through a device called a switching lifter," explains Meagher. "This differs from a normal lifter in that there is an inner body and an outer body connected by a spring-loaded pin. For V-8 operation, the pin is fully expanded by the spring so the two pieces act as one and the lifter acts like a regular lifter. When we want to disable the valve operation, we deliver high-pressure oil to a groove in the lifter that leads to the outside end of the pin, forcing the pin to collapse the spring. Now the two parts of the lifter are free to move relative to one another and as the cam lobe pushes on the follower the inner portion of the lifter pushes against another spring at the top of the lifter and does not transfer force to the pushrod."A look at the lifter cross-section reveals an elegant, yet simple design that has the potential to change the way we think about traditional pushrod engines. (Ironically, when DOD is working, it hinges on lifters that do not lift! Something we never thought we'd ever want.) In order for the switching lifter to work effectively, the engine needed a redesigned oiling system. Both iron and aluminum versions of the engine block have redesigned oil galleries to support DOD oiling requirements. Those oil galleries are supplied by a lifter oil manifold assembly (LOMA) located in the lifter valley of the engine. Under cylinder deactivation, the LOMA routes oil to the applicable lifters by means of four lifter oil solenoids, which are controlled by a new E40 engine management controller. To supply the additional needs of the cylinder deactivation circuit, a higher capacity oil pump is fitted to the LH6 engine.For the most part, the Gen IV engine family is very similar to the Gen III (LS1, LS6, LM7, LQ4, LQ9, etc.). Although the two are externally similar, there are several significant differences, which impede the interchangeability of some parts between Gen III and Gen IV engines. For one thing, the real estate required by the LOMA and its attendant electronics forced the relocation of the knock sensors and the camshaft position sensor. Since DOD relies on the use of electronic throttle control, the throttle body is not interchangeable with earlier cable-actuated throttle bodies. In concert with these DOD-specific changes, an improved coil-on-plug ignition system (which requires less energy), a returnless fuel system, and uprated LS6 cylinder heads (minus the hollow sodium-filled valves) have been employed. Fortunately, the cylinder heads do retain interchangeability between Gen III and Gen IV, which could prove to be a boon to older LS1s.Readers who remember the 1980s will recall this isn't GM's first rodeo with cylinder deactivation. That first happened at Cadillac with the 8-6-4 engine, which was roundly criticized for its service record and its poor vibration (NVH) characteristics. The old adage of once bitten, twice shy applies here not only to potential LH6 customers, but also to the folks at GM working to make Gen IV the best engine architecture yet. GM's Meagher quickly points out the lessons learned: "I worked on the V-8-6-4 earlier in my career and [the LH6 is] the same idea. The key difference is the control system configuration. The key part of it that makes the transition imperceptible is electronic throttle control. Once the computer determines operating conditions are met to enable DOD, it uses engine vacuum as an indicator of customer power demand. When the computer decides to disable four cylinders, it calculates where the throttle needs to go such that the torque will be equal when you end up with four cylinders."With the different modes of cylinder deactivation in the Cadillac 8-6-4, there was a dramatic change in NVH, and a corresponding difference in throttle response and exhaust tone. All of these were deemed unacceptable in a luxury car, and at the end of the day, the improved vehicle economy wasn't capable of offsetting the loss of comfort and power. In one sense, the failure of the Cadillac was a windfall to DOD engineers because the design obstacles had been clearly defined years ago.In the LH6, the transition from eight-cylinder operation to four-cylinder operation is aided by electronic throttle control (ETC). At no time does the driver perceive a decrease in engine power when in V-4 mode because ETC applies a seamless increase in manifold pressure. (Translation: when the engine switches to four cylinders, your foot is still pressed the same amount on the gas pedal because the computer has opened the throttle more without you knowing it.) An increase in power demand is just as smooth; there is no dramatic surge in power during transition to V-8 operation beyond what is expected, that's because the ETC closes the throttle in conjunction with cylinder activation.Meagher told PHR: "One area of dissatisfaction [with the Cadillac] was the transition feel when going from four to six to eight, or from eight to six to four cylinders. The reason that electronic throttle control helps that is that we are able to move the throttle with the computer, not the pedal. The computer moves the throttle blade without the customer knowing it. So the engine torque is the same on both sides of the transition event. You don't want the customer to know this transition has occurred."As a side note, the LH6 does not employ a six-cylinder mode due to the unique vibration associated with it. One of the greatest complaints with the Cadillac was the excessive NVH in V-6 mode, a problem that has been completely avoided by transitioning directly between V-4 and V-8 modes. Nevertheless, GM Powertrain has designed tuned engine mounts for multiphase engine operation. The idea is that if a customer doesn't look at the window sticker, he will never know he has DOD in his vehicle.In our interview with Chris, we remembered that there was one other mid-sized utility in the GM stable, which uses a 5.3L V-8, the Buick Ranier. That vehicle is not slated for DOD, although it will have the new LH6 engine (minus DOD). Chris's explanation for the exclusion of DOD in the Buick Ranier is too long to print here, but is worth a condensed look in light of the next point we need to make. GM deemed that in order for the customer to truly buy into the concept of DOD, it must be absolutely undetectable. Even with ETC and tuned engine mounts, there was a distinct difference in exhaust tone between V-4 and V-8 operation. To mitigate this difference, a pressure-activated valve in the muffler adjusts the exhaust path to deliver an appropriate amount of noise reduction. It was found that such an exhaust system had packaging limitations that precluded its use in the Buick Ranier, which has a shorter wheelbase than the vehicles currently slated to receive DOD.Fortunately, The Ranier and any other non-DOD applications currently getting a 5.3L LM7 will still benefit from the non-DOD version of the LH6, which will replace the LM7. The LH6's freer-flowing LS6 cylinder heads, oiling system upgrades and ignition system upgrades beat the outgoing LM7 to deliver 290hp and 325 lb.-ft. of torque (in both DOD and non-DOD form). It's also worth noting that the upgrade to LS6 heads required a new piston to meet program requirements for compression and power. Strangely enough, that leaves only the GTO in the GM V-8 line-up as having the older, lesser-flowing heads of the LS1 (since LQ4, LQ9, LS6, LH6 and LS2 all have some variant of the improved LS6 head). GM, can we have the LS6 head for the GTO in the 2005 model?Operationally, the LH6 always deactivates the same four cylinders in the firing order (1, 4, 6 and 7). According to Meaghan, lifter design and pushrod length are the same for all eight cylinders, but camshaft lobe profiles are different for the cylinders, which are deactivated. (This seems, in part, to contradict the GM media website, which states, "...in displacement-on-demand equipped engines, half of the cylinders have unique two-piece valve lifters..." -this being an important stipulation for those wanting to swap camshafts.)For hot rodders wanting to modify their DOD-equipped LH6s, it's important to know that the switching lifter has a lift limitation of 15mm (at the valve). The factory cam uses 12.2mm of that (about .480 inch), giving the LH6 a theoretical valve lift limit of .590 inch. It's worth noting that this limit is for the lifter; a different valve spring would almost surely have to be used at this valve lift. Interestingly, it seems possible to grind a custom camshaft, which would only provide increased lift and duration to the non-DOD cylinders (2, 3, 5 and 8), thus allowing higher lift with standard non-switching lifters in those cylinders.Before our interview ended, we asked one final question of Meagher: With four cylinders working the entire life of the engine and four cylinders working for approximately half that time, is there any extra maintenance or any deviation of maintenance from a normal V-8? To that Meagher says: "The service life of the engine will be the same as normal current engines. There are a couple of reasons for not making the service requirement any different for these four cylinders. One would be to avoid any confusion; the second, quite frankly, is that it's not necessary."PHR would like to thank Tom Read of GM product communications for arranging the interview with Chris Meagher.DOD JUNIOR 2/12 The LH6 isn't the only engine that will receive the benefits of displacement-on-demand. We've already mentioned that Daimler-Chrysler's Hemi will be getting some form of DOD in the near future--but we don't have exact details of that yet. What we do know is that GM is coming out with a 3.9L V-6 (RPO code LZ8) which is scheduled to first appear in the 2005 Pontiac G6.The "high value" 60-degree OHV V-6 will become the staple engine in vehicles which typically had the old 3100-, 3400- and more recent 3500-series engines (on which the LZ8 is based). Rated at 240hp at 5900 rpm and 245 lb.-ft. of torque at 2800 rpm, the 9.8:1 compression LZ8 will make 90 percent of its peak torque between 1800 and 5800 rpm. That compares very favorably with the venerable supercharged 3800 (RPO L67) which, in most iterations, makes 240hp at 5,200 rpm. What's more, the LZ8 does it with only 100cc more displacement, two valves per cylinder, pushrods and no supercharger.Like the LH6, the LZ8 will have electronic throttle control and cylinder deactivation (running on three cylinders to the LH6's four), but will also throw into the mix variable valve timing and a variable intake manifold for dynamic runner tuning. Variable valve timing will be accomplished electronically by a gear-driven camshaft phaser capable of altering timing by as much as 40 degrees. As a happy coincidence, this feature will also allow the elimination of EGR control.For the time being, the LZ8 will only be available in non-DOD form, but we've been assured that it will eventually appear. What's more, the LZ8 is designed to work in a rear-wheel drive configuration, which would pave the way for its use in a future base-model Camaro. If that occurs, the LZ8 would trump the '05 Mustang's base V-6 by nearly 40 horsepower while returning the same fuel economy. 31 This diagram shows the difference between cylinder activation and deactivation in GM's new displacement-on-demand V-8. In the deactivated position, oil acts on a centrally-located release pin which collapses a spring, allowing the outer and inner lifter body to move independently. Although the lifter still accurately follows the cam lobe, the valve never opens. The LH6's switching lifter looks, for the most part, like any other hydraulic roller lifter. The lifter oil manifold assembly (LOMA) provides high-pressure oil to the cylinder deactivation circuit, which runs through the cylinder case and to a groove on the lifter body. The LOMA sits in the lifter valley under the intake manifold. The bottom of the LOMA reveals the four lifter oil solenoids which are controlled by the computer. When energized, they allow high-pressure oil to pass into the lifter's deactivation circuit. To accommodate the additional needs of the LH6 oiling system, it is equipped with this higher-capacity oil pump. We can see lots of LS1/LS6 owners ordering these from dealerships for their next build-up! The lube circuit for cylinder deactivation is shown in brown. When activated, oil flows from the LOMA into the block galleries and to the lifter body. The resulting cylinder deactivation provides an eight percent improvement in fuel efficiency. In order to meet the compression target with the LS6 cylinder head, a new piston was required compared to the outgoing LM7. Note the oil-shedding anti-scuff coating on the skirt. This was an improvement made late in the Gen III's development. The brains of the operation is the LH6's new E40 controller. Unlike previous PCMs which controlled both engine and trans, the E40 is dedicated to the LH6 and its hincreased appetite for computational power. In addition to standard engine housekeeping, the E40 must also control cylinder deactivation/activation, electronic throttle control and noise abatement circuitry. This cut-away diagram shows many of the LH6's attributes, such as the position of the lifter oil manifold assembly (LOMA), a redesigned water pump, a stronger long-life timing chain, higher-capacity oil pump, electronic throttle control and returnless fuel system.

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Drayson Racing Sets 204.2 MPH World Land Speed Record for Electric Cars Innovation under automotive, Electric Cars, Green Transportation, Innovation, News by Mark Boyer 0 Comments Add to Flipboard Magazine. by Mark Boyer View Slideshow Drayson Racing just set a new land speed record for electric cars, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s top EV manufacturers. With chief executive and former science minister Lord Drayson behind the wheel, the Lola B12 69/EV hit a top speed of 204.2 mph at a racetrack in Yorkshire. In setting the new record, Drayson shattered the previous record of 175 mph that was set by Battery Box General Electric nearly 40 years ago. This isn’t the first record set by Drayson Racing; last year, the company set a different speed record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. To qualify for the world electric land speed record, the Drayson vehicle had to weigh in at less than 1,000 kg without the driver. For the car, Drayson removed part of the biofuel engine from a Le Mans Series car and replaced it with a lightweight 850-horsepower, 20-kilowatt-hour battery. Speed isn’t the only thing that sets the Drayson Racing prototype electric vehicle apart from its peers; it’s also the first electric vehicle to set a record using wireless charging technology created by QualcommHalo. “I’m delighted we’ve beaten the record tonight and can show the world EVs can be fast and reliable,” said Drayson. “It is not the outright speed that is most impressive about this record, but the engineering challenge of accelerating a 1,000kg electric vehicle on a short runway over a measured mile. What it, I hope, shows to people is just what the future potential of electric cars is.” And in another sign of Google’s interest in electric vehicles, Google executive Eric Schmidt visited the track for about two hours on Tuesday, but he reportedly left before the record-setting drive. + Drayson Racing via BBC News Drayson Racing Sets 204.2 MPH World Land Speed Record for Elec...

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Alfa Romeo 4C will start selling in North America by the end of 2013 Article by Christian A., on April 23, 2012 The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued the Alfa Romeo 4C trademark, which covers the vehicle and parts as well as accessories like clothing and toys, on April 10. This was confirmed via a release posted on the Web site of the U.S. Federal News Service. This move is related to the preparations being made by Fiat's Alfa Romeo division for its U.S. comeback. The 4C compact sports car is Alfa Romeo’s first model to be sold in the U.S. in nearly 20 years. Last April 4, Fiat CEO Marchionne said that that the rear-wheel-drive coupe will start selling in North America by the end of 2013. The 4C will start production in May 2013 at a facility operated by Fiat's Maserati division in Modena, Italy. Deliveries will start in Europe during the second half of 2013. Fiat, which intends to produce 2,500 4Cs a year, displayed a concept version of the car at the Geneva auto show in 2011. Fiat’s September presentation revealed its target to more than double Alfa sales to around 400,000 vehicles in 2014 from 150,000 in 2011 with six new models, such as sedans and sport-utility vehicles. An insider said that the 4C is included in a revamp of Alfa Romeo that includes the new Giulia sedan, which will be based on the Dodge Dart platform of Fiat-controlled Chrysler Group for a range created and built in the U.S. beginning in 2014. For the European market, the 4C will have a price of about 50,000 euros ($66,000). So far, Fiat hasn’t announced the prices in the U.S. The growth strategy of Fiat is focused on the deepening partnership of Alfa and Chrysler. This source added that the production version of the two-seat 4C may be seen at the 2013 Geneva car show. The car, with its two bucket seats, has compact proportions making it stand out among its peers. At under 4 metres long, 200 cm wide, and 118 cm high, with a wheelbase of less than 2.4 metres, its supercar proportions are emphasised and its agility accentuated. Alfa Romeo Centro Stile designed and developed the 4C's exterior from the beginning with a desire to augment the car’s energy and aerodynamic style and technical character. That’s why all the style elements were optimised for performance, the car’s definitive goal. To reach this goal, surfaces were considered as art, with engineers and designers working together to carve out aerodynamic innovations. The resulting vehicle communicates pure sportiness by combining beauty and technology, essential traits of every Alfa Romeo, which equates form with function. To do so, every structure needed the ultimate efficiency dynamism to create the needed downforce for faster cornering with maximal grip. The sinewy and all-encompassing rear closes around the car’s heartbeat; you can see the engine and mechanisms through the rear window. The clear strength developed above the wheels gives additional power to the rear. Round rear light clusters support the muscular back end, along with side air intakes needed to cool the intercooler and the air inlet for the engine. From the dynamic rear and two side air intakes, there grows two long sinews lending it an active dynamism, generating the needed mass at the front for the headlights and, in the centre, the two vigorous beams run along the bonnet, creating the unmistakable "V" that concludes naturally around the shield. Together with the two side intakes, it makes the famous 'Trefoil', characteristic of all Alfa Romeos. Topics: alfa romeo, alfa romeo 4c, united states, sales If you liked the article, share on: Nissan reveals US market pricing for 2017 Rogue Sport Nissan revealed that the new 2017 Rogue Sport crossover will be priced in the U.S. market at $21,420. Specifically, this is for the front-wheel drive version of the Rogue Sport... by Christian A. - April 26, 2017 How much would you pay for a rare and almost brand new 1990 BMW M3 Sport Evolution? Remember the E30 BMW M3? Yes, the one from 1990. If you remember it right, it was also the company’s most iconic car and probably one of the best BMW... by Christian A. - April 26, 2017 Ferrari 488 GTO will soon be revealed to us Ferrari is cooking up something interesting for us. The last time they released the 488 GTB was two years ago, followed by a 488 Spider and several versions of it.... by Christian A. - April 26, 2017 2018 BMW M550d xDrive (G30/G31) debuts with four turbochargers After launching the latest version of the BMW M550i xDrive, the German carmaker is now introducing its diesel counterpart -- the new M550d xDrive (G30/G31). Available either as a sedan... by Christian A. - April 26, 2017 Is the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon too dangerous for the road? A lot of news has been going around about the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon lately, and people are arguing whether the 840 horsepower vehicle by Fiat Chrysler should be... by Christian A. - April 26, 2017 Facebook 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman released with new engine, better looks Hyundai pledges for Automatic Emergency Braking to be standard equipment on all vehicles by 2022 Porsche Design introduces P´2150 Roadster 2.2 Lean BriefBag A street-legal version of the Aston Martin Vulcan will be available courtesy of RML Group Unidentified Ferrari caught testing has caused a furor

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Home / Models / 6-series / BMW 6 Series to become Porsche 911-fighter? BMW 6 Series to become Porsche 911-fighter? 6-series, Rumors | May 13th, 2016 by Nico DeMattia 10 The current generation BMW 6 Series is a great car in its own right. It’s a bit different than people had expected it to be, … The current generation BMW 6 Series is a great car in its own right. It’s a bit different than people had expected it to be, as most fans wanted something sharper and more dynamic, but it’s still a great car for its intended purpose. Right now, the BMW 6 Series is a grand tourer, a car meant to cross continents in supreme comfort, style and, most importantly, speed. However, according to Automobile, this may be changing with the next iteration. Apparently, some people from Automobile have heard some rumors from BMW’s R&D department and they are saying that BMW is getting rid of the Convertible and Gran Coupe variants of the 6 Series for the next generation. The idea is that a BMW 9 Series might fill both of those gaps by being an ultra luxurious four-seater coupe/convertible. This would leave the 6 Series open to getting lighter, leaner and sharper, capable of finally tackling the Porsche 911. The next-gen BMW 6 Series will be built on the same CLAR platform as the current-generation 7 Series and is said to weigh 500 lbs lighter than the current model. Plus, it will likely use some of the 7 Series’ Carbon Core technology, which will make stiffer as well as lighter, meaning a sharper driving experience. There’s no word on powertrain options, but it wouldn’t be surprising if BMW downsizes the engines a bit a goes with the new B58 I6 engine as its standard mill and maybe even borrow the M2’s engine for a M640i or something similar. If the idea is to take on the Porsche 911 which, the rumors are claiming, is exactly what BMW wants to do, would mean dropping the big, heavy 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8. The big V8 might still make it in a 650i, but it’s likely to be gone, as BMW seems to be looking to make the next 6er a sharper, more driver-focused car and is trying to get away from it being a grand tourer. This is exciting news for many BMW enthusiasts, as they’ve been wanting a proper BMW 6 Series sports car for some time. While the M6 is crazy fast and immensely powerful, it still isn’t the precision instrument that fans have been wanting. With the 7 Series’ new architecture, some genuine lightweight materials, a huge weight loss and revamped engines, the next BMW 6 Series could be the Porsche 911-fighter we’ve always wanted. [Source: Automobile] 6-seriesRumors Previous post Tuned BMW M2 Has 520 PS and Huge Front Lip – Video Next post BMW Not Worried about Possible Brexit, Yet Could BMW still create a Porsche 911-fighting 6 Series? We’ve known for some time now that BMW would switching its 6 Series model line from the sleek, svelte coupe that it currently is to a … BMW introduces the M Sport Limited Edition of the 6 Series BMW introduces a new limited edition of cars based on the BMW 6 Series models. The M Sport Limited Edition is available in restricted numbers from … Photo Comparison: BMW 6 Series vs Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet This current generation BMW 6 Series needs to be cherished, as it’s the last generation of 6 Series Coupe/Convertibles. After this 6 Series is put … BMW 6 Series Convertible in Sonic Speed Blue at 2017 Detroit Auto Show Now that the current-gen BMW 6 Series is reaching the end of its life-cycle, having debuted back in 2011, it’s about that time for BMW …

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“The eight-hour day is a thing of the past” UAW sanctions “alternative” work schedule at Chrysler Chrysler Warren Assembly plant workers leaving their shift In an effort to pump ever-greater productivity and profits out of auto workers, Chrysler is implementing a so-called Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) at its stamping, assembly and parts plants throughout the country. The schedule, which has been sanctioned by the United Auto Workers union, establishes regular 10-hour work days with no overtime pay. The AWS is also known as the 3-2-120 schedule because three crews work two shifts for 120 hours a week. At the Jefferson North Assembly plant in Detroit, the “A” crew works 10 hours a day on day shift from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The “B” crew works 10 hours on night shift 6 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday through Saturday. The “C” crew works 10 hours on the night shift Monday and Tuesday and 10 hours on the day shift Friday and Saturday. The schedule, which was imposed by the Obama administration in the 2009 restructuring of Chrysler and GM, allows the company to run its plant longer, adding the equivalent of an extra 49 days of production annually compared with traditional plant schedules. It also allows the company—whose third-quarter profits jumped 80 percent to $381 million—to cut tens of millions in labor costs by eliminating overtime payments for working more than a 40-hour week and on Saturday, which previously paid time and a half. Under the new schedule, the paid lunch break—won by auto workers decades ago—has also been eliminated. This is on top of other break time reductions imposed in the 2009 auto industry restructuring. With the elimination of the eight-hour day and the slashing of new hires’ wages in half, the auto companies are turning the clock backwards to the sweatshop conditions that prevailed before the sit-down strikes that established the UAW in the 1930s. This time, however, the conditions of brutal exploitation are being enforced by the UAW, which owns 41.5 percent of Chrysler’s corporate stock. On this basis, the automaker is adding thousands of new, lower-paid workers to plants in Michigan and other states. The new schedules have provoked widespread anger among workers. Angry workers have confronted union officials at meetings, blogs have been set up, petitions gathered and there is talk of wildcat strikes. In one forum of Chrysler workers in Kokomo, Indiana, a worker denounced the top UAW International officials, saying, “I hope there is a special place in Hell reserved for Nate Gooden, Brian Harlow, Holiefield, and Bressler.” Antoine, a second-tier worker at Sterling Heights Assembly in suburban Detroit told the World Socialist Web Site that workers at his plant are already working 10 hours a day, six days a week. “They have us working all kinds of crazy schedules right now. A lot more people are complaining than liking it. The only time we go home early is when something breaks down. “They are all full of crap—the union and plant management. The union is helping Chrysler with anything they want to do. People aren’t stupid and blind. I have a feeling that people are going to walk out on a strike that the union doesn’t approve.” He spoke about the two-tier wage system, “They threw in a little raise to try and make you think there is something right. But we can see straight through that. I think the union has a conflict of interest in that it owns so much of Chrysler. There definitely needs to be another organization.” Bonnie, a worker at the Warren Truck assembly plant with 12 years, said that the 10-hour schedule is set to be implemented in her plant in March. “We are not looking forward to it. They are saying they want it corporation-wide. It is all for the company. The union didn’t do anything. “Me and my husband work for Chrysler. We have kids. With the ABC shift we don’t know how days and times will work and how to construct our schedule with the kids. Everything is unclear. It is not going to be good. We are already exhausted from all the overtime. This is another obstacle. “Why do we even have a local union? They don’t do a damn thing. You can’t even get clean bathrooms. The toilets don’t work. There is no hot water. We have to bring in soap from the dollar store. Its disgusting.” Nancy, a worker with 13 years at Warren Truck, said, “This new shift is crazy. It’s such a long time that you have to work as it is and they want it to be 10 hours. An eight-hour day is a thing of the past. I’m a woman and it can be hectic keeping up with the line speed and the lifting. Now it will be worse. “They say you’re going to get three days off—but then you’re going to have to load up everything from the week into those days. My house is already a mess. People with kids are going to have to hire baby sitters for the extra hours. “The UAW went right along with this. It’s not like it was back in the day, the union doesn’t stand up for you. Now they let the company get away with everything.” Carolyn, also at Warren Truck, said, “We’re already working nine hours a day, six days a week. But now they are going to take away overtime and that’s going to hit a lot of people hard. “The way I see it Fiat (which owns Chrysler) is squeezing as much production out of us now but I expect they are going to lay us off soon. We’re not stupid. We see that they are hiring as many second-tier workers as possible and in the next contract the company hopes they’ll vote to reduce the higher paid workers’ wages in exchange for another small increase for the tier-two workers. “The UAW International doesn’t work for us. [UAW Vice President General] Holiefield got married in Italy—I can’t even afford a cruise to the Caribbean. Maybe Fiat paid for the wedding—somebody had to. “This is a global thing. The companies are trying to bring conditions here like in Mexico, China or Indonesia. They’re telling us ‘be happy you got a damn job.’ Well, with all the unemployment in Detroit a lot of young workers feel that way. It’s like the system is keeping us as slaves or indentured servants. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the Democrats or Republicans. They’re letting people starve; there aren’t any full time jobs and young people are coming out of college with huge debt. Capitalism has gone way too far. I’ll be glad when the revolution starts.” Sign up for the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter The WSWS urges auto workers and supporters to sign up for the Autoworker Newsletter for frequent updates and to leave your comments or questions. To do so, click here. Strikes hit mines in Peru and Mexico as retired US coal miners face health care cutoff Mexican autoworkers strike, protests against IMF-dictated price hikes hit Suriname Anti-austerity protests hit Argentina, Brazil and Puerto Rico Class struggle heats up in Latin America Workers Struggles: The Americas British autoworkers strike BMW to defend pensions BMW autoworkers strike in Britain against decimation of pensions US autoworkers denounce drive to World War III, demand freedom for Maruti Suzuki workers UAW executives get pay raises as worker pay tumbles Support grows for Maruti Suzuki workers Retired GM worker speaks on three years of the Flint water crisis 22,600 retired US coal miners face loss of health benefits on May 1 Flint residents denounce arrests at town hall meeting Flint residents march on third anniversary of lead poisoning

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New Best Car Lotus has recently delighted fans by revealing plans for a dramatic expansion of its range of sports cars. The British-based firm's range currently consists of four models; the Elise and its more furious, stripped out alter ego the Exige, the Evora and a track-day special called the 2-Eleven. However, moves are afoot to revive three model names from Lotus's past in stunning all-new form; the Esprit, Elan and Elite. These will be joined by a car bearing a model name completely new to the firm, the Eterne, and finally in 2015 there will be an all-new Elise. All these 'future cars' feature on the company's website, but rumours persist that they aren't the only novel developments in the pipeline. The sixth of the firm's new models will perhaps be the most shocking of all for fans of the marque known primarily for lightweight, well-handling sports cars. Rumours are that Lotus is also developing a mould-breaking city car in a joint project with parent company Proton. First of the new range to hit the roads will be the revived Esprit, due in 2013. According to the firm, this will be the 'ultimate Lotus'; a mid-engined two-seater designed to mix it with the new supercar elite, such as the Ferrari 458 Italia and new Mclaren MP4-12C, as well as Audi's storming R8 V10. Power will come from an all-new supercharged V8 engine developed in-house by Lotus, with the possibility of an enhanced tie-up with Toyota leading to a V10 equipped range-topper. A later, entry-level model may be offered with the option of the Evora's V6 motor. Next to roll out of the design studio will be the Esprit's 'little brother', an everyday sports car to rival the Porsche 911 and Aston Martin Vantage. Lotus expects the Elan to be their most popular model. Powered by a supercharged 4.0 litre V6 developed from the unit used in the latest Evora S, extensive use of aluminium will keep the car's weight down and '2+2' seating will be an option. The following year will see the company launch the Elite; a front engined, four-seater GT car to take on the Ferrari FF and Aston Martin Virage. Featuring a Ferrari California style folding hard-top roof, use of the same 5.0 litre V8 as the Esprit indicates that it may out-power rivals as well as undercut them significantly on price. The Elise has been the core of Lotus's range since the mid 1990s, but 2015 will herald an all-new design. The new car will feature a more luxurious interior that will be easier to live with every day and be powered by a 2.0 litre Toyota engine up-rated by Lotus engineers. However, prices will remain similar to those for the current car. So far, so Lotus. But it's the firm's next steps that will see it break away from traditional thinking. In 2015, Lotus plans to launch the Eterne; a four-door luxury flagship model to match the Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte. Four door supercars are taking off in popularity as car-makers eye Far East tastes for big sporty models, and it's that trend that's inspired this completely new concept for the company. Finally, Lotus's sixth new model will be its boldest move yet; a premium city car to rival the Aston Martin Cygnet. Developed with parent company Proton and based on the Malaysian firm's EMAS concept, the new baby Lotus will take the sports car maker into completely uncharted territory. Featuring trademark sporty design cues, the new supermini will be available as a full, all-electric version or as a hybrid utilising Lotus's 1.2 litre 'range extender' petrol engine offering a potential 100 mpg fuel economy. Promising a 35 mile range on electric power alone and 200 miles if the range extender engine is employed, the car's purpose - as with Aston Martin - will be to lower the firm's emissions across its newly widened car range in order to comply with the latest European Union regulations. All Lotus's new sports cars feature a very angular, Lamborghini Reventon style corporate face and will also be equipped with the latest in motor technology such as hybrid drive, semi-automatic gearboxes and an F1-style KERS system to deliver a temporary power boost on command. Various uprated engine tuning options are also likely to be made available, marketed as 'S' models According to legend, the birth of Lamborghini has taken place after a fight between Enzo Ferrari and Ferruccio Lamborghini. The latter compl... You have a Nissan GTR and you want a more of a unique appearance with carbon fiber. I would advise you to add a Carbon Fiber Hood. Change th... Wallpaper - very commonly used term of these days, have made all the populate revolve around it. People, who are tech savvy and those who kn... Nissan Skyline Gtr Before Nissan Skylines were imported by dedicated enthusiasts into their home countries, Skylines were an unheard of car outside of Japan, a... Cat Eyes For The Hummer Car Hummer cars are off-road automobiles produced by General Motors. The Hummer H1 was a multipurpose vehicle with a design that allowed high mo... Nissan 350z Wallpaper A convertible car is also called a cabriolet in Great Britain. This is actually a car that has a folding roof that can allow you to have dir... Toyota Logo A car logo is a symbol or text that represents the identity of a particular type of car. Today, the car market is flooded with different bra... Ferrari California performances are electrifying, and the car handling and responses are accurate and unerring. The California completes the... Looking at purchasing a new or used Ford Mustang ? If you enjoy affordable looks and power, the Ford Mustang is definitely the car for you...

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Devraj by :DevrajFollow Me Ambassador - the first car to be manufactured in India, has been ruling the Indian roads ever since its inception in 1948. Originally based on Morris Oxford (United Kingdom, 1948), the Ambassador has been undergoing a series of changes, adapting to customer expectations.With upgraded manufacturing facilities in Uttarpara, West Bengal, Hindustan Motors Limited is geared for production of a more contemporary version of the Ambassador, with features catering to the needs of the present generation.Ambassador, the only automobile to ply Indian roads for more than five decades now, has carved a special niche for itself in the passenger car segment. It's dependability, spaciousness and comfort factor have made it the most preferred car for generations of Indians.

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More on the HUB set.Continuing discussions with the factory this week indicate that this project is progresing quickly. As a consequence we will be making order forms available on the web site shortly and they will be posted out with the next edition of The Eureka Times which we are aiming to have in the post at the end of January.Seven different cars will be available and whilst final set presentation is not yet settled, current thinking is that there will be a five car set with a futher two cars available separately to build up to a seven car Newcastle Flyer set.Final pricing is still being finalised but it is likely that the pre-order price for the five car set will be $495 with additional cars available at $100 per car. The after delivery price will depend on the exchange rate at the time but is expected to be $630 for the five car set and $110 for the separate cars.Three and possibly four liveries are being considered. The HUB set.After protracted discussions with the factory the HUB set proposal has now been finalised and we are now committed to the project. The first stage of the project, the drawing process is underway. This project will be one of the items discussed at our visit to the factory in mid-January and we will be releasing full details including pricing and estimated delivery date after we return. At this stage mid 2010 is the estimated delivery date. We would like to wish you seasons greetings and a happy and safe Christmas.Eureka Models A Package from the Factory A knock on the door today and it is the man from Fedex with a package from the factory.A bit of work with the snap-off-blade knife reveals two lots of test shots.The first group is for the 40 class and is mainly samples of the frame with the checker plate pattern now added to the surface area of the footplate plus a couple of minor detail bits. Paint samples will be the next major step in the process.The second group consists of a AD60 class boiler incorporating the modifications (mainly the twin turbo-generators) for the second run. All modifications are now complete. Surprising news from the factoryA visit to the factory is over-due and so this week we started canvassing a visit sometime between Christmas and the 16th of January.The factory suggested that it would be good to be there whilst the CPH/CTHs were being assembled and they have gone off to see if it is possible to bring the assembly process for the CPH/CTH forward from the third week in January to somewhere around the 26th of December.More news later. More on the HUB set. Continuing discussions with ... The HUB set. After protracted discussions with th... Surprising news from the factory A visit to the f...

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Home | Car News | Week in Review: Traveling Circus Time Again Edition Week in Review: Traveling Circus Time Again Edition By Jacob Brown | March 23, 2013 Every few months, we venture out from our cubicles and meet en masse with people we, at times, consider extended family, heading to locales all over the U.S.--and the world sometimes--to hit up yet another auto show. Next week, we're reconvening in the Big Apple to bring you all the news that fit to digitally publish from the Jacob Javits Center. There, we'll be engrossed in the sights, sounds, cars, and pastrami sandwiches on rye we can handle at the New York Auto Show. This week was a precursor, with so much attention being doled out by automakers towards it that we couldn't possibly fit it all into our Week in Review. Search back through our news blog for all of it. But in addition to the New York Auto Show, some other news made headlines, sneaking in during a busy week. From Cadillac to Hyundai, and plenty in between, here's what happened this week. And, once again, if you have any special requests for pictures of any particular cars next week in New York, leave a comment here or on our Facebook page, and we'll see what we can do you satiate your automotive needs. Cadillac has for decades called itself the Standard of the World, entertaining the best luxury cars around the globe with rivals that have been hits and misses. More hits than misses recently. With the Cadillac CTS receiving a full-on redesign for 2014, the automaker went a decidedly different approach than BMW or Mercedes-Benz, offering up a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V-6 with 420 horsepower in place of a V-8. Although it's expected to grow in size and refinement to rival the Germans, Cadillac claims the 2014 CTS will be able to hit 60 mph from standstill in 4.6 seconds on its way to 170 mph. That's a little faster than the first-generation CTS-V that shared its engine with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. All that power will be routed to the rear wheels via a new eight-speed automatic transmission. Caddy ain't messing around. Small is the new big, and all the German automakers seem to be on the same page with that. The latest evidence: A video of the Mercedes-Benz GLA testing in the dead of winter. Slotting below the GLK, the GLA is expected to be based on the same mechanicals as the CLA compact "four-door coupe." Don't expect it to be tackling the Rubicon Trail--that job will be delegated to the even smaller GLG. Instead, expect what looks to be a tall-roof, all-wheel-drive hatchback to show its stuff in the urban jungle alongside other small, urban crossovers. Range Rover started this trend with the Evoque in the U.S.; Buick followed suit with the Encore. Mercedes-Benz is well on its way to making a tiny ute of its own. The unfortunate reality of contests is that there's a bunch of legalese that has to come with them in the litigation-happy U.S. Well, it's unfortunate if you're General Motors, at least. We don't mind so much. That's because the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, which has been notably elusive of a price tag, has finally gotten a number attached to it. In a contest giving away one of the new sports cars, Chevrolet said the car in question was a touch under $73,000. But for what options? We're going to assume fully loaded. After all, at the Detroit Auto Show in January, we were told the car would likely start around $55,000 and top out around $70,000 until the convertible and higher-performance versions show up. We're going to trust our sources on this one. While we're in the City That Never Sleeps, Hyundai is going to be having some fun of its own in Seoul. At this year's Seoul Motor Show, it will be displaying its HND-9 concept, which it calls a luxury performance coupe. Hyundai's HND concept cars have been notable because so many of them have made it to production. If we're giving a good guess, this one ought to stand in for the next-generation Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Rear-wheel drive and powered by a turbocharged 3.3-liter V-6 producing 370 horsepower, the HND-9 has all the makings for one fast son of a gun. Plush and powerful, Hyundai is obviously going more for the Infiniti G37/Q50 coupe crowd than the Scion FR-S set. While very much a concept, we expect this car is a strong indication of what the Genesis Coupe will look like in a few years. We've seen the BMW 4 Series Concept already at the Detroit Auto Show, and we knew it was more or less a production car with a few changes here and there. Turns out, outside of some strakes in the front and rear bumpers, it's not changing much. But those strakes also made it look considerably more exotic than the production-ready car seen on the streets of Germany. Photographed without a hint of camouflage, the new 4 Series is replacing the 3 Series coupe here in a few months. Power is expected to come from the same engines as the 3. Despite the new name, we like what we're seeing. 2014 Dodge Durango Taillights Teased Before New York Debut Automakers are notorious for releasing teaser images before a major auto show and Dodge is the latest to... 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 BlueTec Road Test – Automotive.comThe 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 BlueTec offers more usable room and amenities than its competitors. Read...Read more 2015 Toyota Highlander XLE Road Test - Automotive.comThe 2015 Toyota Highlander combines refined styling and a quiet, comfortable ride. Read on to learn more...Read more 2014 Tesla Model S P85 Road Test - Automotive.comThe 2014 Tesla Model S offers a great value for the price, but there are some definite compromises. Read on...Read more 0 comments

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Emissions Administration developing fuel efficiency, greenhouse gas pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles Equipment World Staff | August 25, 2011 President Obama met with industry officials on Aug. 9 to discuss first of their kind fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas pollution standards for work trucks, buses, and other heavy-duty vehicles and to thank them for their leadership in finalizing a successful national program for these vehicles, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This meeting marks the Administration’s announcement of the standards, which will save American businesses that operate and own these commercial vehicles approximately $50 billion in fuel costs over the life of the program. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA developed the standards in close coordination with the companies that met with the President today as well as other stakeholders, following requests from companies to develop this program. The cost savings for American businesses are on top of the $1.7 trillion that American families will save at the pump from the historic fuel-efficiency standards announced by the Obama Administrations for cars and light-duty trucks, including the model year 2017-2025 agreement announced by the President in July. “While we were working to improve the efficiency of cars and light-duty trucks, something interesting happened,” said President Obama. “We started getting letters asking that we do the same for medium and heavy-duty trucks. They were from the people who build, buy, and drive these trucks. And today, I’m proud to have the support of these companies as we announce the first-ever national policy to increase fuel efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas pollution from medium-and heavy-duty trucks.” LaHood says the new standards will reduce fuel costs for businesses, encourage innovation in the manufacturing sector, and promote U.S. energy independence. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson adds: “This Administration is committed to protecting the air we breathe and cutting carbon pollution – and programs like these ensure that we can serve those priorities while also reducing our dependence on imported oil and saving money for drivers. More efficient trucks on our highways and less pollution from the buses in our neighborhoods will allow us to breathe cleaner air and use less oil, providing a wide range of benefits to our health, our environment and our economy.” Under the comprehensive new national program, trucks and buses built in 2014 through 2018 will reduce oil consumption by a projected 530 million barrels and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by nearly 270 million metric tons. Like the Administration’s historic car standards, this program – which relies heavily on off-the-shelf technologies – was developed in coordination with truck and engine manufacturers, fleet owners, the State of California, environmental groups and other stakeholders. The joint DOT/EPA program will include a range of targets which are specific to the diverse vehicle types and purposes. Vehicles are divided into three major categories: combination tractors (semi-trucks), heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, and vocational vehicles (like transit buses and refuse trucks). Within each of those categories, even more specific targets are laid out based on the design and purpose of the vehicle. This flexible structure allows serious but achievable fuel efficiency improvement goals charted for each year and for each vehicle category and type. The standards are expected to yield an estimated $50 billion in net benefits over the life of model year 2014 to 2018 vehicles, and to result in significant long-terms savings for vehicle owners and operators. A semi-truck operator could pay for the technology upgrades in under a year and realize net savings of $73,000 through reduced fuel costs over the truck’s useful life. These cost saving standards will also reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants like particulate matter, which can lead to asthma, heart attacks and premature death. By the 2018 model year, the program is expected to achieve significant savings relative to current levels, across vehicle types. Certain combination tractors – commonly known as big-rigs or semi-trucks – will be required to achieve up to nearly 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2018, saving up to 4 gallons of fuel for every 100 miles traveled. For heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, separate standards are required for gasoline-powered and diesel trucks. These vehicles will be required to achieve up to approximately 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2018. Under the finalized standards a typical gasoline or diesel powered heavy-duty pickup truck or van could save one gallon of fuel for every 100 miles traveled. Vocational vehicles – including delivery trucks, buses, and garbage trucks – will be required to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by about 10 percent by model year 2018. These trucks could save an average of one gallon of fuel for every 100 miles traveled. Beyond the direct benefits to businesses that own and operate these vehicles, the program will also benefit consumers and businesses by reducing costs for transporting goods, and spur growth in the clean energy sector by fostering innovative technologies and providing regulatory certainty for manufacturers. For more information go to http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regulations.htm on the EPA’s website or go to the NHTSA’s web site at http://www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jacksonheavy-duty vehicle fuel efficiency standardsPresident ObamaU.S. DOT From our partners

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Ford: Home Page Ford: The Journey Ford: The People Ford: The Products Home»Ford100»The People How UCC made Henry Ford a lawyer Saturday, April 15, 2017 Attempts to give Henry Ford the Freedom of Cork failed to materialise, but Thomas Grimes reveals how UCC finally honoured the man after some persuasion.The coup of opening the Ford factory on the Marina in Cork had involved a great deal of teamwork between the company and the Cork Industrial Development Association, the Harbour Board, and even British Prime Minister David Lloyd George. However, later wrangles with Cork Corporation over the lease somewhat marred the relationship of the City Fathers with Henry Ford and Marina management. In a bid to redress this, in May, 1924, Lord Mayor of Cork Seán French — who would go on to serve six terms in office — wrote to Henry in an attempt to build bridges. He informed him that Cork Corporation had decided unanimously to confer the freedom of the city of Cork on him — “the highest honour that it is in our power to bestow”. However, the honour never materialised. Indeed, between 1920, when Archbishop of Adelaide Robert Spence was conferred with the freedom of Cork, and 1948, when President Seán T. O’Kelly was given the honour, only one person received the freedom of the city — Paschal Robinson, papal nuncio to Ireland, in 1930. A similar attempt by UCC to honour Henry Ford soon after proved a fraught process. In November, 1926, the Irish Managing Director E.L Clarke wrote to Henry’s secretary, Ernest G. Liebold, stating that Professor P. J. Merriman, President of Cork National University (now UCC), had phoned him to say the senate of his university had decided to confer on the motor boss the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. At the same time, Professor Merriman wrote directly to Henry, explaining that the honorary degree “reflected the appreciation of the great advantage conferred on the city of Cork by Ford in locating his factory there”. However, Liebold replied: “Mr Ford has never followed the profession of a lawyer and has no legal talent, he feels he is not qualified to accept such a degree.” This rebuff suggested that either Henry or his secretary were unfamiliar with the merit of an honorary degree — or perhaps this was a sarcastic dismissal of such unearned degrees. After all, Henry was a self-educated man who often hired practical staff like himself with little formal education. Undeterred, Professor Merriman responded, explaining that the degree is offered “to persons of notable achievement in any sphere of activity who have promoted the good of humanity”. He pointed out that its acceptance did not imply “that the holder of the degree is connected in any way with the law, either as a pursuit or as a study”. Meanwhile, Clarke in Cork foresaw a public relations faux pas in the offing and wrote to Liebold: “We are sure that his acceptance will be appreciated and looked upon as an indication that Mr Ford has an interest in the progress and development of the country, whereas if the degree is declined (no matter how good the grounds) it might very easily be misconstrued, especially if the matter is taken up by the press.” He was right. A few months later, the honour had still not been accepted and the New York Times reported that he had been rebuked by the Council of the National University of Ireland for not accepting the honorary degree — Dennis O’Connor, a member of the Council, had said Ford apparently did not consider it worth his while to inform the university if he would accept the degree. Clarke cabled W. J. Cameron, editor of Ford’s paper, the Dearborn Independent, and a confidante of Henry, advising that he communicate with the registrar of the National University and accept the degree. Finally, on March 17, 1927, word came from Liebold that Henry had “fully consented to accept this degree which he now understands to be conferred merely as an honor and not as a certification as a lawyer”. F. H. Wilber, registrar of the National University of Ireland, invited Ford to the conferring, to be held in the Senate room on July 15, 1927. Liebold replied that Henry would be unable to attend. After the conferring, Wilber wrote that he was sending “the Testimonium of the Degree of Doctor of laws recently conferred on you”. Ford wrote in response: “I will always consider it of particular value, coming as it does from the community where my father lived.” The manner of awarding the degree later came in for criticism by Merriman’s successor as UCC President, Professor Alfred O’Rahilly, who expressed surprise at “the brutally unceremonious way in which the National University posted its honorary degree to Mr Ford.” He said he and another Corkman, Professor Smiddy, were in the US and could have presented it in person. READ MORE Visit the section home page here KEYWORDS Ford100© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved Related ArticlesMemories of Ford. Check out some historic readers pictures and the stories behind themPensioners told by Ford: We’re a great firm because of youFord company seals legacy with UCC scholarshipFord Chairman: Car manufacturing on cusp of greatest changeMore in this SectionPensioners told by Ford: We’re a great firm because of youWATCH: Ford and UCC announce establishment of Ford Centenary Quercus Scholarship Ford's survival in a city embroiled in war My journey back in time: Miriam Nyhan on her passion for Ford From holiday homes to garden sheds Ford shipping crates remain part of Irish landscape Ford played a big role in uniting communities Check out the campaigns which made Ford a world leader in advertising for over a century Tweets about #Ford100 from:irishexaminer

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Nuclear power for cars As fossil fuels lead to global warming, I remember thinking that nuclear power may make a comeback as more vehicles go toward using electricity. For the electric car, the power has to be generated somewhere. The disaster in Japan is likely to put a chill on future expansion of the nuclear power option. That leaves us with other choices such as solar power and wind farms. In many ways, solar is ideal, but it's fairly hard to collect thus making it somewhat expensive. Similar problem with wind power.There's also the T Bone Pickens plan to use natural gas in vehicles. It's cleaner than oil based gasoline from a global warming standpoint, but still a global warming fuel. I once heard that natural gas is about 40% cleaner than oil when it comes to greenhouse emissions. Maybe my figures aren't exact, but ballpark idea. Looks like we may have to adjust the economy to the reality of more expensive energy. The automobile is one of our biggest energy hogs so switching it over to electricity may be problematic. That's one of the reasons why I've kept advocating bicycling, walking and public transit. Making our residences more compact, rather than sprawling countryside living. Having jobs and errands within walking distance of at least the bus line is a great way to plan. Ironically, we may have to live more like the Japanese. Use less energy per capita and rely more on public transit. One reason why Japan uses a lot of nuclear power is the fact that they don't have much domestic energy. They have to import just about all their fossil fuel. The US started out as a large oil provider and built it's infrastructure around cheap gasoline. Now the US must import most of it's oil as well. The US is sometimes still called the "Saudi Arabia of coal." We could go back to burning coal and then generating electricity to switch gasoline running cars to coal; I mean electricity. Someone wrote to my blog once calling electric cars "coal cars." Maybe the greenhouse gas from coal can still be sequestered into the ground, rather than spewed into the atmosphere, but that ads to the cost of energy also; if the technology even becomes available. Nuclear is still an option and the newer designed nuclear plants would be a lot safer than the older technology. I read that the plant in Japan that's having problems was built in 1971. Safety technology has come along way since then, but nuclear would be a hard sell.We may just have to figure out how to have an economy that is less dependent on cheap energy. Ironically, like the Japanese who have been used to living on an island with little fossil fuel resources, we may have to rely more on public transit, walking and bicycling to combat global warming; rather than some magic "electric car" fix. Learn to build our suburban areas more compact. Live in smaller and better insulated homes. More of us live in apartments. My brother doesn't live in an apartment, but he does have solar panels on his roof. Gets a large part of his electricity from the sun. Technology can still create magic, but it needs to be more "low energy per capita" style of magic. We should think about the advent of light emitting diodes, for instance. transitionfuel,

汽车

2017-17/2161/en_head.json.gz/11796

Ford Plans Launch of Luxury Lincoln Brand in China in 2014 U.S. Car Maker Plays Catchup in Biggest Auto Market By Hans Greimel. Published on August 28, 2012. Ford Motor Co. plans to launch its Lincoln luxury brand in China in the second half of 2014 as the automaker plays catch up in the world's biggest auto market. 2013 Lincoln MKZ CEO Alan Mulally announced the move today during a swing through China to break ground on the company's third assembly plant in the city of Chongqing. The brand will be sold through an independent dealer network, and the company will begin meeting aspiring dealers in the fourth quarter of this year, Ford said in a release. "Introducing Lincoln in China marks the next step in our expansion in Asia and our commitment to serving customers in the luxury market," Mr. Mulally said. The launch of Lincoln in China comes even as Ford struggles to rebuild the brand in its home market of the United States. Global marketing and sales boss Jim Farley said Lincoln will stand out in China by offering more individualized and personalized products. Ford is a late bloomer in China, but is moving fast to catch up. It will deliver 15 new Ford-branded vehicles and 20 powertrains by 2015 to Chinese customers. And it is building five plants to double production capacity in China to 1.2 million units a year. Tapping China's rapidly expanding luxury market is a key element of Mr. Mulally's bid to boost Ford's global sales by 50% from 2010 to 8 million by mid-decade. The luxury segment there is forecast to surpass the luxury segment in the United States by 2020, Ford said, citing an outlook of IHS. Luxury vehicle sales are expected to more than double from 6% of the market today to nearly 9% by the end of the decade. Annual sales of luxury cars are forecast to be 2.7 million units by then. The Lincolns to be sold in China initially will be manufactured in North America, The Associated Press reported. Local production will be considered later, depending on sales. --Automotive News China-- China NewsGlobal News

汽车

2017-17/2161/en_head.json.gz/11915

The Ferrari story – a brief history and its cars by Carphile Once described as Italy’s second religion, success on the race track has inspired a passion among Ferrari enthusiasts like few other car marques. Ferrari and motor racing are practically inseparable. The first cars to wear the famous Prancing Horse badge were racing cars, it was their founders true passion and you don’t have to be die-hard Tifosi to be moved by a Ferrari win at Monza. But of course that is only part of the story as over the last seven decades Ferrari have manufactured some of the most desirable road cars of all time that have fetched record prices at auction when sold. So how did a man who famously wasn’t that interested in making production cars wind up putting his name to so many of the world’s most desirable sports cars? You probably won’t be at all surprised to hear it started on the racetrack. Scuderia Ferrari and the Early Years Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898. Starting his motoring career as a racing driver, in an age when drivers often paid the ultimate price for their mistakes. Enzo retired after the birth of his son Alfredino (Dino) in 1932 to concentrate instead on racing team management. Alfa Romeo had ‘officially’ pulled out of Grand Prix Racing at the end of 1932 but for several years Enzo was permitted to continue race Alfa racing cars under his ‘Scuderia Ferrari’ banner. In 1937 Alfa Romeo decided to move the racing division back in-house, acquiring a 70% stake in Scuderia Ferrari. Enzo’s protests against this decision that would have absorbed Scuderia Ferrari, led to Alfa and Ferrari going their separate ways. Contractual issues forbade Enzo from racing under the Scuderia Ferrari banner for four years. So Enzo established Auto Avio Construzioni (AAC) to produce aircraft accessories and machine tools for the Italian war effort but even in wartime, the desire to go motor racing was still so very strong. The First Ferrari – The AAC Tipo 815 In 1939 AAC were commissioned by Lotario Rangoni, Marquis di Modena to build two cars to compete in the 1940 Brescia Grand Prix (the successor to the Mille Miglia). The AAC Tipo 815 was a two seat open top sports car, based around a Fiat chassis with an in-line, eight-cylinder (initially developed from a Fiat 4-cylinder), 1.5 litre engine up front (hence 815). The 1940 Brescia Grand Prix ran over nine gruelling 103 mile laps of Brescia roads. The two 815s got off to a very promising start. The first car led the 1500 cc class for the first lap, before retiring with valve problems. This left the second car to take over, set the class lap record and build a lead of more than half an hour…before the engine failed with less than 2 laps remaining. Only one of the AAC Tipo 815’s survive today. See it start up in the video below. The Ferrari 125 S The first car to bear the Ferrari badge was the 125 S. Like the AAC Tipo 815 it was a two-seat sports racing car but unlike the 815 it had a bespoke 1.5 litre V12 designed by Gioacchino Colombo. The 125S debuted at the Piacenza circuit in 1947. After taking the lead, the car retired due to a fuel pump problem. Enzo famously described this debut as a “promising failure” and over the next 4 months the car proved him right, winning six of the 13 races it entered before being replaced by the 159S. The History of the Ferrari Badge – The prancing horse The famous Prancing Horse or ‘Cavallino Rampante’ symbol and the story behind it is an important piece of the Ferrari Legend itself and dates back to the 1920’s when Enzo Ferrari was still competing as a racing driver. After winning the 1923 Savio Circuit Grand Prix for Alfa Romeo, Enzo met the parents of Francesco Baracca, an air force pilot and National War Hero in Italy. Baracca had sadly been killed in the last days of WWI and awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valour. The Cavallino Rampante had been painted on the side of Baracca’s plane. Countess Paolina de Biancoli, Baracca’s mother, gifted the symbol to Enzo Ferrari, saying: “Ferrari, put my son’s little rearing horse on your cars… it will bring you fortune.” Enzo added the yellow colour of Modena to the Prancing Horse crest, crowning it with the red, white and green tricolor of the Italian flag. Ferrari Today In 1969 Enzo Ferrari allowed Fiat to buy a 90% stake in Ferrari, after famously turning down an earlier deal from Ford to in 1963 at the 11th hour (in revenge Ford famously developed the GT40 racing car to beat Ferrari at Le Mans) as the deal would have reduced his control of the racing team. Despite Fiat ownership, Enzo Ferrari remained at the helm of the company until his death in August 1988 (at the age of ninety). Scuderia Ferrari is the oldest surviving and most successful team in Formula 1 history, having competed in every F1 grand prix since the modern championship started in 1950. Ferrari drivers have won 221 races (and counting), 15 drivers championships and 16 constructors championships. In other racing formula, Ferrari have won the Sports car world championship 13 times, the Mille Miglia 8 times, Targa Florio 7 times and the Le Mans 24 hours race 9 times. Fernando Alonso at the wheel of a Ferrari F10 Formula 1 car In 2014 Bonhams auction sold a Ferrari 250 GTO for a record-breaking $38,115,000 at their Monterey auction, making it effectively the most valuable car in the world. Ferrari currently produce the 488 GTB, 488 Spider, FF, F12 and California T road cars. In 2014 Brand Finance awarded Ferrari the most powerful brand in the world. If you’re a Ferrari owner or fan, be sure to check out our Ferrari owners’ clubs page to find out about meetings and events near you. Carphile.co.uk on Facebook You may also LikeFerrari 550 Maranello World Speed Record for sale at Race Retro27/01/20171957 Ferrari 335 S Scaglietti sold for World Record price at Retromobile auction08/02/2016Unique Ferrari Daytona shines at Salon Privé06/09/2015New Ferrari 488 Spider revealed31/07/2015Ferrari Owners’ Club celebrate 2015 EFG Concours event20/07/2015 Terms Of Use

汽车

2017-17/2161/en_head.json.gz/14420

Blog: DOT, Dept. of Justice Holding Automaker's Feet to the Fire By: Anthony Foxx Date: March 19, 2014 Location: Washington, DC Today, the Department of Justice charged Toyota with defrauding consumers by issuing misleading statements about two safety issues that caused unintended acceleration in some of its vehicles. At the same time, the Department of Justice announced a deferred prosecution agreement with the automaker, under which the company admits that it misled U.S. consumers. DOT worked closely with the Department of Justice to help achieve this outcome. The agreement--subject to judicial approval--requires Toyota to pay a $1.2 billion penalty, the largest of its kind ever imposed on an automotive company. It also imposes on the company an independent monitor to review and assess policies, practices, and procedures relating to safety-related public statements and reporting obligations. As U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said, "When car owners get behind the wheel, they have a right to expect that their vehicle is safe. If any part of the automobile turns out to have safety issues, the car company has a duty to be upfront about them, to fix them quickly, and to immediately tell the truth about the problem and its scope. Toyota violated that basic compact." I couldn't agree more. And I echo the Attorney General's message that, "Other car companies should not repeat Toyota's mistake." At the Department of Transportation, protecting the American people as they move about the country is--and always has been--our number one priority. When the traveling public is put at risk of injury or worse, we follow the evidence; to find the problem if there is one; to ensure it gets fixed; and to take steps so it never happens again. It's a responsibility we treat as a matter of life-and-death. Because it is. That's why, five years ago, we began pushing Toyota to recall vehicles for problems with unintended acceleration. We never wavered in our commitment to uncovering the truth, to ensuring that Toyota lived up to the level of safety we expect of them. We harnessed the best technology and data available to us. We stalked the evidence. And we identified the problem despite what we now know were overwhelming obstacles. Obstacles that, in some cases, were put in our way on purpose --not to help our investigation, but to hinder it. And we didn't stop there; we held Toyota responsible for failing to act quickly on this and other recalls at the time, levying record fines of more than $66 million dollars. Today's action by DOJ is another crucial step to hold Toyota accountable, and it is proof that, when it comes to jeopardizing safety on our roads, we hold those accountable who need to be held accountable. I hope it sends a powerful message to all manufacturers to put safety first -- and that if they conceal information or mislead NHTSA on issues involving safety defects, they will face serious consequences. If this tragic and disappointing chapter has a legacy, let it be that. Source: http://www.dot.gov/fastlane/dot-dept-justice-holding-automakers-feet-fire

汽车

2017-17/2161/en_head.json.gz/14524

Official - Say hello to the 2015 BMW F36 4-Series Gran Coupe, pictures and press release Here it finally is, the new 2015 4-Series Gran Coupe. The 4 Gran Coupe will play little brother to the 6 Gran Coupe. The 6 is based on the 5-Series and the 4 is based on the 3-Series. Make sense? Essentially what this works out to is a 3-Series sedan with 4-Series styling making for a slightly sleeker mid-range entrant into the four-door coupe category Mercedes created with the CLS-Class. Are the 335i and the 435i Gran Coupe a bit redundant? That is up to you and the market to decide. Regardless, the new entry level BMW Gran Coupe is here. Drivetrains carry over as expected from the 3 and 4-Series range meaning the 428i Gran Coupe gets the N20 2.0 liter four-cylinder motor and the 435i Gran Coupe gets the 3.0 N55 turbo inline-6. No word on an M4 Gran Coupe just yet although BMW does offer an M6 Gran Coupe so it is certainly a possibility. This car is just another variant for BMW to try to increase sales figures. It's nice, it's elegant, and it was easy for them to do while keeping costs low but it also does not fill some huge void the BMW lineup was missing. Press release and photos below. The New BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe A new 4-door coupe in the mid-sized performance-luxury segment Woodcliff Lake, NJ – The new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe adds a fresh dimension to one of the company's newest model ranges. It combines the sleek look and sporty character of the 4 Series Coupe with the functionality provided by four-doors and a spacious, flexible luggage compartment. The 2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe arrives in the US in early summer of 2014 with two engine choices. The 428i Gran Coupe will feature BMW's award-winning 240hp TwinPower Turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder while the 435i Gran Coupe will be powered by the much-lauded 300hp TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter inline six. The 428i xDrive Gran Coupe will also be available at launch with BMW's intelligent all-wheel drive system. All versions will be offered in the US with an 8-speed sport automatic transmission. The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2014 and makes its US debut at the New York International Auto Show in April 2014. Prices in the US will start at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $41,225 (including $925 destination & handling) for the 428i Gran Coupe. The 428i xDrive Gran Coupe will have an MSRP of $43,225, including destination & handling while the top-of-the-line 435i Gran Coupe will have an MSRP of $46,725, again, including destination & handling.  While this model shares the same length, width, wheelbase and track with the extremely dynamic two-door version, the roofline of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is 4.4 inches (112 mm) longer and slopes gently to the rear of the vehicle. What's more, the silhouette is half an inch (12 mm) higher to offer more headroom and comfort for rear-seat passengers. This contributes to increased headroom at all seats and the overall feeling of interior spaciousness. At the same time, the short front and rear overhangs, the long wheelbase relative to the vehicle length, and the set-back passenger compartment are typical BMW touches that add to the perfect balance of the body design and the sleek appearance of this car, which is derived conceptually from the elegant BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. Elegant Coupe with the convenience of a Sedan "Taking its cue from a large BMW coupe, the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe combines a dynamic and sleek silhouette with additional functionality and more spaciousness in the rear passenger compartment." –Won Kyu Kang, exterior designer responsible for the BMW 4 Series. Like the two-door version, the sporty dimensions of the 4 Series Gran Coupe are a reflection of its dynamic handling characteristics. The stretched roofline, four frameless doors and a wide, electrically operated tailgate provide the functionality of a sedan within the silhouette of a coupe. The volume of the trunk is 17 cu-ft (480 liters), based on EU measurements. The back of the rear seat can be folded down in a 40:20:40 configuration as desired to increase the load capacity to 45.9 cu-ft (1,300 liters). The flat floor and a two-part loading strip made of stainless steel are practical convenience elements, combined with premium materials. The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe can easily transport a baby stroller, two golf bags or weekend luggage for four without using the folding function. In contrast to a two-door coupe, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe offers passengers easier access when entering or leaving the vehicle thanks to the four-door configuration. The doors are frameless, having the characteristic design features of BMW midsize coupes. The wide-access tailgate blends perfectly with the overall silhouette. When closed, the precise flow of the lid seams simulates the look of a typical coupe trunk. The standard electric drives that help move the tailgate are installed vertically and require very little space. Thus the area of the rear window is much larger and provides a very good visibility, without limiting available space. At first glance, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is an expression of dynamics and refined elegance. With a length of 182.6" (4,638 mm), a width of 71.9" (1,825mm) and a wheelbase of 110.6" (2,810mm), the four-door variant has the same dimensions as the two-door coupe. The track dimensions of both versions – 60.8" (1,545mm) front and 62.8" (1,594mm) rear – are identical and highlight the dynamic potential of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The silhouette of the four-door model is 0.5" (12mm) higher than the two-door. The stretched roofline flows gently across both rear doors and blends into the slightly raised and short rear section of the car. Athletic, elegant and powerful from any perspective. The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is instantly recognizable from classic BMW design features such as the iconic kidney grille and dual round headlight clusters. The body contours are executed with precision, with multifaceted surfaces that distinguish the eye-catching look up front. Full LED dual headlights can be ordered as an option to bolster the dynamic aura of the vehicle. The three-part, wide air intakes in the front apron emphasize this effect. The extreme left and right apron corners reveal vertical air channels for the Air Curtains. They generate a veil of air around the front wheels, enhancing the aerodynamic efficiency of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The profile is distinguished by a bold swage line and a subtle light-catching edge that create the impression of forward movement in the design of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Stretched lines and expressively contoured surfaces generate a dynamic interplay of light and shadows. The gentle slope of the roofline stretches the appearance of the sides even more and visually strengthens the presence of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The taut and smooth appearance of the side windows, with a B-pillar finished in high-gloss black that is nearly invisible, creating a homogeneous profile. The rear edge of the side glass provides a modern interpretation of the Hofmeister kink that is characteristic of BMW vehicles. This extended window surface allows more light into the interior and improves the overall visibility in the rear passenger compartment. The rear of the car features clear horizontal lines that accentuate its athletic elegance. The taillights are positioned at the outer edges to receive the swage lines, thus serving as transitional design elements that join the body side panels with the rear section. At the same time, they highlight the wide track and powerfully flared wheel arches. When viewed from the rear, the roof of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is somewhat wider than that of the two- door version, emphasizing its unique character. Stylish elegance and sportiness dominate in the interior. "The interior of the four-door coupe unifies the seemingly contradictory character of a dynamic two-door coupe with the elegance and utility of a BMW Sedan or a BMW Gran Turismo." –Tim Shih, interior designer responsible for the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The interior of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe presents a stylish fusion of sporty allure and luxury. An approach known as layering – the intelligent utilization of space through the structuring of lines and surfaces into layers – expresses the hallmark BMW driver orientation without compromising the passenger experience. The stylish and functional elegance of the interior is highlighted by prominent round instruments with a black panel look and the free- standing flat-screen iDrive monitor. The cockpit and rear passenger compartment are visually joined by trim strips originating in the instrument panel and extending along the upper sections of the door panels into the rear, and embellished by dual-color window sills. The B-pillar blends into the side panel design and includes flowing graphic effects across the entire surface. The side supports and slender head restraints in the rear seat are contoured for a modern, seemingly molded one-piece look that adds to the sporty character of the 4+1 seater. The backrest can be folded in 40:20:40 configurations to create more luggage and storage space as required – with a flat floor for easy loading and unloading. When the seat is completely folded down, the maximum volume capacity is 45.9 cu-ft (1,300 liters), based on EU measure. If only the center segment is folded, four people can ride comfortably while transporting long and bulky items like snowboards, skis, etc. When not folded down, this middle section provides space for two cup holders. The Smart Opener function of Comfort Access is included as part of the Premium Package on US models, which automatically opens the tailgate via gesture control – namely a foot movement underneath the rear bumper when arms are full carrying groceries, packages, etc. Exclusive: Choice of two Lines or M Sport. The premium ambience of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe results from exclusive colors, high-quality and rich material combinations along with special equipment packages for a customized look. In addition to the standard equipment, which highlights the classic character of the vehicle, two design Lines (Sport and Luxury) as well as M Sport are available. These optional packages endow each 4 Series Gran Coupe with a particular character and identity by embellishing the interior and exterior of the vehicle. Sport and Luxury lines offer various renditions of the following elements in contrast to the basic standard equipment: appearance and color of the kidney grille and air intakes, Air Breathers and mirror covers, side window design, front and rear apron trim, door sill finishers, and an interior center stack finished in high-gloss black. To make the strongest dynamic statement, the M Sport package is also available at model launch with special body elements, exterior colors, light-alloy wheels and interior elements. Sport Line: In this optional equipment line, special body elements are highlighted in black. The subtle B pillar and the nine slats in the chrome-colored kidney grille have a high-gloss black finish, whereas the side window elements are finished in matt black. The air intakes in the front spoiler and the Air Breathers in high-gloss black draw attention to the aerodynamic elements of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The sporty look is enhanced even more with 18-inch or 19-inch light-alloy wheels with a dynamic double-spoke design. The rear is also distinguished by dark elements. A black trim strip and a tailpipe embellisher finished in black chrome stand for sporty dynamics. The interior, by contrast, expresses sporty flair with red accents. For example, the inner rings of the dash instruments and contrast stitching on the steering wheel are red. This character can be highlighted further in the 4 Series Gran Coupe with additional options such as the Coral Red Dakota leather interior with red lower dashboard. Luxury Line: Bright chrome that highlights subtle accents contributes to the exceptionally elegant character of the vehicle. The 11 grille slats with chrome-colored fronts and the bright dual crossbar in the front apron's air intakes are very classy touches. The Air Breathers and high-gloss chrome window details add to the appealing look. Light-alloy wheels – 18-inch or 19-inch – with an intricate multi-spoke design reflect extravagance. From the rear, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe can be identified by the tailpipe and horizontal trim strip in the rear apron all finished in high-gloss chrome. Chrome accents also harmonize with the luxurious interior. The enclosure surrounding the audio system and air conditioning controls, as well as the circular rings highlighting the instrumentation, are eye-catching touches. Premium leather, finely crafted with precise stitching, is available in four classic and elegant colors such as Saddle Brown as well as the new Ivory White that is exclusive to the 4 Series Gran Coupe. M Sport: The technology, functions and extraordinary driving dynamics that distinguish every BMW automobile are also evident in the DNA of the 4 Series Gran Coupe. Of course, these can be augmented with M Sport which is available at launch. This equipment package is comprised of elements that emphasize street performance – for example, aerodynamic features like the large air intake up front, the diffuser insert in the rear bumper and rocker panel trim matching the color of the vehicle. The characteristic M styling of the 18-inch and 19-inch light-alloy wheels adds to the bold impression. Six exterior colors are offered with M Sport, including exclusive choices such as Carbon Black Metallic (which is available for the first time on any 4 Series) and Estoril Blue Metallic. Inside the car, features such as M door sill finishers, an M leather steering wheel and an M driver's footrest shape the sporty yet elegant ambience. The driver and front passenger can settle into the dynamic-looking and elegant sport seats upholstered in either SensaTec or supple Dakota Leather. Technical features of this package include M Sport suspension and the optional M Sport brakes with calipers in contrasting blue paint finish. Engines feature BMW TwinPower Turbo technology. The new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe offers a choice of two powerful, and efficient engines in the US featuring the latest BMW TwinPower Turbo technology. The range includes the 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine in the BMW 435i Gran Coupe ‒ as well as the light and powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the BMW 428i Gran Coupe. The power from the engines is delivered to the rear wheels via the standard eight-speed sport Steptronic transmission. All BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe feature the Auto Start Stop function. At model launch, the BMW 428i Gran Coupe can be optionally equipped with BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive technology. The performance and torque delivered by ultramodern BMW engines is due in large part to TwinPower Turbo technology. This technology includes innovative solutions such as high- precision direct injection, a turbocharger operating according to the Twin-Scroll principle, double VANOS variable camshaft timing and VALVETRONIC variable valve control. The low-friction engines are also equipped with an aluminum crankcase. This technology package is unrivalled worldwide and combines high performance with utmost efficiency. BMW 435i Gran Coupe: inline six-cylinder engine with bold performance, powerful torque and silken smoothness. The large-displacement, inline six-cylinder in the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé delivers power with high-revving characteristics and extraordinary smoothness. The 3.0-liter power plant delivers 300 hp between 5,800 rpm and 6,000 rpm, thus contributing to the sovereign dynamics of the new Gran Coupe. Peak torque of 300 lb-ft is generated as low down as 1,300 rpm and remains on tap up to 5,000 rpm. The new BMW 435i Gran Coupé sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. While official US EPA numbers are not yet available for the 435i Gran Coupe, they are expected to be in line with the 435i Coupe, which is rated at 22 mpg city/32 mpg highway/25 mpg combined. BMW 428i Gran Coupe: four cylinders and the ideal balance between sportiness and efficiency. Superior performance, spirited power development, high-revving characteristics and low weight: These are the qualities of the innovative four-cylinder petrol engine in the BMW 428i Gran Coupe that ensure a perfect balance between dynamic performance and efficiency. The BMW TwinPower Turbo engine combines high-revving characteristics and high-performance output with low fuel consumption and reduced emissions. The 2.0-liter engine delivers a maximum power output of 240 hp, which is reached between 5,000 and 6,500 rpm. Peak torque of 255 lb-ft is generated between 1,250 rpm and 4,800 rpm. The new BMW 428i Gran Coupe sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds. Official US EPA numbers are not yet available for the 428i Gran Coupe, they are expected to be in line with the 428i Coupe, which is rated at 23 mpg city/35 mpg highway/27 mpg combined. BMW xDrive: intelligent all-wheel drive for two engine variants. At model launch, the BMW 428i Gran Coupe can be optionally equipped with BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive technology as an alternative to classic rear-wheel drive. In addition to the typical all-wheel drive benefits, such as optimal transmission of engine power to the road, outstanding traction and maximum safety, BMW xDrive reduces understeer and oversteer in curves and thus contributes to agile and precision handling, especially when entering into and accelerating out of curves. The all-wheel system even compensates for sudden load shifts with ease – drivers will immediately feel the dynamic qualities of the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The 435i Gran Coupe will be made available with xDrive later in the year. Eight-speed sport Steptronic automatic standard. Fast gear changes and outstanding shift comfort are qualities delivered by the eight-speed sport Steptronic transmission. Extra shift phases keep increases in rpm small between gear changes, and that contributes to optimal transmission of engine power in every driving situation. Numerous technological innovations and a remarkably high degree of internal efficiency ensure that fuel consumption and emissions do not rise. The intelligent management and control technology also results in extremely short shifting and response times, along with direct gear engagement. The standard eight-speed sport Steptronic transmission also rewards drivers with a sporty, "hands-on" experience – they can rely on automatic shifting or manually change gears themselves by using shift paddles on the steering wheel. Drive Mode and Sport Mode are selected with the Driving Dynamics Control on the center console. Elaborate suspension technology for the highest degree of comfort, typical BMW handling characteristics, steering and driving precision. Rear-wheel drive, steering free from drivetrain influences and well-balanced 50:50 weight distribution create the ideal preconditions for dynamic performance, excellent directional stability and agile handling characteristics. A low center of gravity, a meticulously tuned suspension setup and an intelligent lightweight construction concept result in a first-class overall package that combines seemingly contradictory qualities such as maximum dynamics and outstanding riding comfort in a unique way. The BMW 4 Series Coupe provides the basis for sporting performance. The suspension of the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is modeled on that of the two-door model variant and has the corresponding dimensions. The wheelbase measures 110.6" (2,810mm), the track width 60.8" (1,545mm) at the front and 62.8" (1,594mm) at the rear. The rear track on xDrive variants is 62.6" (1,544mm). While the axle and elastokinematics correspond to that of the BMW 4 Series Coupe, suspension and damping were tailored exclusively to the four-door version. Lastly, specific car body reinforcement measures and an innovative strut concept within the front and rear sections of the vehicle help to enhance steering precision and response. Nevertheless, the four-door coupe is only marginally heavier than the two-door variant and even lighter than its competitors. Consequently, the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is characterized by driving dynamics, agile handling characteristics and a high level of precision. Ride comfort remains at a very high level, so the dynamic four-door presents itself as a vehicle that is completely suitable for everyday use. Aluminum double-pivot spring-strut suspension up front. The front suspension of the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is based on the tried and tested double-joint spring-strut aluminum construction, which combines maximum stiffness with minimum weight and significantly reduces unsprung masses. Furthermore, a torsion bar located between the front axle support and the sill creates an overall stiffer connection between the front wheels and the vehicle. Models with BMW xDrive all-wheel drive technology feature a special combination comprising a load-bearing strut and transverse brace. An additional strut connecting the suspension domes and the bulkhead significantly enhances the stiffness of the front end. Therefore, the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe responds very directly to the driver's steering inputs, resulting in sporty and agile handling and allowing the car to corner effortlessly and with the highest degree of precision. Five-arm rear suspension for comfort and active driving. The rear suspension of the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe plays a critical role in boosting the car's dynamic ability and motoring comfort. The proven five-arm concept features extra- wide mounts and supports on the wheel carriers for track and camber, slightly repositioned pivot points, ultra-stiff control arms and axle subframes. It uses thrust arms to connect the suspension with the body. This layout provides the basis for a sporty overall set-up combined with excellent comfort characteristics. As a result, the rear suspension guarantees precise wheel guidance, maximum directional stability and exemplary ride comfort. Servotronic as standard, variable sports steering as an option. The new BMW 4 Series Gran Coup features standard Servotronic power steering. The system provides speed-sensitive power assistance and the clearly defined mapping results in sharper steering feel and feedback. The new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe can be equipped with variable sports steering as an option. This uses different steering ratios depending on the amount of lock applied. Only a small amount of steering effort is required for maneuvering, for example, while unbeatable tracking and straightline stability at high speeds are guaranteed. High-performance and lightweight brake system. The new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe comes equipped with powerful swing-caliper or fixed- caliper brakes and large, inner-vented brake discs. The front calipers are made of aluminum. As well as boasting low unsprung masses, the brakes also give superior heat tolerance, excellent wet braking performance, ease of use and excellent feel. A brake pad wear indicator and the Brake Drying function are standard on all models. Intelligent lightweight construction: reduced weight, maximum stability. The weight optimization of all components significantly influences the dynamic performance of the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Intelligent lightweight design, a complex bodywork construction and the innovative strut concept all provide a level of body stiffness that is on par with that of the two-door model variant. This is why the four-door Gran Coupe provides levels of agility and precision that one would expect of a BMW sports coupe. The use of high-strength and extra-high-strength multi-phase steel as well as tailored blanks – customized precision components for specific applications – maximizes the degree of stability at an optimized weight. Crucial, stiffness-enhancing components are made of micro-alloyed steel. As a result, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe features torsional rigidity that matches that of the two-door model variant. Aerodynamics: clever detail solutions for reducing consumption. The reduction of air resistance enhances driving dynamics and reduces consumption. Optimization measures on the front apron and at the rear as well as the streamlined, smooth-surfaced underbody help the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe achieve a remarkable aerodynamic drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.27. For example, the BMW Air Curtains in the front apron generate a veil of air that reduces turbulence – and therefore drag – around the front wheels. In order to further optimize driving dynamics, the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe features aerodynamically designed wheel arches and air lips positioned in front of them. The Air Breathers positioned rearwards of the front wheel arches divert some of the air flowing through the wheel arches, thereby reducing air resistance. Adaptive suspension, M Sport suspension and M Sport brakes. An M Sport suspension with a firmer spring/damper set-up and more robust front and rear anti-roll bars is available as an option for the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, and can also be ordered separately from the M Sport package. 18-inch or 19-inch M light alloys are also included in this particular case. Alternatively, customers may prefer to specify adaptive suspension – with its focused sporting set-up and electronically controlled shock absorbers – which adjusts the damper mapping to the road surface and driving situation at hand. BMW also offers an M Sport brake system for the new Gran Coupe. The team of aluminum fixed calipers (four-piston at the front, two-piston at the rear) and generously sized discs provide ideal preconditions for very short stopping distances. Sportier, more comfortable or more efficient at the push of a button. In addition to superior driving dynamics, the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe delivers a high level of motoring comfort. Using Driving Dynamics Control, the driver can change the vehicle's overall characteristic according to each driving situation or personal preference to either a sporty or comfortable setting. Accelerator pedal progression, engine response, power steering characteristics and response thresholds of DSC Dynamic Stability Control are influenced by this. The system also interacts with the Steptronic transmission and the optional Dynamic Damper Control. Drivers can select their desired mode – ECO PRO, COMFORT, SPORT and even SPORT+. Each of these predefined set-ups activates different settings for the relevant powertrain and suspension components. BMW EfficientDynamics: better performance, better fuel economy. Impressive performance coupled with exemplary efficiency is based on the BMW EfficientDynamics development strategy, the results of which are implemented in almost all areas on the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The optimized fuel economy of the engines, transmissions delivering a high level of efficiency, the intelligent lightweight construction concept, honed aerodynamics and other efficiency-enhancing technologies incorporated into the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe all help to optimize driving dynamics, while at the same time reducing consumption and emissions. Package of measures to consistently reduce emissions and increase the pleasure of driving. The new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe features an Auto Start Stop function to bring about additional economy advantages. Brake Energy Regeneration, which is also a standard feature, ensures that the generation of electric current for the onboard electrical systems concentrates on the overrun and braking phases. ECO PRO mode in particular helps the driver of the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe to achieve the best possible fuel efficiency. ECO PRO influences the engine control unit and the characteristic curve of the accelerator pedal. In addition, it contributes to intelligent energy and climate management. The driver is also provided with tips on how to reduce energy consumption even further for the best possible motoring efficiency. In conjunction with the Steptronic transmission, the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe also features a coasting mode. At speeds of between 30 and 100 mph (50 and 160 km/h), in ECO PRO mode, the drivetrain is disconnected as soon as the driver lifts off the accelerator pedal. As a result, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe vehicle is able to 'sail' without engine power, thereby also achieving maximum fuel efficiency. The ancillary units are also incorporated into the intelligent energy management system of the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Examples include the demand-controlled coolant pump, the map-controlled oil pump as well as electromechanical power steering, whose electric motor only uses energy when power steering is required. The same is true for the on-demand air-conditioning compressor which reduces the system's power loss to a minimum. Intelligent lightweight construction reduces consumption. Systematic lightweight construction plays a major part in increasing efficiency and agility. This concept is applied in all areas of development and comprises all components. The targeted utilization of plastics, state-of-the-art composites and the increased deployment of aluminum components in the manufacture of engines and suspensions have helped reduce the weight of the corresponding assembly groups. All these measures have a positive effect on the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe's driving dynamics. BMW ConnectedDrive: Comfort, safety and infotainment. The networking of driver, vehicle and the outside world with new assistance systems and information and entertainment features is increasingly enhancing safety and comfort within the vehicle. BMW was early in recognizing the significance of networking and began integrating the digital world in its cars many years ago. The BMW ConnectedDrive systems offered in the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe either as standard or as an option underline the technological leadership. The extraordinarily high level of development in mobile automotive communication is reflected in the fact that even after purchasing a BMW, customers can, for a limited period of time, flexibly order and subscribe to a range of technologies and services. Navigation System: operation with touch controller. The latest generation of the Navigation System has a significantly greater breadth of functionality and a high-resolution, contrast-rich, color display. The graphics of the previous user interface have been completely revised and the navigation system's maps now have 3D elements. The central Control Display is operated in the familiar way using the ergonomically perfectly positioned iDrive touch controller in the center console, which now has an integral new, touch-sensitive surface and proximity sensor technology for even more convenient use. Users can use their finger to write characters or to enter destinations in the navigation system. They can now choose between using their handwriting or conventionally entering the destinations by rotating and pressing the controller. Head-Up Display: full-color, high-resolution. In the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, all information relevant to the driver is presented by the Head-Up Display directly in the driver's line of vision. The information from the assistance systems, the navigation system or information pertaining to speed is projected onto the windshield in a particularly brilliant resolution using the full color spectrum. The wide variety of driver assistance systems now available brings the amount of information that can be shown in the Head-Up Display to a whole new level. Advanced Real Time Traffic Information: the smart way to avoid congestion. The quality of traffic management depends on the quality and timeliness of traffic data available. The optional ARTTI (Advanced Real Time Traffic Information) system from BMW transmits data quickly and accurately via the mobile phone network. A SIM card integrated in the vehicle receives traffic data in real time and then calculates routes or detours instantly. ARTTI covers interstate highways and state highways as well as primary, secondary or even tertiary roads. Data is additionally obtained from local authority traffic management systems to provide precise information on traffic density. ARTTI is included with the Navigation System option in the US. Active Driving Assistant warns the driver of potential collisions – including those involving pedestrians. The Active Driving Assistant uses intelligently networked camera-based assistant systems and image processing to detect any people or vehicles within its field of vision. The movements of pedestrians are difficult to anticipate – they stop or suddenly change direction. Therefore, they impose much higher demands on the detection capabilities of assistant systems than vehicles driving ahead. When the system recognizes a looming risk of collision, it produces an acute audible warning and a visual signal appears in the instrument cluster or the Head-Up Display to alert the driver that he or she is drawing too close. The system ideally avoids a collision or, should worst come to worst, significantly reduces the consequences of an impact. Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function: a system of many talents. More active safety and more comfort are provided by the latest version of BMW's Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function (ACC Stop&Go). It uses the data provided by the full-range radar sensors, continuously measures the proximity of the vehicle ahead and warns the BMW driver if necessary. Active Cruise Control with automatic distance control is now available at speeds between 20 and 130 mph (30 km/h and 210 km/h). Active Blind Spot Detection and Lane Departure Warning systems use sensors and camera monitoring. Active Blind Spot Detection and Lane Departure Warning are convenience and safety- enhancing assistance systems. These systems employ radar sensors and use the data from the front camera to alert drivers to potential collision risks when changing lanes or if they veer out of lane unintentionally and also issue a warning when driving too close to the vehicle ahead. The Lane Departure Warning system is only available as part of the Active Driving Assistant. Speed Limit Info: always up to date. In conjunction with the Navigation System, Speed Limit Info helps to keep the driver informed of the speed limit for the current stretch of road. The front-mounted camera ensures that additional signs or variable overhead gantry signs are taken into account. In addition, the system is able to reliably identify and react to temporary speed limits. When the window wipers are active, the system also detects signs that are valid in wet conditions only. In conjunction with the exact onboard time, speed limits are presented which are only in force at certain times of day or night. Improved sight at night: full LED headlights with High Beam Assistant. The bright white light emitted by full LED headlights illuminates the road ahead with an exceptional intensity. The High Beam Assistant can also adapt to the traffic situation by switching to low beam. In conjunction with the front camera, the system reliably detects well lit stretches of road and switches to low beam when passing through cities, for example. The LED headlights with High Beam Assistant significantly increase the usage of high beam and therefore provide for better sight and increased safety when driving at night. When LED headlights are fitted, the optional fog lights are also implemented in LED technology, which further accentuates the premium character of the car's features and equipment. Superb overview and convenient parking. In addition to the rear view camera and PDC Park Distance Control, customers can also opt for the Surround View function with Side View and TopView, which provides a bird's eye view of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and the area around it, enabling the driver to carry out precise maneuvers in tight spaces. If the car's speed is under about 12 mph (20 km/h), the Side View function can additionally be activated to allow the driver to keep an eye on cross traffic. Convenience is further enhanced by the BMW Parking Assistant system which is able to maneuver the car into parking spaces parallel to the direction of travel. Sensors detect possible parking spaces while driving by and the system perfectly maneuvers the car into the parking spot if desired. The driver controls the speed by applying the accelerator and the brake pedal as well as switch between the forward and reverse gear. Services and apps: innovative services and infotainment in its purest form. Due to the ever-increasing popularity of smartphones and other digital devices, Internet, apps and digital services have been an integral of everyday life for some time now. BMW ConnectedDrive offers high-performance interface technology and provides top-of- the-range infotainment and entertainment capability that enables the driver and passengers to make extensive use of external mobile phones and music players. Through the optional ConnectedDrive Services, the world of apps can be integrated into the vehicle. Browser- based BMW online applications are loaded directly into the vehicle via an embedded onboard SIM card. These applications put at the driver's disposal online services such as weather, news or office functions. Smartphone apps allow in-car use of innovative services like Stitcher, Audible, Amazon Cloud Player, Twitter or Facebook. The latest-generation Navigation System features a full speech recognition function and an optimized voice control system to complete the portfolio of office functions offered by BMW ConnectedDrive. The full speech recognition system enables drivers to dictate text freely and compose short text-based messages by voice. In addition, Internet-based services, as well as calendar entries and text-based messages, can still be viewed in the Control Display of the iDrive operating system and read out via the Text to Speech function. The all-new 2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe arrives in US showrooms in early summer. LMFAO, a 4 series sedan. BMW has literally just lost it. They don't know what they're doing anymore. They know what they're doing it's just what they're doing isn't exactly the most logical. Ok so you have an A7/CLS competitor, fine. What trying to replicate that here with the 4-Series just for whatever reason doesn't seem to work as well. This model really isn't a necessity. This model really isn't a necessity. They never needed a 4 series to begin with. 3 series sedan/coupe would have worked perfectly fine... Now they've just gone retarded on us. Originally Posted by fastgti69 Well for whatever reason they are trying to keep odd numbers sedans and even numbers coupes. It also looks like they are trying to position each series directly against Audi. A5 = 4 Series A3 = 3-Series and so on and so forth. Everyone doesn't have to look like everyone else. It's getting boring. Everyone doesn't have to look like everyone else. It's getting boring. My point exactly. It could have been better to keep a closer market and not so much variety. Lol such a joke. onisyndicate Welcome to BMW Liquidators We'll have every different variant of Body style, name and motor all on the same CHASSIS! So come on down, we'll have what you need for GRRRRREAT PRICES! Here we have the bmw 435i Grand Coupe, it has the exact stuff as the much cheaper 335i sedan! But it's that much better cause it has the number 4 in it! I don't know, I kinda like it. I would rather have it over a 3-series. I thought they were going to price it higher, surprised it is actually cheaper than the 4-series coupe. The fact it has a hatch style trunk giving it SAV cargo utility, gives it a purporse. Always thought Audi should have brought over the S5 sportback. Originally Posted by onisyndicate Repped for truth. Wow, doesn't that sound stupid?? Originally Posted by BlackJetE90OC I like the look better than the F30 too but I mean whatever I can live without either. They need to make a 3 series coupe LMFAO. G0TB00ST? Other than price, I don't see a difference between this and the f30... SexiPYm3 I would think anyone with a 4 door 3 series would be excited about this car... It definitely looks better than a 4 door 3 series.. Hands down. Originally Posted by G0TB00ST? It has a hatchback like a A7. Yeah I hear ya. They should just get rid of the ugly Gran Turmiso's and make all the Gran Coupe's hatchbacks. The Gran Turismo's make even less sense than this. If we wanna talk about dumb BMW moves... sorry I meant the f30 gt. they look nearly identical The GT just looks stupider somehow. It's not the most flattering picture, but yeah they both look pretty stupid. The f30 gt seems to sit a bit taller, but it could just be the pictures I choose. I just want to punch whomever is responsible for the GT.

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New 'Smart' Car Technology Will Prevent Crashes Phil LeBeau | @Lebeaucarnews Tuesday, 25 Jan 2011 | 2:26 PM ETCNBC.com Erik Von Weber | Stone | Getty Images A new technology designed to protect drivers from potentially deadly collisions and stop thousands of fender-benders is moving closer to being a standard part of every car and truck. In fact, it could be in every new vehicle within the next five to six years. Imagine if any car could “talk” with other vehicles on the road and they could warn each other that they are about to crash. It may sound like something out of the 1960s animated sitcom, the futurisitic Jetsons, but it’s actually closer than you might think to becoming reality. A car crash happens every six seconds in the US. There were 5.2 million crashes in 2009, in which almost 34,000 people were killed and another 2.22 million injured. "It is way too many,” said David Strickland, an administrator with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “and if we have the ability for the vehicles themselves to intervene and stop an accident in a really thorough and thoughtful way, this really is a thing that we have to reach out and achieve." A group of major automakers, including Ford, GM and Toyota are developing technology that allows cars to communicate with each other and warn drivers. show chapters Talking Cars? Tuesday, 25 Jan 2011 | 10:16 AM ET It’s called Intellidrive,and here’s how it works: Using GPS transmitters and wi-fi, cars constantly send out signals with their location and speed. So a driver approaching an intersection where another car is about to run a red light will be warned to hit the brakes to avoid a collision. Or, if he or she is going so fast the car will run a red light or stop sign, the Intellidrive system will warn the driver to brake before it’s too late. One cause of vehicle-to-vehicle accidents: all drivers have blind spots and sometimes don’t see other vehicles. "I think this has huge potential to reduce crashes on our freeways and save lives,” said Farid Ahmed-Zaid, a technical expert of active safety at Ford. Such a change will require the federal government's help, which will take some time. But make no mistake, the day will come when cars are “talking” to each other, making you safer behind the wheel. Phil LeBeauCNBC Auto and Airline Industry Reporter

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Giti Tire will build $560M plant, create 1,700 jobs in Chester Co. By Don Worthington - [email protected] Chester County is taking its place in South Carolina’s tire kingdom. Giti Tire, a Singapore-based manufacturer, ended weeks of speculation over who might come to Chester County, announcing Monday it will build a $560 million plant and create about 1,700 jobs in Chester County over the next decade. The plant will be at a “mega site” off Interstate 77, bounded by S.C. 9 on the north and Old Richburg Road to the south. Giti Tire’s investment, the number of jobs and the likelihood of spinoff economic development thrilled Chester County Supervisor Carlisle Roddey. “I’d have crawled up here if I had to,” said Roddey of the announcement. He goes into the hospital Tuesday for back surgery. “If every Monday started like this, I’d think I was in heaven.” The Chester County announcement was one-third of what Gov. Nikki Haley dubbed the “ultimate economic hat trick.” Within six hours, Haley and her team of state and local economic developers announced 7,100 jobs should be coming to South Carolina over the next few years with an investment of $800 million. Monday’s announcements represent 12 percent of the total number of jobs Haley says she has helped create as governor. After the Giti announcement, the Lash Group and LPL Financial Carolinas each said they are leaving Charlotte for Fort Mill. The Lash Group plans to invest $90 million in a new company headquarters for up to 2,400 employees. LPL Financial plans to invest at least $150 million in a new regional headquarters for up to 3,000 workers. Both companies are locating in the Kingsley North business park at S.C. 160 and I-77. Giti: ‘Complicated’ plant Giti Tire’s announcement ends a string of “almost” deals for Chester County, where the recruitment of large-scale companies offering a significant number of jobs fell through repeatedly. Related stories from The Herald Tire plant means two things to Chester County working people: Jobs and hope Talk about mega job announcement has Chester County buzzing Work on Chester project could start within a month of Monday’s announcement “We could fill up the landfill with bouquets from failed deals,” Roddey said. “This one I’ll frame.” The plant – Giti Tire’s first North American manufacturing facility, its ninth worldwide – will produce both passenger and light truck tires. Workers at the 1.8-million-square-foot plant will both make and distribute tires. The company brands include GT Radial and Primewell. No timetable for construction was announced. Chester officials have said work could start within several weeks. Company officials said it will be as long as they need to build the “complicated” plant. During the first phase of production, the plant is expected make 5 million tires annually, or 30,000 a day. Giti Tire said it plans to increase production capacity depending on demand and market conditions. The tire plant will be the 10th in the state, solidifying South Carolina’s claim as the leading tire manufacturer and exporter in the country. Currently, tire companies in South Carolina make 84,000 tires a day. Haley said the opening of Giti’s first U.S. operation was a “big step for them, and this was not a comfortable step for them to take. We had to give them comfort.” Incentives were part of South Carolina’s deal. The state’s Coordinating Council on Economic Development approved a $37.8 million grant to help purchase and improve the mega site property. The Rural Infrastructure Authority approved a $2 million grant to assist with extending water and sewer to the site. The company also will qualify for job development credits which provide companies with funds – for up to 10 years – to help offset the cost of locating a facility, buying equipment and training employees. The credits are based on the number of jobs created. The Chester County Council approved a fee-in-lieu ordinance that will reduce the company’s property taxes. Details of the agreement, which was passed just before the announcement, were not available Monday. The public funds are in addition to private investments at the site. Steve Gedney, senior vice president of the Lancaster and Chester Railroad, said the company’s development arm invested about $5 million in 2006 to grade about 230 acres of the site for a prospect. ‘Sweet spot’ Enki Tan, Giti’s executive chairman, said Chester County was “basically the sweet spot we wanted to be in.” He said the company considered expansion for several years before deciding on Chester. Tan did not release other locations Giti considered. Tan said the site’s location off the interstate with access to airports in Columbia and Charlotte and rail and truck access to the port of Charleston was critical. Most of the raw materials for the tires will be produced in the United States and arrive by trucks, Tan said. Rubber from Southeast Asia will be imported through the port of Charleston, and finished tires may be exported. Chester County also is close to many of the 7,000 outlets that distribute Giti tires, including Wal-Mart. The announcement is a boon for Chester County, which has been hard hit by the death of the textile industry. When the textile plants closed, Chester died, residents said. Retailers of all kinds moved or closed. Those that stayed struggled. When the recession hit, Chester residents seeking work had to leave the county to find jobs. In 2009, the height of the downturn, one out of every five Chester County residents was looking for employment, according to federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chester’s current unemployment rate is 6.9 percent, 10th highest in the state. While the unemployment rate has been steadily dropping – it was 10.9 percent a year ago at this time – most Chester residents leave the county for work. One out of every two workers in Chester commutes to work, most often either to York County or Mecklenburg County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The new tire plant is expected to change that pattern. The plant is expected to draw workers from nearby counties, which also have struggled with high unemployment. Fairfield County to the south has an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent, 16th highest in the state. York County’s rate is 5.9 percent, 15th highest, and Lancaster County’s jobless rate is 5.8 percent, 18th highest. Monday’s announcement drew a full house to the Gateway Conference Center in Richburg. Highlights of the event included a live video greeting from other Giti plants and the cutting of a cake. Much of the talk was about family, the family atmosphere of Chester County and the 60-year history of a family-owned company. Tom Hamilton, a former Chester County supervisor, said Monday’s announcement was all about helping residents help themselves, noting that lines of people waiting for free food are still long in downtown Chester. The tire plant, he said, is about those people working to put food on the table for themselves and their families. “This is about pride,” he said, “family pride.” Why are gas stations out of gas? The Colonial Pipeline Spill explained Flight 1549 passengers talk about crash landing Hartland's Bar in Rock Hill aims to offer neighborhood experience

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Priceless Rides Shelly Brinker polishes the Brinkers’ 2000 Freightliner before a show. What’s it take to create a winning show truck? “Time and money,” Shelly Brinker says as she rubs polish on the muraled, pearlized fender of her 2000 Freightliner Classic XL. “And more money.” Brinker and her husband, Bob, an owner-operator who logs 130,000 miles a year over the road, are preparing their rig for a truck beauty show with hopes of taking home a trophy and maybe a little cash for their efforts. Even if they win, the prize money won’t make a dent in the $30,000 the couple has invested customizing their truck. “The chrome, the inside stuff, the fenders, the stainless bumpers – it all adds up,” Bob says. “I drove for 20 years before I did anything like this. We waited for our kids to be grown, so we didn’t have to deprive them of anything.” The Brinkers are part of an elite group of owner-operators and small trucking company owners who spend time and money lavishly on their trucks. Each year, hundreds of truck owners enter shows across the country, compete for trophies, calendar shots, money and the adoration of children and fellow truckers. They buy chrome and stainless steel in bulk, polish their wheels weekly and even turn the heads of four-wheelers. They spend their vacations working on asphalt parking lots and their extra dollars on chicken lights, infinity mirrors, LEDs and cleaning solutions. For many owners who are trying to eke a living out of trucking, seeing all that chrome sparkling on the highway makes them wonder, “Is it all worth it?” Show truckers sure think so. Harvey and Karen Zander say the money they’ve spent during the last 10 months adding murals, chrome and interior accoutrements to their new International Eagle would buy a really nice sports utility vehicle. “Some people might say it’s a waste of money,” Harvey says. “But it’s an image thing. We’re proud of what we do, and our truck says that. We don’t have a boat. We don’t have a cabin. Our vacations are usually spent in the truck. We’ve got no kids at home. So we take our money and throw it into something we love.” Says Karen, “If you were looking at it purely as a business, you’d buy stock trucks rigged solely for fuel efficiency.” For California trucker and heavy-equipment operator Bill Pierce, building a show truck fulfilled a lifelong dream. “I’ve always wanted to have a truck I could work and show at the same time,” Pierce says. “I had an idea of what I wanted to build and what it should look like.” Pierce rebuilt a 1986 Peterbilt daycab he found five years ago and took it to a body shop to be repainted and rechromed. “Then I began showing it,” Pierce says. He figures he’s got at least a thousand hours invested in it, which includes time spent taking it apart and rebuilding it and the 20 hours a week he spends polishing, waxing and maintaining it. Time is one thing, but Pierce has also spent nearly $30,000 for paint, chrome and stainless. Still, he says, all that time and money has paid off. Pierce’s truck was the May pinup in the Shell Rotella SuperRigs 20th Anniversary Calendar for 2003. He also took first place in the Classic Division at the SuperRigs beauty show last summer. Those accolades say a lot for a truck that runs off road every day, hauling a backhoe through mud, gravel and dirt. “Oh, yeah, it’s worth it,” Pierce says. “The shows are awesome. The people you meet are awesome reddit this Strong Start Fleet Insider Cummins The Industry’s Best-Kept Secret – Cummins ISX12 The ISX12 has been making great strides in terms of fuel-efficiency improvements and optimization for the toughest duty cycles....

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Get alerts from the Forty Five blog Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., talks about the Model X car at the company's headquarters, in Fremont, Calif. | AP Photo Trump adds Elon Musk, Uber and PepsiCo CEOs to economic advisory By Tony Romm NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump added three more executives to his list of outside corporate advisers, including Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, who once said Trump didn't belong in the White House.In a release Wednesday morning, the president-elect also added Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber, and Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, to his Strategic and Policy Forum, his previously announced group of business leaders who will advise the new administration on economic issues.Before the announcement, Trump's board had raised eyebrows among the tech industry for its lack of Silicon Valley presence. Only IBM CEO Ginni Rometty represented the sector on the forum, whose other members include the chief executives of Wal-Mart, The Walt Disney Company and General Electric.Trump in recent days has tried to extend an olive branch to the tech industry, and he'll meet with a number of prominent Valley executives at Trump Tower Wednesday.“My administration is going to work together with the private sector to improve the business climate and make it attractive for firms to create new jobs across the United States from Silicon Valley to the heartland,” Trump said in a statement.The choice of Musk comes despite his criticism of Trump before Election Day. “I think a bit strongly that [he] is probably not the right guy,” Musk told CNBC in November. But Musk has ties to Peter Thiel, a Valley venture capitalist advising Trump. Both are expected to be at today's tech summit. Tony Romm Show Comments

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Thread: BMW Confirms F30 3-series Production in US Under Consideration southlight Moderator / European Editor BMW Confirms F30 3-series Production in US Under Consideration BIMMERPOST NEWSBMW Confirms F30 3-series Production in US Under Consideration89COMMENTSTweet We reported earlier about the rumor that BMW was considering to build a fourth model at the US plant in Spartanburg, SC. Ian Robertson, member of the BMW board of management responsible for sales and marketing, now confirmed with FAZ that they were actually looking into this. While there's no final decision, Robertson said they "would by no means put that off the table." The US market continues to be the most important market for premium vehicles, so an US production would make sense for either the F10 5-series or the new F30 3-series coming later this year. BMW currently produces the X3, the X5 and the X6 at the Spartanburg Plant. As Robertson puts it, "the Spartanburg plant still has enough capacity to allow the production of additional models." According to FAZ, BMW sold 266,000 cars in the US in 2010 which is makes for a market share of 2.3 percent. It's no surprise that Robertson refers to the US as BMW's "second homeland." BMW recently invested as much as 1 billion Dollar to expand the US plant for the production of the X3. The increased capacity of 240,000 models per year made for 1,600 new jobs. Robertson went on to say that the additional capacity was needed because the USA were the most important market outside of Germany. [source: FAZ.net] __________________ Those forums...WHY NOT? JOIN THE 6MT CLUB GROUP Find More Posts by southlight

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2016 Audi Q7 gets official ahead of 2015 Detroit Auto Show Article by Christian A., on December 12, 2014 Few leaked photos earlier this morning made Audi officially unveil the next-generation Q7, a vehicle that promises to set new standards in the premium SUV segment. According to the German manufacturer, the 2016 Audi Q7 has a curb weight of just 1,995 kg (4,938 lb), which makes it the lightest in its class and 325 kg (716 lb) lighter than the previous model. The new Q7 is 5.05 meters (16.6 ft) long, has a 2.99 meter (9.8 ft) wheelbase, is 1.97 meters (6.5 ft) wide and 1.74 meters (5.7 ft) tall (with steel suspension). Lighter means fuel-efficient and the new Q7 will offer a 28% improvement for gasoline-powered models and 23% for diesel-powered models. When it comes to design, the Singleframe grille is deeply sculpted and features thick crossbars, while the new headlights featuring either xenon, LED or Matrix LED technology make the vehicle masculine and determined. At the rear, the new taillights include dynamic turn signals. Inside, the vehicle gets a three-spoke steering wheel and all controls are framed in fine aluminum lines. As an option, the Audi virtual cockpit brings a 12.3-inch TFT display that presents painstakingly rendered graphics. On the European market, the new Audi Q7 will be available with two powerful V6 engines: a TDI and TFSI. The 3.0-liter TDI will deliver 272 hp (200 kW) and 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) of torque, which means an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.3 seconds, while top speed is limited at 234 km/h (145.4 mph). This model will offer an average fuel consumption of 5.7 l/100 km (41.3 US mpg), with CO2 emissions of 149 g/km. A second version of the 3.0-liter TDI engine will be available with 218 hp (160 kW) and 500 Nm (368 lb-ft) of torque will be available at a later date. The 3.0-liter TFSI engine delivers 333 hp (245 kW) and 440 Nm (324 lb-ft) of torque. This model is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.1 seconds, while top speed is limited at 250 km/h (155.3 mph). Average fuel consumption of this model will be 7.7 l/100 km (30.5 US mpg), with CO2 emissions of 179 g/km. Audi will also offer a smaller 2.0 TFSI engine with 252 hp (185 kW) and 370 Nm (272 lb-ft) of torque for Asian markets and the United States. Later in 2015, Audi will introduce the Q7 e-tron, its first plug-in hybrid diesel model with Quattro. This model will use a 3.0-liter TFDI with 258 hp (190 kW) as well as an electric motor integrated into the 8-speed tiptronic, which delivers an additional 94 kW. The total output of the system is 373 hp (275 kW) as well as 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) and the Q7 e-tron will be able to zoom from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.0 seconds, while top speed will be 225 km/h or almost 140 mph. Using just the electroc motor the vehicle will accelerate from 0 to 60 km/h (37.3 mph) in 6.1 seconds. The Q7 e-tron will consume just 1.7 l/100 km (138.4 US mpg), with CO2 emissions of less than 50 g/km. Using just the lithium-ion batteries which store 17.3 kWh of energy, it has a range of up to 56 km (34.8 miles) in pure electric mode. Press Release The new Audi Q7 – Sportiness, efficiency, premium comfort Technical Development Board Member Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg: "New Q7 is a statement of our competence in lightweight construction, efficiency and assistance systems" 325 kilograms (716.5 lb) lighter and around 26 percent more efficient First diesel plug-in hybrid with quattro drive Ingolstadt, December 12, 2014 – With the new Q7*, Audi is setting standards in the premium SUV segment. 325 kilograms less weight and the low center of mass make it extremely agile. At the same time, it is the most spacious car in its segment. Although the exterior dimensions have gotten smaller, it offers substantially more interior room for passengers and luggage. Its innovative assistance and infotainment systems take the SUV to the front of the pack. The efficient engines consume 26 percent less fuel on average. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development: "The new Audi Q7 is a statement of our competence. Weighing 325 kilograms (716.5 lb) less, it sets the benchmark in its class. It is around 26 percent more efficient and is equipped with the latest assistance systems, infotainment modules and connect features." With a curb weight of just 1,995 kilograms (4,398.2 lb) (as 3.0 TDI), the new Audi Q7 is the lightest in its class. It weighs 325 kilograms (716.5 lb) less than the previous model. With its lightweight, multimaterial body and an all-new chassis, it is comfortable while at the same time offering the typical performance of a sporty Audi – and that with top-notch CO2 values. Audi engineers have reduced the fuel consumption of the Q7 by as much as 28 percent (TFSI) and 23 percent (TDI). The engines set top marks in the segment of large SUVs with all-wheel drive. The 3.0 TDI with 200 kW (272 hp) and the 3.0 TFSI with 245 kW (333 hp) accelerate the new Audi Q7 from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 6.1 seconds (TFSI) and 6.3 seconds (TDI), respectively. The diesel V6 consumes on average just 5.7 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (41.3 US mpg), corresponding to 149 grams of CO2 per kilometer (239.8 g/mi). The Audi Q7 also sets standards with respect to the operating concept, infotainment, connectivity and driver assistance systems. The second-generation modular infotainment platform is on board, as is the Audi virtual cockpit. The new MMI all-in-touch control unit with large touchpad makes operation child's play. Other attractive innovations include the expanded services from Audi connect, the Audi tablet for the rear seat passengers and the two sound systems with 3D audio. Smartphone integration with Google Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is also new. The new Audi Q7 is one of the first cars worldwide to offer these functions. One highlight is the comprehensive portfolio of new driver assistance systems, including adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assistant. No other production vehicle in the world currently offers more. The Audi Q7 e-tron quattro, which will be launched a short time later, is the first plug in hybrid from Audi with a diesel engine. It impresses with system 275 kW (373 hp) of system output and a system torque of 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft), and is also the world's first diesel plug-in hybrid with quattro all-wheel drive in the premium SUV segment. It consumes just 1.7 liters per 100 kilometers (138.4 US mpg), which corresponds to less than 50 grams CO2 per kilometer (80.5 g/mi). A full battery charge is sufficient for a distance of 56 kilometers (34.8 mi). The new Audi Q7. Audi presents the new Audi Q7* at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. With the second generation of the large SUV, the brand with the four rings is setting new standards in its market segment. The drivetrain, chassis, lightweight construction, assistance systems and infotainment impress with innovative technology. The new Audi Q7 is up to 325 kilograms (716.5 lb) lighter than its predecessor and reduces CO2 emissions by as much as 50 grams per kilometer (80.5 g/mi). Scheduled to follow shortly after the market launch, the Audi Q7 e-tron quattro is the world's first plug-in hybrid with a six-cylinder diesel engine and quattro all-wheel drive. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development: "The new Q7 also marks the debut of the second-generation modular longitudinal platform, the Audi technology matrix for models with longitudinally mounted engines. Efficient development and manufacturing provide Audi with flexibility for offering new technologies and drive variants. The new Audi Q7 is a statement of our competence. Weighing 325 kilograms (716.5 lb) less, it sets the benchmark in its class. It is around 26 percent more efficient and is equipped with the latest assistance systems, infotainment modules and connect features." 71 kilograms (156.5 lb) less weight: Body The new Q7 is an imposing car with the best height:weight ratio in its class: 5.05 meters (16.6 ft) long, a 2.99 meter (9.8 ft) wheelbase, 1.97 meters (6.5 ft) wide and 1.74 meters (5.7 ft) tall (with steel suspension). Although it is shorter and narrower than its predecessor, the cabin is longer and offers more head room. 20 years of experience with lightweight construction flow into the new Audi Q7. Equipped with the 3.0 TDI engine, the new Audi Q7 tips the scales at just 1,995 kilograms (4,398 lb), which is 325 kilograms (716.5 lb) less weight – the equivalent of a concert grand piano. The Q7 with the 3.0 TFSI engine is even lighter, weighing just 1,970 kilograms (4,343.1 lb). Lightweight construction has been applied in all areas, from the electrical system to the luggage compartment floor. The key is the body structure, where a new multimaterial design reduces its weight by 71 kilograms (156.5 lb). This places the new Q7 among the best in its segment. Ultra-high-strength parts made of hot-shaped steel form the backbone of the occupant cell. Aluminum castings, extruded sections and panels are used in the front and rear ends as well as the superstructure. They account for 41 percent of the body structure. Other parts made entirely of aluminum are the doors, which shave 24 kilograms (52.9 lb) of weight, the front fenders, the engine hood and the rear hatch. Audi uses new manufacturing methods for the production and assembly of the parts. The crash safety and occupant protection of the new Audi Q7 are also on the highest level. Three torsion rings reinforce the front end, the area of the C-pillars and the rear hatch cutout. These play a major role in the vastly improved static and dynamic stiffness of the body. The torsion rings are the foundation for the precise handling and superior vibrational comfort in the car's interior. Quiet on board The premium acoustic insulation reinforces the impression of solidity and elegance by providing for a unique degree of quietness in every situation. The best-in-class aeroacoustics result from the interplay between various vehicle components, such as the mirror mounted on the shoulder line.The big SUV has a cd value of just 0.32. This top mark in the segment is the result of sophisticated technical solutions. The underbody is nearly completely lined; a small spoiler in the area of the rear axle reduces lift. The efficiency model – the V6 TDI with 160 kW (218 hp) which will be launchend at a later date – features louvers between the Singleframe grille and the top section of the main radiator. The plastic slats open and – for better aerodynamics – close as necessary. This is based on an energy-optimized controller for maximum cd advantage. Confident: Exterior design The proportions have changed compared with the previous model. The big SUV is 37 millimeters (1.5 in) shorter and 15 millimeters (0.6 in) narrower while virtually the same height. Inside, however, there is an additional 21 millimeters (0.8 in) between the first and second rows of seats, and head room has increased by 41 millimeters (1.6 in) and 23 millimeters (0.9 in) in the first and second rows, respectively. The design of the new Q7 is masculine and determined. Horizontal lines extend above the wheels. These blisters are a subtle homage to the classic quattro models from Audi. The exterior mirrors are mounted on the shoulders of the doors; blades run from the front to the rear doors and bear embossed quattro logos. The rear hatch wraps around the massive, steeply raked D-pillars, a typical feature of the Q models from Audi. The Singleframe grille is deeply sculpted and features thick crossbars. It is integrated organically into the front end. Its broad frame extends to the headlights, which feature either xenon, LED or Matrix LED technology, depending on the option chosen by the customer. The daytime running lights of the LED headlights are shaped like a double arrow. The taillights of the top model include dynamic turn signals – another Audi innovation. New look: Trim strips and add-on parts Four of the eleven exterior colors available for the Q7 are new. All of the trim strips adorning the body of the big SUV have a matt aluminum-look finish for a sporty, modern appearance. Bolt-on parts such as the door inlays and underbody protection front and rear come standard with a silver paint finish. In the base configuration, the bottom section of the bumpers and the wheel arches are anthracite, textured plastic. These are also available in the body color as an option. Borrowing from the bolt-on parts, the radiator grille is finished with a new, lightly structured paint that underscores the off-road character of the car. With the second alternative – the S line exterior package – the bumpers, the air inlets, the side sills, the roof spoiler and the diffuser feature a particularly bold design. The radiator grille and the slats in the lateral air intakes feature a newly developed, progressive, dark gray, high-gloss finish that replaces the familiar high- gloss black. Audi offers an optional power trailer hitch with trailer assistant. The new Audi Q7 has a towing capacity of 3.5 metric tons if equipped with the optional air suspension. Broadly stretched lines: Interior design The new Audi Q7 welcomes its passengers with an atmosphere of cultivated elegance and spaciousness. The interior design appears tautly stretched; the two-piece inlays are available in various material combinations. The double application strip in the doors provides for a sense of lightness. The instrument panel is visually separated from the center console, supporting the sportiness and lightness of the interior. Feeling of safety and protection: The wrap-around A wrap-around running from the doors through the instrument panel to form a sort of protective shield gives the driver and passengers a feeling of protection. The interface components are tailored specifically to the Audi Q7. They are located on the center console, which is oriented toward the driver. The shapes and contours of the interface components harmonize well with the interior architecture. The lines of the air vents point to the instrument cluster and further reinforce the driver orientation. The ambient lighting uses LEDs exclusively. A second variant of the ambient lighting is available as an alternative. Ultra-narrow light guides follow the contours on the instrument panel and in the doors (including exit warning) as standard, and in an upgrade option they also include the center tunnel console. Now for the first time this lighting can be controlled via the MMI. In the top package, various colors can be selected. Color and equipment: Diverse equipment variants With the colors and materials used in the Q7, Audi is showing a new expression of lightness, sportiness and luxury in the premium SUV segment. The instrument panel is separated horizontally into two colors, which enables brighter colors to be used on the bottom. There are seven interior colors from which to choose. The two-piece application strip is available in a variety of material combinations. Besides high- quality effect finishes, there are a number of aluminum and wood variants from which to choose, including Beaufort walnut. Audi offer a choice of fabric, Alcantara, robust Cricket leather and fine Valcona leather for the seat coverings. For customers seeking even more individuality, Audi offers three leather packages and two design selections. One elegant and one sporty design include full leather with contrast stitching, Alcantara headlining, luxury velour floor mats plus exclusive color and material combinations and application strips. The Audi exclusive range offers many additional customization options. Even more room than in the previous model: The space concept With the longest cabin in its class despite shorter exterior length, the new Audi Q7 offers more space than its predecessor. Passengers enjoy more head, shoulder and knee room. The space concept is highly variable. Audi provides an extremely comfortable three-seat unit with adjustable seatbacks for the second row. If desired, all three seats can each be moved longitudinally up to 110 millimeters (4.3 in), 10 millimeters (0.4 in) more than before. Another option is for two individual seats in the third row that are certified as Group 3 child seats. These turn the Audi Q7 into a seven-seater with even greater utility. 24 millimeters (0.9 in) more head room and 20 millimeters (0.8 in) more shoulder room provide for more space. With the seats folded down, the seat backs are integrated into the cargo floor and can be raised or lowered electrically using rocker switches ergonomically located in the area of the C-pillars and in the cargo compartment. For optimal access to the third row, the seats in the second row can be folded down and tipped up on edge as a compact package, providing an entry width of 376 millimeters (14.8 in). All seats in the second and third rows have Isofix/i-Size fixtures for child seats. Customers can thus mount up to six child seats in the new Audi Q7. Roller blinds and dark "privacy" glazing is optionally available for the rear. The panoramic glass sunroof – another option – makes the generous interior even brighter and airier. If all seven seats are occupied, the cargo compartment of the new Audi Q7 has a capacity of 295 liters (10.4 cu ft), 770 liters (27.2 cu ft) in load configuration. The five-seater offers 890 liters (31.4 cu ft) and 2,075 liters (73.3 cu ft) with the second row seat backs folded down. To improve the usability of the cargo compartment, the developers lowered the loading lip by 46 millimeters (1.8 in) compared with the previous model. A power rear hatch is standard. In combination with the advanced key, Audi also offers gesture control – a kicking motion in the center below the rear hatch and the hatch opens automatically. The same foot gesture can also be used to close the hatch again. A number of other options are available for making interactions with the big SUV practical and convenient: a power cargo compartment cover, power door closers and a heated windshield. Fewer buttons for optimal ergonomics: Operation and display All controls are framed in fine aluminum lines. They harmonize perfectly with the architecture – a reduced number of buttons while at the same time offering optimal ergonomics. Front seat choices are standard seats, standard seats with climate function, sport seats, sport seats with pneumatics and the custom contour seat. The design of the second and third row can be adapted to the variants chosen for the front seats. The front seats offer driver and passenger plenty of space and comfort. Among the seat variants offered by Audi in the new Q7 are the multi-adjustable sport seat and the climate-controlled individual contour seat with up to 18 adjustments and optional massage function. The latter includes five different programs, each with a choice of five intensity levels. Newly developed: Deluxe air conditioning Audi equips the big SUV standard with a newly developed, two-zone deluxe air conditioning system. Its new operating concept uses fewer buttons and controls. Animated symbols in the display, the high-quality TFT display and the capacitive toggle switches provide for intuitive operation of the air conditioning. Audi also offers the option of a luxurious four-zone system, the temperature displays of which are integrated into the rotary dials. A display with toggle switches shows the status of selected functions. When the toggle switch is touched, the menu expands for better legibility and easier operation. The right zone of the instrument panel includes a continuous air vent strip – including continuous chrome application – from which the air exits indirectly and draft-free. Both air conditioning variants offer customers particularly high air quality in the cabin. In both fresh air and recirculation mode, the air conditioning system filters out fine particulates. Playfully easy: the new MMI operating concept The latest generation of the Audi MMI operating concept makes it easy to control the multitude of convenient and innovative functions in the Audi Q7. The innovative MMI search with intelligent suggestions makes it easier to search for specific song titles and to input telephone contacts or navigation destinations, thus significantly reducing the amount of time spent on these operations. Nearly all entries can be completed in just a few steps. Two supplemental menus contain intelligently linked functions and options. Audi once again sets a benchmark here. Displays appear on the central MMI monitor, which rises up from the instrument panel when the system is started and also enables the passenger to use the Audi MMI system in the accustomed manner. Haptic feedback: MMI all-in-touch The focal point of the operating system is the newly developed MMI all-in-touch control unit with a full touch surface. Each input is followed by an acoustic and a haptic confirmation – a click that is also felt on the finger. The driver can enter characters on the large touchpad or perform multi-finger gestures to zoom in on the map or scroll through lists, for example. The main functions can be accessed using the high-quality rotary pushbutton and two rocker switches. The driver can also assign personal favorites, such as navigation destinations, telephone numbers or radio stations, to eight freely programmable buttons. The essential control logic of the Audi MMI is also reflected in the new multifunction steering wheels. Customers can operate the onboard computer with its vehicle information and information for the driver as well as operate the audio system with the thumb of their left hand. Depending on the equipment installed, telephony and navigation functions can also be controlled via the steering wheel. The proven volume roller with mute function as well as the voice dialog button, telephone express controls and the practical Skip function quickly changing the radio station or the song are located on the right side of the steering wheel. "Where can I get gas?": new natural speech control Another highlight is the voice control system. It is now much simpler. Drivers no longer have to stick to predefined commands. The system understands phrasings from everyday language, meaning that hundreds of command variations are possible for each function. In the telephone menu, calling a contact is as easy as saying "I want to talk to Peter" or "Connect me to Peter." But the navigation system also reacts to simple commands (such as "Where can I get gas?" or "I want to eat something"). Natural speech control is also integrated into the menu items Radio and Media (for instance, "Play Radio Galaxy" or "I want to listen to my iPod"), enabling consistent voice control for the customer. Driver-relevant information is displayed in the new Q7 in a high-quality instrument cluster with precisely fabricated dial instruments for rpm and speed. The 7-inch color display places everything from the current radio station to the navigation map to the display from the optional night vision assistant directly in the field of view. Sophisticated graphics: Audi virtual cockpit The optional MMI navigation plus is also available with the Audi virtual cockpit, a 12.3-inch TFT display that presents tack-sharp, painstakingly rendered graphics. As in the new Audi TT*, the Q7 customer can switch between a classic view with high- quality rendered dial instruments and an infotainment view with an extended display area for lists and the map – all conveniently from the steering wheel. Furthermore, custom views, such as certain values from the onboard computer, can also be configured. The great flexibility of the displays enables all information to be brilliantly presented as a function of personal preferences and the driving situation. Awesome computing power: the T30 processor from Audi's partner NVIDIA This high performance is made possible by the intelligent interplay of the Audi electronics architecture. The modular infotainment platform (MIB) is an important system component here. The new Q7 is equipped with the second generation of the MIB, which includes a quad-core T30 processor from Audi's partner NVIDIA. Together with the second T30 processor integrated directly into the Audi virtual cockpit, the systems generate brilliant 3D graphics and tack-sharp dial instruments displayed at a rate of 60 frames per second. The graphics quality, transparent images and animations together with the high-end resolution of 1,440 x 540 pixels create an all-new visual experience. Another high-end option in the new Audi Q7 is the head-up display, which is harmoniously integrated into the instrument panel. It projects all key information onto the windshield. Modular: the infotainment Audi offers various levels of the infotainment modules for the new Q7. The MMI radio plus is standard in Germany. This offers interfaces for external devices such as mobile phones or memory cards. The standard Audi sound system delivers excellent sound quality from its ten speakers. It is controlled using the MMI terminal on the center tunnel, which comprises a rotary pushbutton, two options buttons and four main function buttons.Displays are shown on a central, 7-inch MMI monitor that rises up from the instrument panel when the system is started. The high-end infotainment control center is the MMI navigation plus, which has an 8.3-inch monitor. Working in the background is the second generation of the modular infotainment platform. Its key component is the fast Tegra 30 graphics processor from Audi's partner NVIDIA. Sound with a third dimension: 3D sound Audi offers additional hardware components beyond MMI navigation plus. The Bose sound system with 3D sound and the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System with 3D sound fascinate even discerning hi-fi users. Both systems reproduce music in innovative 3D sound. Additional speakers in the A-pillars provide the spatial dimension of height so that the music appears to be coming from a large virtual stage. The Bang & Olufsen system drives 23 speakers including subwoofers with 1,920 watts of amplifier power. The Audi phone box, another option in the new Q7 already available in other models, connects the cell phone to the car's cellular phone antenna. Inductive charging and wireless smartphone connection will be available as additional functions shortly after the launch of the new Audi Q7. New rear seat entertainment: the Audi tablet Audi is breaking new ground in rear seat entertainment. One or optionally two Audi tablets with 10.1 inch screens and a fine finish serve as rear seat monitors. Their heart is a powerful NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor. The Audi tablet can stand up to the demanding challenges in the car – it is temperature-resistant and offers the necessary crash safety lacking in conventional end-device solutions. The Audi tablet is connected to the MMI navigation plus via WiFi, thus gaining access to the radio, media, navigation and car functions of the Audi Q7. A rear seat passenger can, for instance, send a navigation destination to the MMI navigation via the Audi tablet. The passenger can also surf the Internet via the WiFi connection. The use of the Android operating system in the Audi tablet and the availability of the Google Play store give the customer access to a huge number of applications, games, movies, music, eBooks and much more. At the end of the trip, the Audi tablet can be removed from its mount and used offline or on any external WiFi network. The Audi tablet features a full HD camera, 32 GB of internal storage and an additional Bluetooth and NFC interface for connecting headphones, for example. Internet with LTE speed: Audi connect MMI navigation plus also includes the module Audi connect, which connects the new Audi Q7 to the Internet via the LTE standard. Passengers can surf via the WiFi hotspot with download speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s and send and receive e-mail while using a variety of applications. The driver can use the tailored Audi connect services ranging from online traffic information to navigation with Google Earth and Google Street View to online media streaming. The new app provides access to Aupeo! personal web radio and the large Napster music library. The Q7 also has a new, top-of-the-line element of the Audi connect portfolio: The Audi smartphone interface brings "Apple Car Play" and "Google Android Auto" on board. If an iOS or Android cellular phone is connected to the USB port (iOS from Version 7.1; Android from Version 5.0 Lollipop), the respective environment opens in the Audi smartphone interface. Both are tailored for use in the car. The heart of this feature is online music. In addition, both platforms offer navigation functions, missed call/appointment reminders and messaging functions. Over time, these will be joined by numerous third-party applications such as Pandora, Spotify and WhatsApp. Customer wish fulfilled: online updates for the navigation map The Audi Q7 offers additional new services besides the familiar Audi connect portfolio. For example, the brand with the four rings now offers online updates for the navigation map. Audi Q7 drivers can download the update directly to the car using the LTE connection. They can also download the data to their computer using the myAudi platform at www.audi.de/myaudi and transfer them to the car via an SD card. A third option is installation at an Audi dealership. A notification appears in the MMI navigation plus when a new map update is available. Updates will be released every six months, and the first five updates are free for Audi drivers. Customers can update either the complete Europe map or only individual regions. Navigation continues to work without restriction during the online update in the car. Audi connect can be used free of charge with MMI navigation plus for three months. An extension for an additional three years is available as a factory option or via Audi After Sales Service. Audi connect: additional new services The Audi Q7 will receive additional new services shortly after launch when the equipment element "Audi connect Emergency Calling & Service" becomes available with the functions emergency calling, online calls in case of a breakdown and Audi online service appointments. The equipment element also includes the service package "Audi connect Vehicle Control", comprising the services vehicle status report, remote control lock/unlock, parking location and the remote control for the optional auxiliary heating. "Audi connect Emergency Calling & Service" can be used 10 years free of charge. The service package "Audi connect Vehicle Control" is available free of charge for three years, at the end of which it can be extended for a fee. A range that sets new standards: the driver assistance systems With its range of driver assistance systems, the new Audi Q7 sets standards that go far beyond the standards in its segment. Some systems have been completely redeveloped from scratch. Standard are the rear parking aid, cruise control, adjustable speed limiter, rest recommendation and the safety system Audi pre sense city. At city speeds it warns the driver of impending collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians and will initiate heavy braking in an emergency. If the collision is inevitable, the multicollision brake assist system uses controlled braking maneuvers during the accident to aid the driver. This can help to prevent the car from skidding and thus additional collisions. The optional "Audi pre sense basic" initiates preventive protective measures for the occupants in instable driving states, such as tightening of the front seat belts. Optional solutions are bundled in the packages "Parking", "City" and "Tour". The "Parking" package includes the surround view camera and the park assist system, which autonomously steers the car backwards into parallel and perpendicular parking spots. The driver only has to apply the brakes and the gas. New: cross-traffic assist, exit warning system and trailer assistant The "City" package comprises new systems. The cross-traffic assist warns the driver of other vehicles when driving slowly in reverse, such as when pulling out from a perpendicular parking spot. The exit warning system indicates vehicles or cyclists approaching from the rear before the door is opened. If the new Audi Q7 is used as a tow vehicle, the trailer assistant steers the trailer backwards in precisely the direction indicated by the driver using the rotary pushbutton of the MMI. The system also manages turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction, stabilizes the trailer-tow vehicle unit when driving backwards in a straight line and when the steering wheel is turned too far warns if the trailer could hit the rear of the vehicle. Audi side assist uses radar measurements behind the car to ensure safe lane changes; Audi pre sense rear tensions the seat belts in the event of an impending collision from behind. The parking system plus and the reversing cameras round out the "City" package. For slow-moving traffic: ACC stop & go including traffic jam assistant More innovations from Audi can be found in the "Tour" package. The adaptive cruise control system accelerates and brakes to keep the Q7 at the desired distance from the vehicle ahead. It displays the distance when it is deactivated. With the top version, ACC stop & go including traffic jam assistant, the system also takes over the steering on developed highways if traffic congested and not moving faster than 60 km/h (37.3 mph). Audi active lane assist uses a camera and small steering interventions to help the driver to stay in a lane. The safety system Audi pre sense front warns of an impending rear-end collision with the vehicle ahead, tensions the belts and brakes the car autonomously, if necessary. It does both of these things in multiple stages. Even lower consumption: the predictive efficiency assistant The predictive efficiency assistant is a groundbreaking innovation from Audi. It uses the route data from the navigation system to alert the driver of situations in which it would make sense to reduce speed, such as before curves, towns or speed limit signs that are not yet visible. In collaboration with adaptive cruise control (ACC) and traffic sign recognition, the system adapts the preselected speed to the route and the speed limits. The predictive efficiency assistant, which can also take over predictive control of the free-wheeling function of the eight-speed tiptronic, has the potential to reduce fuel consumption on interurban roads by as much as ten percent. Also available as an option is the night vision assistant. It uses an infrared camera to detect pedestrians and larger wild animals at long distances in the dark and issues appropriate warnings. The camera-based traffic sign recognition system rounds out the spectrum. Two further systems are scheduled to follow shortly after the launch. The avoidance assistant intervenes in the steering to help the driver avoid an obstacle. The turning assistant monitors opposing traffic when turning left at low speeds. In a critical situation, it brakes the car. Powerful and efficient: the updated engines The new Audi Q7 is coming to the European market with two powerful and highly- cultivated V6 engines: a TDI and a TFSI. Thanks to intensive refinements, their CO2 emissions have been reduced by as much as 50 grams per kilometer (80.5 g/mi). Both engines comply with the Euro 6 emissions standard. The powerful 3.0 TDI produces 200 kW (272 hp) and 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of torque. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) takes 6.3 seconds; top speed is of 234 km/h (145.4 mph). Average fuel consumption is just 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers (41.3 US mpg), which equates to CO2 emissions of 149 grams per kilometer (239.8 g/mi). The V6 diesel has been systematically designed for minimal internal friction and efficient thermal management. The 3.0 TDI is extremely smooth, which is also due in part to the switchable hydraulic engine bearings. They ensure that engine vibration is low and conduct little noise into the car. The 3.0 TFSI produces 245 kW (333 hp) and 440 Nm (324.5 lb-ft) of torque, accelerating the big SUV from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 6.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph). Its mechanical compressor, which provides charging, is deactivated when operating at part load. This technique contributes to the low consumption of 7.7 liters per 100 kilometers (30.5 US mpg) in the NEDC, corresponding to 179 grams CO2 per kilometer (288.1 g/mi). A second variant of the 3.0 TDI with 160 kW (218 hp) and 500 Nm (368.8 lb-ft) of torque will follow at a later date. This efficiency model will further reduce the CO2 emissions of the 3.0 TDI, setting new standards for efficiency. Another engine is the 2.0 TFSI with an output of 185 kW (252 hp) and 370 Nm (272.9 lb-ft) of torque. It is planned primarily for the Asian markets and the U.S.A. by wire: the powertrain Smooth, fast, lightweight and efficient. In the new Audi Q7, a newly developed, eight-speed tiptronic transfers the engine's power to the quattro permanent all- wheel drive system. The torque converter transmission shifts gears smoothly and is very efficient. It offers a free-wheeling function when the driver steps off the gas. A new vaporization system enables the engine to run at extremely slow speeds below 1,000 rpm. Besides automatic mode, the driver can also choose to control the tiptronic using the standard paddles on the steering wheel or via a selector lever. In both cases, the commands are transmitted purely electrically (by wire). The self-locking center differential – the heart of the quattro all-wheel drive system – is integrated into the housing of the eight-speed tiptronic. It is significantly lighter and more compact than the transfer case of the previous model, and with its optimized locking rates provides for outstanding traction and handling. Under normal driving conditions, the center differential distributes the power between the front and rear axle in a 40:60 ratio. If the wheels of one axle lose grip, it can extremely quickly transfer as much as 70 percent of the power to the front and a maximum of85 percent to the rear. The mechanical center differential operates in direct conjunction with torque vectoring. During fast cornering, the control software uses finely metered interventions to brake the inside wheels, which are under a reduced load. This makes the steering response of the big SUV even more agile and precise, and the grip even better. Supreme comfort and sporty agility: the chassis The new Audi Q7 is an extremely comfortable companion. It tracks smoothly and confidently on the highway and spoils its passengers with a high level of rolling comfort. On twisting interurban roads, it is manageable, precise and agile, and it also keeps going when the asphalt stops. Compared with the previous model, the center of mass of the big SUV has been lowered by 50 millimeters (2.0 in), in part by installing the engine lower. The chassis also features numerous changes. Both the front and rear axle are five-link designs, replacing the double wishbone axles of the previous model. The new elastomer bearings and the separate springs and dampers at the rear axle respond extremely sensitively. Also new is the electromechanical power steering, whose boost decreases as speed increases and is very efficient. It provides for direct steering response, and several of the driver assistance systems would not be possible without it. Minus 100 kilograms: strict lightweight construction for chassis Compared with the previous model, the chassis of the new Audi Q7 is over 100 kilograms (220.5 lb) lighter – thanks to many changes. The links of the wheel suspensions, for example, are now made of aluminum and high-strength steel; the cardan shafts of the front axle are hollow; and the pivot bearings are aluminum forgings. Top innovation: the new all-wheel steering Audi offers another groundbreaking innovation as an option: all-wheel steering. A steering system with an electric spindle drive turns the rear wheels inward by as much as five degrees depending on the situation. At low speeds they steer opposite the front wheels, which significantly increases vehicle agility and reduces the turning radius by up to one meter (3.3 ft). At higher speeds the rear wheels follow the movement of the front wheels. This further optimizes steering response, and vehicle stability is further enhanced in avoidance situations. The new Audi Q7 already offers excellent comfort even with the standard steel suspension. Rolling is even smoother with the adaptive air suspension, which is managed by a newly developed central vehicle control unit that manages all body control systems. The new controllers developed by Audi for the air suspension and active damping vary the body height and superstructure comfort as a function of the situation. On the highway, the body is lowered by as much as 30 millimeters (1.2 in). It is raised as much as 60 millimeters (2.4 in) when driving at low speeds off-road. A sport version of the adaptive air suspension is also available. As many as seven levels: Audi drive select The standard Audi drive select driving dynamics system works together with the adaptive air suspension to offer seven modes: efficiency (available for the first time on the Audi Q7), comfort, auto, dynamic, individual, allroad and lift/offroad. Depending on the equipment installed, Audi drive select integrates various technology modules, including the eight-speed tiptronic, the electromechanical power steering, the all-wheel steering and the engine characteristic. The new Audi Q7 comes standard with 18-inch wheels and 235/65 tires. Audi and quattro GmbH offer a large number of additional wheels in sizes up to 21 inches as options. Large, vented brake discs bring the SUV safely to a stop. They are gripped up front by aluminum six-piston calipers. The electromechanical parking brake, updated with convenient hill hold and startup functions, acts on the rear wheels. The new Audi Q7 also moves with aplomb through terrain, where the high ground clearance of up to 235 millimeters (9.3 in) and large axle articulation possible come into play. An optional display shows the driver the pitch and roll angles. An electronic hill-descent assist controls the desired speed. German customers will be able to order the Q7 from the spring of 2015 and it will be arriving at the dealerships with a wealth of standard equipment features in the summer of 2015. In Germany the Q7 will be available starting at around 61,000 euros. Plug-in hybrid with quattro all-wheel drive: the Audi Q7 e-tron quattro Audi is rapidly expanding its lineup of vehicles with powerful electric drive systems. These are scheduled to be joined by the Audi Q7 e-tron quattro in 2015, when it will be the world's first plug-in hybrid with a six-cylinder diesel and quattro all-wheel drive. Equipped with quattro all-wheel drive, the SUV consumes just 1.7 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (138.4 US mpg) – for a CO2 equivalent of less than 50 grams per kilometer (80.5 g/mi). The lithium-ion batteries store 17.3 kWh of energy, enabling a range of up to 56 kilometers (34.8 mi) in pure electric mode. The 3.0 TDI in the Audi Q7 e-tron produces 190 kW (258 hp). The electric motor, which is integrated into the eight-speed tiptronic, has an output of 94 kW. System output is 275 kW (373 hp); system torque is 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft). The Audi Q7 e-tron accelerates with this power from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 6.0 seconds, and from 0 to 60 km/h (37.3 mph) in 6.1 seconds on electric power alone. Top speed is 225 km/h (139.8 mph). The Q7 PHEV is the world's first PHEV with a heat pump, which minimizes the energy requirement for heating and air conditioning without compromising customer comfort. Furthermore, the customer can preheat or precool the car via an app. Topics: audi, audi q7, detroit auto show, suv If you liked the article, share on: 2017 Ram 1500 Rebel Black Edition unveiled As you probably have noticed, the Ram 1500 Rebel is the meaner and more aggressive version of the Ram 1500. But there is a version of the Ram 1500 Rebel... by Christian A. - January 24, 2017 2018 VW Atlas R-Line introduced Months from now, Volkswagen will commence sales of its new Atlas SUV (2018 model year) in the United States. But as early as now, the German carmaker is making sure... by Christian A. - January 19, 2017 NAIAS 2017: Samsung unveils its next generation EV battery The 2017 Detroit Auto Show is getting hotter by the minute. Samsung SDI recently announced that it’s going to unleash its new and awesome lithium battery within the next 3... by Christian A. - January 18, 2017 Mercedes-AMG big boss Tobias Moers outlines new product plans at Detroit Auto Show Tobias Moers has been the chief executive of Mercedes-AMG – the performance division of German premium carmaker Mercedes-Benz -- since October 2013. With him at the helm, AMG went on... by Christian A. - January 16, 2017 Volvo offers self-driving technology to its first 100 customers Like other car companies, Volvo is also busy preparing for the autonomous future. As a matter of fact, the Swedish manufacturing firm is giving its first customers their firsthand experience... by Christian A. - January 15, 2017 Facebook Jeep celebrates 75 years with ‘green’ 75th Anniversary special edition models NAIAS: 2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S arrives in Detroit with 570 hp Official: Porsche presents the 911 (911) Targa 4 and Targa 4S models Volvo seeks to sustain global growth momentum with launch of S90 premium sedan Detroit Auto Show: VLF Automotive unveils 2016 Force 1 V10 ‘American supercar’

汽车

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E.V. Come HomeResidential Electric Vehicle Charging EquipmentPublished: March 2013By Chuck RossWe’re now more than a year into the release of the first two major players in the electric vehicle (EV) market—Nissan’s all-electric Leaf and Chevy’s hybrid-electric Volt, and results so far are decidedly, well, undecided. In the first half of 2012, sales figures were aiming toward the basement, but second-half results shot upward. Some regulatory changes in California, the nation’s biggest EV market, certainly helped, but sustaining this upward trend depends on a number of factors that may keep prognosticators guessing for the next several years.
Year one results
During 2011, year one of the modern EV age, carmakers sold almost 18,000 Leafs and Volts, according to the Electric Drive Transportation Association. In 2012, manufacturers more than doubled that figure, reaching more than 52,000, and several companies joined Nissan and Chevy with either all-electric or hybrid-electric models. Toyota started shipping its plug-in hybrid Prius in February, and the all-electric Ford Focus hit showroom floors in May. Mitsubishi launched its “i” electric vehicle in April, while Honda started leasing its all-electric Fit in July. Tesla ended production of its high-end, $100,000-plus Roadster and introduced its more moderately priced (approximately $57,000) Model S.
Granted, even these improved sales are a drop in the bucket compared to the total of 14.5 million cars driven off U.S. lots during 2012. A September Pike Research report forecasts annual EV sales will rise to approximately 400,000 by 2020, about the number of F-Series pickups sold by Ford in a year. But it is encouraging to the companies making the charging equipment needed to keep EVs on the road. In fact, researchers at Frost & Sullivan anticipate 4.1 million charging points will be installed in North America by 2012, as even more manufacturers enter the EV market and current makers seek to broaden their product portfolio.
This isn’t entirely good news for electrical contractors, though, since more than 70 percent of these chargers are anticipated to be Level 1 AC devices, which simply plug into standard 110/120V household outlets. Unless the homeowner lacks any outlet at all in his or her garage, contractors will see little business from these buyers. With a Level 1 charger, an EV owner may be able to completely recharge their battery overnight. However, it may not be enough for buyers of electric-­only EVs—battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), such as the Leaf —but could be just fine for Volt owners. These hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) can use gasoline to extend the car’s range up to 300 miles or more when battery power runs out.
Giving the market a boost
Government support remains a critical element in getting more EVs on the road across the range of hybrid and battery-only technologies now in dealer showrooms. The upfront cost of an EV is just so much higher than that of traditional cars with high-efficiency ratings; therefore, tax breaks and other incentives remain a vital element in consumers’ financial calculations.
“EVs are more expensive than conventional vehicles; therefore, the federal government is granting customers as much as $7,500 in incentives to purchase an EV,” said Prajyot Sath, a research associate with the market-research firm Frost & Sullivan, who noted a range of additional benefits at the state and municipal level.
“There is a need to continue the funding for another four to five years for the market to stabilize,” Sath said.
Federal money also is backing charger installations in 16 cities through a U.S. Department of Energy program called “The EV Project.” Drivers and commercial property owners in these cities—located in Arizona, California, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Washington, D.C.—can qualify for free Blink chargers from ECOtality, the project manager for the effort, along with available installation assistance. The company recently partnered with PECO and PSE&G, the Philadelphia area’s electric utilities, to bring the program to that region, as well.
While tax credits and other financial supports are helpful, nonfinancial benefits also are providing a boost to EV sales. For example, Volt sales surged in California, where buyers are responsible for 50 percent of all EV purchases, when Chevy’s engineers made some tweaks that enabled the vehicle to qualify for the highly valued high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) sticker. With these changes, rush-hour drivers now can use reserved HOV freeway lanes. Californians make up 33 percent of Volt buyers, up from only 10 percent, according to GM reports.
Building a better battery
Batteries are a major factor in an EV’s added cost. While they share a name—lithium-ion (or Li-ion)—with the batteries powering your laptop, most are an entirely different chemistry, explained Jeff Chamberlain, leader of Argonne National Laboratory’s Energy Storage Initiative. The name only describes the type of ion (in this case, lithium) used; so, while Li-ion batteries share a common ion, the chemicals used to create their anode, cathode and diode can be very different.
“There’s the possibility you could change all the materials in a lithium-ion battery except the lithium and still have a lithium-ion battery,” Chamberlain said. However, any Li-ion product will perform differently than the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries powering standard-version hybrid EVs, such as Toyota’s original Prius. These vehicles use battery power for acceleration, while relying on gasoline to maintain cruising speeds, and they recharge their batteries by capturing the energy created in the braking process.
“What you need there is a high-power battery, and, at the materials level, there’s a difference between supporting power and supporting energy,” Chamberlain said. “Nickel-metal hydride is very good at that.”
With today’s plug-in EVs, however, designers are concentrating on energy density rather than energy release, so drivers can maximize their mileage between recharges. This is just the kind of materials-science problem that researchers like Chamberlain and his team dream about, and their work with new chemistries that can hold more energy—and do it more efficiently—is advancing quickly. Both of these factors are critical to increasing a vehicle’s range.
Volt owners, for example, currently only have access to 60 percent of their new car’s battery energy, Chamberlain said. The batteries’ capacity to recharge fully can degrade with time, and manufacturers don’t want their customers to experience this change as a decline in performance. By limiting a driver’s range early on, the automakers have created a buffer to reduce range expectations.
“The life of the battery can fade the first few years, and you’ll never see it,” Chamberlain said. The new materials ANL is developing are more stable, he added, so future consumers will be able to access more of their batteries’ capacity, allowing greater range without having to add even more batteries to a vehicle’s sticker price.
And the rapidly evolving battery technology is speeding up carmakers efforts as well, Chamberlain said. So today’s vehicle-design process resembles the computer hardware industry more than old-school auto manufacturing.
“A company like Intel is working on two or three or four generations of chips at the same time,” Chamberlain said, adding that automakers typically introduce a vehicle and then spend several years evaluating driver data before thinking about that car’s next model redesign. “They’re not doing that with EVs. They’re working on at least one generation of vehicle ahead and maybe more than that. They’re realizing that, as the chemistry and battery technologies evolve, they need to be able to leap on that,” he said.
Cost versus time
The incentives now promoting the installation of EV chargers are driving a lot of today’s commercial charger sales. This means a small number of companies, including ECOtality and Chargepoint, are doing quite well, while other makers, including Siemens and Eaton, are a bit sidelined until incentive dollars run out. On the residential side, consumers seem to be waging internal cost-versus-convenience arguments, especially those with gas-assist vehicles like the Volt, with batteries that can charge up faster than those with battery-only models, like Nissan’s Leaf.
“I can’t justify the expense of a Level 2 charger,” said Chamberlain, a Volt owner himself, describing his personal struggle with frugality. “But it’s irritating not to have it in the house.”
And Chamberlain’s not alone, according to his Argonne colleague Ted Bohn, a principal research engineer with the lab’s Advanced Powertrain Research Facility.
“If your car is parked for eight hours, your car’s going to charge up,” Bohn said, adding that this is why more than half of Volt owners depend on Level 1 AC equipment. Bohn sees big changes coming, though, once standards writers work out the details on a new Level 1 DC connector, which could speed up an 80 percent charge time to 15 to 20 minutes.
“Level 1 DC charging is going to transform the industry a lot,” he said. “I could be refilled by the time it takes me to go in and get a sandwich.”
Also on the horizon are new submetering technologies that will allow easier connection to, and communication with, advancing smart meter capabilities. Bohn spends part of his research time developing new equipment that will be able to split out an EV’s electricity use from the rest of a household’s demand much less expensively than is currently possible, with a total bill of materials as low as $20. State public utility commissions already are looking toward the day when the batteries of grid-connected EVs can be used as yet another electricity resource during peak-demand periods.
“In California, it’s mandated that you have submetering, because [EVs are] considered a low-carbon resource,” he said, adding that special rates might apply to the electricity drawn from a car owner’s vehicle. Just where that submetering might take place, though, is still up for grabs, he added. “It could be on the vehicle, it could be in the house, it could be on the meter,” or, possibly, in all three locations.
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Home> Money GM Picks Up Speed on Mass-Market Electric Cars By RICHARD DAVIES Richard Davies More from Richard » Business Correspondent Follow @daviesnow Morning Money Memo: The race is on to build a long-range more affordable, mass-market electric car that can go at least 200 miles on a single charge. General Motors is expanding its battery testing plant in Michigan as it tries to bring down the cost of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles and make them more attractive for a much bigger share of new car buyers. Doug Parks, GM's vice president of global product programs, disclosed the new plans. Analysts say General Motors, Nissan, Tesla and other auto firms have faced the same problem for years with batteries. They are too expensive and don't give cars the ability to travel long distances. GM experts are reported to be studying Tesla's battery technology. The Chevy Volt, which sells for $35,000 before a federal tax credit, can go 38 miles before the gasoline motor kicks in. The all-electric Chevy Spark, which costs about $27,000, can go more than 80 miles. That compares with about 265 miles on a single charge for the much more expensive Tesla Model S. Will it be a token taper? Policy makers at the Federal Reserve begin a two-day meeting today as they consider their first reduction in huge purchases of government bonds. That policy has helped keep interest rates really low. With an economy still recovering from the financial shock of five years ago, the Fed is expected to be cautious as it slowly reduces the money stimulus. Stocks rose Monday. Futures are slightly down today. Coming off a weak back-to-school shopping season, a research firm expects holiday sales growth will be slower this year. The forecast says holiday sales will rise just 2.4 percent compared with last year, according to ShopperTrac. That compares with 4 percent gains in 2011 and 2012. Giant bank JP Morgan Chase is likely to pay at least $800 million in penalties and admit wrongdoing for last year's "London Whale" trading loss, according to published reports this morning. A settlement is expected with British and U.S. regulators. But the bank might face additional fines from the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, which is not part of the ongoing settlement talks. Music-streaming service Rhapsody has laid off 15 percent of its staff and said its president, Jon Irwin, is stepping down. The company also announcedthat investment firm Columbus Nova Technology Partners has become a major shareholder. The company also said it had hired Ethan Rudin, a former Starbucks strategy executive, as Rhapsody's chief financial officer Natural-gas drilling sites aren't leaking as much methane into the atmosphere as previous estimates suggested. The first major, onsite study of emissions might be a major boost for the gas industry. The study was led by researchers at the University of Texas and partially funded by the advocacy group Environmental Defense Fund. It's likely to ease concerns about the effects of natural gas drilling on the climate. Richard Davies Business Correspondent ABC News Radio abcnews.com Twitter: daviesnow 212-456-5100 Related Topics: Electric Cars, General Motors, Tesla Motors, Federal Reserve, Natural Gas, JPMorgan Chase, Chevrolet Volt, Interest Rate

汽车

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Hyundai i40 estate coming to UK in 2011 Hyundai has confirmed New Hyundai I 40 coming to UK in 2011 and date of its launch will be fixed September 2011 with the new I40, which is expected to be a much more competitive proposition for fleets, with improved quality, better on-road behavior and low-CO2 diesel versions. The new i40 will be launched in estate form, with a saloon version following later in 2011. According to “Allan Rushforth, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Europe, said of the new car: "We have bold ambitions for Hyundai in Europe, and the new i40 will provide the momentum we need to achieve our goals in 2011 and beyond. We expect the quality of the new i40 to continue the development of our image in Europe and attract new customers to the Hyundai brand." The Hyundai i40 was designed at Hyundai's European R&D facilities in Russelsheim, Germany, and it is the first D-segment Hyundai to be developed specifically for the European market. No officially engine specs were given, but it is believed the i40 will be available with a number of gas and diesel engines, including a base 1.6L gas engine, an economical 1.7L diesel and a performance-minded 177 horsepower 2.0L diesel. Reactions: Audi's Q5 Hybrid coming to Canada in 2011 According to Audi’s website has revealed some details of the upcoming Audi Q5 Hybrid that the new Audi Q5 will be launching in Canada in 2011. Here below we are disscussiong about Audi q5 hybrid car Performance The 2.0 TFSI and the electric motor of the Audi Q5 hybrid are mounted directly behind one another as a parallel hybrid system - a straight-line concept with impressive efficiency. Together they have a system output of 180 kW (245 hp) and a system torque of 480 Nm (354.03 lb-ft). The new top model in the successful Q5 series sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 miles) in 7.1 seconds, while the interim sprint from 80 to 120 km/h (49.71 to 74.56 mph) is accomplished in fifth gear in 5.9 seconds. The powerful propulsion ends at no less than 222 km/h (137.94 mph).The consumption by the Audi Q5 hybrid quattro lies under 7.0 liters per 100 km (33.60 US mpg) in the normal cycle - that corresponds to a CO2 emission of less than 160 g/km (257.50 g/mile). The 75 liter (19.81 US gallon) tank yields a reliable range comparable to that of a TDI. The 2.0 TFSI in the Audi Q5 hybrid quattro has a displacement of 1984 cc (121.08 cu in). Its output is 155 kW (211 hp), with the maximum torque of 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) permanently available at 1500 to 4200 rpm. The 4-cylinder engine combines direct injection with turbocharging - typical for the Audi philosophy of downsizing, which replaces displacement by charging. The Audi valve lift system (AVS) further increases power, torque and efficiency by switching the stroke of the exhaust valves between two stages depending on the load and rpm. The 2.0 TFSI has been overhauled in some respects for use in the Audi Q5 hybrid. The drive of the ancillary units has been dropped, and the crankshaft bearing and fine tuning of the turbocharger have been adapted to the specific demands. A secondary air system at the cylinder head makes sure that the exhaust gas treatment cuts in particularly fast. Integrated in the engine control unit, the so-called hybrid manager controls the efficient change and smooth transitions between the operating modes, and was fully developed by Audi alone. A largely modified eight-speed tiptronic serves the power transmission without the aid of a torque converter. Its place is taken by the disk-shaped electric motor, combined with the multi-plate clutch operating in an oil bath - it couples and decouples the electric motor and the TFSI. The innovative decoupler operates with high precision, smoothly and quickly in any situation.The highly comfortable and fast-shifting hybrid gear unit contributes significantly to the efficiency of the Audi Q5 hybrid - its eight gears are widely spaced. When the 2.0 TFSI is turned off, an electric pump maintains the oil pressure in the hydraulic system to safeguard the convenient start-stop feature. The Power Electronics and the Electric Motor The power electronics, connected to the battery and the electric motor by high-voltage cabling, is located in the plenum chamber of the engine compartment. In the form of a so-called pulse-controlled inverter, the power electronics serves as a controller between the battery, which outputs direct current, and the electric motor that operates on alternating current.Innovative technologies keep the volume and weight of the power electronics low, with cooling provided by a separate low-temperature water-filled circuit. The component includes a DC/DC converter that couples the electric consumers in the 12 V electrical system with the high-voltage network. A so-called permanently excited synchronous machine serves as an electric motor, as a starter and - during deceleration - as a generator. It outputs up to 33 kW (45 hp) of power and 211 Nm (155.63 lb-ft). The electric motor is integrated in the cooling circuit of the engine. A lithium-ion battery system, weighing merely 38 kg (83.78 lb), serves as the energy store for the electric motor of the Audi Q5 hybrid quattro. The compact unit with its 26 liter (6.87 US gallon) capacity is positioned in a crash-safe area under the loading floor, with hardly any detriment to the luggage compartment. The battery consists of 72 cells; at 266 volts its nominal energy is 1.3 kWh and its output 39 kW. The lithium-ion battery is cooled by air in two ways, depending on the requirement. At low-temperature load, it draws temperate air from the vehicle interior by way of a fan. If its temperature exceeds a certain limit, a separate refrigerant circuit is activated. It is coupled to the main climate control system of the vehicle and uses a separate evaporator.This heavy-duty active cooling system distinguishes the Audi Q5 hybrid quattro from many other hybrid vehicles, and makes a key contribution to the high electrical availability of the hybrid system. The Operating Modes With its parallel hybrid system the Audi Q5 hybrid quattro can travel in five different operating modes. Driving with the combustion engine alone, with the electric drive alone or in hybrid mode is possible, as are recuperation and boosting. At a standstill, e.g. before starting or at a traffic light, both drive sources are deactivated. In this convenient start-stop mode the climate control system remains active. Once the driver releases the brake, the Audi Q5 hybrid quattro starts rolling. It can be driven up to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) under electric power - with almost no noise or local emissions. At a constant 60 km/h the possible range is three kilometers (1.86 miles) - this high electrical share of the driving suffices for most residential areas and many urban centers. The driver can change between three programs using a button on the center console or a selector lever. The EV characteristic map gives priority to the electric drive in the city, the D mode controls both motors for optimal consumption, and the S mode as well as the touch control gate of the tiptronic are designed for a sporty driving style. When the driver accelerates sharply, the combustion engine serves as a power source for the drive. The electric motor is then actuated by the operating strategy in order to achieve optimal efficiency and consumption. In quick acceleration, or "boosting," the electric motor operates together with the TFSI; at full throttle in the S mode the full system output is briefly available. The hybrid drive then supplies the propulsion power of a large naturally aspirated engine, but with far more efficiency. When the driver releases the accelerator, the electric motor acts as a generator and recovers energy. In most situations the TFSI is then decoupled from the drive system so as not to cause any loss from towing. The electricity recovered by the electric motor here and in braking is buffered in the lithium-ion battery. If the driver brakes only slightly, the electric motor performs the deceleration itself; in more forceful braking the hydraulic braking system is simultaneously activated. The Audi Q5 hybrid comes with a new display concept, rendering the individual driving states of the hybrid drive clear-cut and tangible. Instead of the tachometer, the needle of the power meter in the dash panel insert indicates the total output of the system on a scale of 0 to 100 per cent. A second scale is divided into colored segments - their green and orange-colored sections show at a glance how the Q5 hybrid quattro is currently traveling - with a greater share of electrical power or combustion engine power. An additional instrument displays the charge level of the battery. At the same time, the display of the driver information system and the large monitor of the MMI Navigation plus show the operating states and power flows in the hybrid system in elegant graphics with a three-dimensional effect. The MMI screen also displays differentiated consumption and recuperation statistics in easily understandable bar graphs. The MMI Navigation plus is standard on the Audi Q5 hybrid quattro, and comes in the latest stage of evolution. The storage capacity of the hard drive is 60 GB, the menus can be selected via a state-of-the-art wizard, and the album tracks are displayed using the cover artwork. An external device such as a cell phone or player can be connected via Bluetooth, and the voice input understands town and street names in a single command. The resonant Audi sound system is also standard. The quattro Drive and the Running Gear The permanent four-wheel drive applies the power of both power units safely to the road in any situation. In the normal condition the sporty drive is emphasized at the rear; if need be, it transmits most of the power to the axle with the better traction. The sophisticated running gear includes many aluminum components for reduced weight. The Audi Q5 hybrid quattro may pull trailer loads of up to 2000 kg (4409 lb). An electro-mechanical unit serves as the steering system, with a small electric motor generating the power. The system operates at high efficiency, since it need not consume any energy in straight-ahead driving. The brake servo is additionally supplied by an electric vacuum pump. A complex rule-based strategy adapts the braking to the conditions of electric driving and energy recuperation.The ExteriorThe Audi Q5 hybrid quattro is distinguished by visual features on the outside. The tailgate, the fenders and the aluminum sill panel strips bear the hybrid lettering. The radiator grill is glossy black, and the tailpipes chrome-trimmed. Polar Silver, metallic is available for the exclusive paintwork. The 19 inch cast aluminum wheels were specially designed for the hybrid - their ten spokes resemble turbine blades. The tires are size 235/55. On request Audi supplies other wheels with 19 and 20 inch diagonals, with an S-line bumper available from quattro GmbH. The body is unusually light in weight; the tailgate and the engine hood are aluminum. The rigid body shell incorporates hot-stamped steel at numerous places, combining low weight with very high strength. Despite the generous level of standard equipment, the Q5 hybrid quattro with its curb weight of less than 2000 kg (4409 lb) is the lightest hybrid SUV on the world market. All its hybrid components add less than 130 kg (286.60 lb) extra weight. The climate control system of the Audi Q5 hybrid was adapted to the requirements of electric driving. The compressor of the air conditioning has a high-voltage based electric drive; demand-controlled for high efficiency, the compressor ensures AC operation even when the combustion engine is shut down. An electric auxiliary heater supports the interior heating. The Audi Q5 hybrid quattro offers almost the same equipment as its successful sister models - the model series leads the European market in the mid-sized SUV segment. The options also include sophisticated driver assistance systems. A new feature is connection to the internet via the optional Bluetooth car phone online. A UMTS model sets up the connection to special services from Google and the World Wide Web, bringing the latest news and weather information into the vehicle. The driver can plan his or her travel route at home, save the information in an area of the internet site www.audi.com and from there download the data into the navigation system via UMTS at the start of the trip. Through the fast connection the hybrid SUV also downloads three-dimensional satellite images and aerial photos from Google Earth. They appear as bird's eye views on the monitor; the computer draws in the roads. Another high-end feature is the WLAN hotspot, allowing connection to the internet via up to eight terminal devices. Communication occurs via the roof antenna, the connection is very stable and the reception quality excellent. Thanks to a special modulation process, UMTS data transfer occurs at speeds up to 7.2 MB per second. Encryption follows the WPA 2 standard - a very secure method. The use of the WLAN hotspots is as easy as can be - the driver need merely insert a data-capable SIM card. At the same time the driver can pair a cell phone with the system via Bluetooth, if the phone has the SIM Access Profile. The existing mobile phone contract with a data option suffices in most cases with the result that no additional charges or separate contracts are necessary. Audi's Q5 Hybrid coming to Canada in 2011

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The company ProntoWash is the global leader in car wash services.The company has revolutionized the car washing business with an environmentally friendly and convenient mobile car wash service.We are an international company with offices in 20 countries, which compose a net of Master Franchises that develop the most innovative practices in the branch of vehicle washing.PW had its origins in Argentina -where its international headquarters is located- in December 2001. The company counts with more than 350 operations around the world, with more than 3,000 collaborators. ProntoWash is: The creator of a new customer oriented car wash service.One of the highest growing franchise companies in the world.The greatest international coverage in car washing services.An environmentally friendly car wash company.

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The Ford GT will be offered for two additional years Ford Performance is adding two more years of production for the all-new carbon fibre Ford GT supercar. The announcement comes on the heels of letters sent to potential customers notifying them of their application status to purchase one of their own, with more than 500 of those coming from the UK alone. The additional production supports the decision by Ford Performance to race Ford GT in both IMSA and World Endurance Championship (WEC) series events for four years, extending through to the 2019 season. “While we can’t build enough Ford GTs for everyone who has applied, we are going to produce additional vehicles in an effort to satisfy more of our most loyal Ford ambassadors,” says Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “We want to keep Ford GT exclusive, but at the same time we know how vital this customer is to our brand.” Year three of production will support applicants who were placed on the waiting list; previously deferred applicants and those who missed the initial application window will be served by production year four. The application process for fourth-year production will reopen in early 2018. Those who already applied to own the car will only need to update their request. “Ford GT has racing in its blood,” says Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president, product development, and chief technical officer. “The road car and race car will live on, side-by-side, for the next four years – providing ample opportunity to test and prove innovative new technologies both on and off the track.”

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Culture & More Food & Drink General Top 10 Car Rallies in India Car rallying is a type of car racing sport that is organized either annually or at several intervals on public or private roads. That cars used for this sport and customized and road-legal cars. Car rally is different from other general sports. This is due to the fact that car racing doesn’t occur on a circuit but in a point-to-point format. In car rally participants and co-drivers drive between set control points leaving at regular intervals from one or more start points. India hosts a number of car rallies annually driven by several social causes. Car Rallies in India India-ASEAN Car Rally The India-ASEAN Car Rally is conceptualized with the aim to strengthen India’s relations with the South-Asian countries. The rally aims to promote trade and tourism between India and ASEAN. The first India-ASEAN Car Rally was acknowledged by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh from Guwahati. The rally witnessed 250 participants from India as well as South-Asian countries in 60 vehicles and rallied across Assam, Nagaland and Manipur before entering Myanmar. The Vintage Car Rally The Vintage Car Rally starts off from New Delhi and went up to Sohna (Haryana). The rally witnessed some of the rare collection of cars. Some of the cars that participated in the Vintage car rally are 35 Jaguar Convertible or a ‘34 Austin Saloon Deluxe or an 1898 Humberette. Great Arc Rally The Great Arc Rally was a month long rally that started off from Kochi in the south to Mussorie in the north. The rally was organized to commemorate the ‘Great Arc’ survey done during the 19th century. Great Arc aimed to uplift the spirit of survey by asking competitors to drive in straight as a line from Cape Comorin to Hathiopaon near Mussoorie. The rally comprised of 27 participants in twelve cars and three Sports Utility Vehicles. Women Car Rally by NGO ‘Uthaan’ The Women Car Rally was organized by an NGO called Uthaan in partnership with Ibis, Power Grid, Indian Oil, Radio Mirchi, Desert Trails and Avenues Travel Services. This rally was an initiative of the NGO to create and spread awareness n social segment. Women Car Rally was considered as one of the National Record Creating Events. Blind Man Car Rally Blind Man Car Rally was an endeavor to raise funds for its projects under the aegis of the national theme ‘Freedom through Education’. It started in Mumbai on February 11th, 2007. The rally was aimed at creating awareness about illiteracy in addition to highlighting the initiatives of Round Table India to eradicate illiteracy and the challenges faced by the visually impaired. It was held in partnership with National Association for the Blind (NAB). Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm Car Rally Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm Car Rally is considered as one of the toughest motorsports escapade in India. The rally passed the terrains of Thar Desert, the rocky mountains of Aravalli and the white sands of Rann of Kutch and comprises lot of thrill and excitement. The event covers a distance of 2,600 km and judges the participants on their driving skills in various terrains. This Rally was an endeavor of Maruti Suzuki to popularize motorsports in India. Himalayan Car Rally The Himalayan Car Rally is another India’s most important and challenging rallies. The car rally started at New Delhi and concluded in New Delhi only. The rally was concentrated on the mountain terrains of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. The rally was extensively popular and attracted participants from outside India as well. Monsoon Rally Monsoon Rally is held on an annual basis and starts off from Kolkata. The striking feature of this valley is that in order to earn points participants need to get wet. The Monsoon Rally started in 2000. The rally is being run in popular time-speed-distance format with secret time control. Kalinga Green Car Rally Kalinga Green Car Rally is organized by Kalinga Motor Sports Club (KMSC). Though this rally is not organized annually yet KMSC organizes different small scale rallies. In the past few years, the Time-Speed-Distance motor rally routed in and about Rasgobindopur and Rajabasa airstrip is a noted one. Indian National Rally Championship Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) is an adventure sport organized by Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Motorsports Association of India (MAI). It is based on the point system and is a driver-co driver combination championship. It first received its National Championship Title status in 1988. Most Read & Popular A Complete List of Cars Under 5 Lakhs in India Three to five Lakhs is a descent budget for any Indian middl ... Top 10 Luxury Cars and Most Expensive Cars in India The car industry in India really seems to be booming. With t ... About Indiamarks Culture & Festivals

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76, 77 Lotus Esprit S1 I have always been a big James Bond fan, so the next choice of a car for me was the 1976 Lotus Esprit S1. The S1 was first seen worldwide in the 1977 movie The Spy Who Loved Me, with Roger Moore as James Bond. I was lucky enough to find two Lotus Esprit S1’s. They are very hard to find because all were hand assembled and production numbers are low. Only 134 Lotus S1s were produced in 1976, and about 340 in 1977. The majority of the 1976 models were strictly made for the UK and Japan markets so almost all are right hand drive. Production for US models began in 1977. The Lotus Esprit design is from Giugiaro, all 76 and 77 S1s feature the Wolfrace aluminum slot rims. The engine is a 4-cylinder dual overhead cam twin carb motor, known as the "torque-less wonder". Lotus styling and handling is what made the Esprit so popular. (The James Bond franchise did not hurt either.) I ended up with two Esprit S1 cars. First I purchased the 1977 black S1. It is complete, but right now I am in the middle of getting it running. It has been sitting for approx 10 years; it should be running in the next couple of days. My goal was to restore the 1977 black S1 to a Spy Who Loved Me tribute car. The only difference would be it would be left hand drive. Well, after I closed the deal on the 1977 S1, I caught wind of a 1976 factory white Lotus Esprit S1 for sale. I quickly made a deal on it and now am the proud owner of both. I would like to thank Tony K from Ohio who helped me greatly in getting these projects up and going. Tony is the "Lotus Guru" of the USA! The 1976 Lotus Esprit S1 is not in running condition; it has been in storage for the last 30 years. It was illegally brought to the US, and became a "grey market car". It’s an all-European spec car, which means it did not have to have the federally mandated safety bumpers and sidelights, it has a greater horsepower motor, and the best feature: right hand drive! So right now I am going to use the 1977 the get the 1976 up and running. From what I am told and research I have done, they only produced about 10 white exterior and tartan interior 1976 Lotus Esprit S1 cars. For those of you who do not know what tartan is, it is Scottish style plaid interior. The interior of my 1976 has seen better days. I luckily was able to find a man by the name of Nick Fulcher. He is a coach trimmer over in the UK who used to work for Lotus and who did the original interior work on the Spy Who Loved Me Lotus Esprit. Well, cool thing is, he had all the interior I needed to redo the car with exception of the tartan seat inserts. Those are very hard to find, but again as luck would have it I found some of the exact tartan used originally from another individual and was able to purchase enough to trim the car correctly. My 1976 Lotus Esprit S1 is an early production car because it is a real "gel coat" car which means its finish is just like the white hull of a boat. Only the early cars where produced this way. Another tidbit of trivia on the car is that there were 9 incarnations of the car used in the movie The Spy Who Loved Me. From what we know, 2 of them were the "hero" cars, which means the ones that were actually used and driven in most of the films shots. Two others were used in different stages, one which was actually air shot off of the pier and into the water, and the other which was waterproofed and pulled out of the water with Roger Moore behind the wheel. The other 5 were shells which were used to create the "Submarine Lotus". From what I know the original main hero car ended up in a museum in the UK right after production wrapped on the movie. The other hero car was sent back to Lotus decommissioned and converted back to original Lotus specs, sent to a dealer, and sold without anyone ever knowing its famous past. I do not know what happened to the other two "water cars". Well in 2008 the supposed 2nd hero car resurfaced and the auction house, Bonhams, advertised it as the lost James Bond Spy Who Loved Me Esprit, the hammer price was $162,000, and it was purchased by a collector in the US in Atlanta. He wasn’t about to hand over that kind of money sight unseen, of course, so he flew to England to inspect his acquisition. The inspection proved him a wise buyer: the car was a 1977—not a 1976. No way could it be the original movie car. So that other "hero" car is possibly still floating around out there. Now I have started doing some investigating on my car and noticed some strange things: there are several unnecessary, drilled mounting holes at the front and rear underneath my car, and the license plate frame has two holes drilled out behind it where cement gun ports could have been installed. If you watch the movie, the rear license plate flips down and two machine gun style barrels shoot cement at the windshield of the villain’s car, causing it to crash into a house. Now, I am not saying right now that this is one of the hero cars but a lot of the evidence this car has on it and it having a weird and somewhat secret past sure makes it a candidate. Either way, this car will look the part when finished. Extra! A friend sent me this rare production photo showing both cars during shooting in Sardinia. Is one of them mine? Note how one is doing double duty as a camera car. Here are some pix of the car in the shop. Moore to come............ (sorry. couldn’t resist)

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Nazism » Kristallnacht » Shifting Gears: Part Three of GM and the Nazis Shifting Gears: Part Three of GM and the Nazis General Motor's German subsidiary, Opel, remained a loyal corporate citizen of the Nazi regime, prospering as a result.By Edwin Black June 30, 2008Hitler’s persecution of Jews was building to a frenzy even as fears of a war escalated. Nevertheless, General Motors’ German automotive subsidiary, Opel, remained a loyal corporate citizen of the Third Reich — content to obediently do the Nazi regime’s bidding, and unstintingly supporting Hitler’s program on many fronts. These included economic and employment recovery, anti-Jewish persecution, war preparedness and domestic propaganda. In return, Opel prospered.Hitler was pleased — very pleased. In 1938, just months after the Nazis’ annexation of Austria, James D. Mooney, head of GM’s overseas operations, received the German Eagle with Cross, the highest medal Hitler awarded to foreign commercial collaborators and supporters.On Nov. 9-10, 1938, shortly after Mooney’s decoration, nationwide pogroms broke out in Germany against the Jews — Kristallnacht. The American public was finally shocked onto its heels by the night of officially orchestrated burning, looting and mob action against Jews. President Roosevelt recalled America’s ambassador, plunging German-American relations to their lowest point since Hitler assumed power. All things American came under special scrutiny in Germany.By now, the truth about GM’s ownership of the Opel car and truck operation was out in the open among Germans. Reich armament officials increasingly directed Opel’s output, including mandating that nearly all vehicles be devoted to military use.These are among the many findings of a multipart exclusive investigation that culled and re-examined thousands of pages of Nazi-era and New Deal-era documents that shed new light on GM’s relationship with the Third Reich.They reveal that even as GM and its president, Alfred P. Sloan, were helping mobilize the resurgent German military, they were undermining the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt and undermining America’s electric mass transit, and in doing so helped addict the United States to oil.GM has declined comment for this story. The company has steadfastly denied for decades that it actively assisted the Nazi war effort or that it simultaneously subverted mass transit in the United States.In the months leading up to the feared 1939 invasion of Poland, Sloan, GM’s president, defended his close collaboration with Hitler. Brushing off attacks for his partnership with a Nazi regime already notorious for filling concentration camps, taking over Austria and now threatening to install the Master Race across Europe, Sloan was stony and proud.He stated, in a long April 1939 letter to an objecting stockholder, that in the interests of making a profit, GM shouldn’t risk alienating its German hosts by intruding in Nazi affairs. “In other words, to put the proposition rather bluntly,” Sloan said in the letter, “such matters should not be considered the business of the management of General Motors.”Indeed, in August of 1939, the world wondered when Hitler might invade Poland. During those days, Opel, under the direct day-to-day supervision of GM’s senior executive, Cyrus Osborn, played its role in Germany’s fast-paced military plans. The company was already manufacturing thousands of Blitz trucks that would become a mainstay of the Reich’s upcoming Blitzkrieg.The German military in early August urgently ordered Blitz truck spare parts to be delivered to Reich bases near the Polish border. Days later in August, nearly 3,000 Opel employees, from factory workers to senior managers, were drafted into the Wehrmacht.Moreover, at about that time, GM’s Osborn began evacuating most of the American employees and their families to the Netherlands. Soon, virtually all Opel civilian passenger car sales were eliminated in favor of military orders.At 6 a.m. on Sept. 1, 1939, Germany launched its Blitzkrieg against Poland, with troops arriving in Blitz trucks manufactured by GM’s Opel. The night before, Sloan reportedly told stockholders that GM was “too big” to be impeded by “petty international squabbles,” according to a congressional investigation.Shortly after war broke out in Europe, however, GM executives in Germany tried to distance the American company from its involvement in the brutal German war machine. The Opel board was restructured to ensure that GM executives maintained a controlling presence on the board of directors but continued invisibility in daily management. This was accomplished in part by bringing in GM’s reliable Danish chief, Albin Madsen, and maintaining two Americans on that board.The company’s 1939 annual report, released in April 1940, stated: ...With full recognition of the responsibility that the manufacturing facilities of Adam Opel A.G. must now assume under a war regime, the Corporation has withdrawn the American personnel formerly in executive charge… and has turned the administrative responsibilities over to German nationals....However, GM was still masquerading. By the summer of 1940, a senior GM executive wrote a more honest assessment for internal circulation only. He explained that while “the management of Adam Opel A.G. is in the hands of German nationals,” in point of fact, GM is still “actively represented by two American executives on the Board of Directors.”The construction and German-American balance of the many management entities created in the facade of control was constantly shifting during the Hitler years. But regardless of the number of members — German or American — on the various directing, managing or executive boards and committees, GM in the United States controlled all voting stock and could veto or permit all operations.For all intents and purposes, though, once war began, Wehrmacht requirements and orders determined the specifics of military manufacturing at Opel. Like any nation at war, including the United States itself, the Reich alone determined what weapons would be made by its militarized factories. That said, it was GM’s decision to remain operating in Germany, to continue to subject itself to Reich military orders, and answer the Reich’s call for ever more lethal weapons.As anticipated, Opel’s Brandenburg facilities were conscripted and converted to an airplane-engine plant supplying the Luftwaffe’s JU-88 bombers. Later, Opel’s plants also built land mines and torpedo detonators. The factories and infrastructure that GM built during the 1930s were in fact finally used for their intended purpose — war. Opel-built trucks on the ground, Opel-powered bombers in the sky and Opel-detonated torpedoes in the seas brought terror to Europe.Back in the United States, Sloan tried to obstruct FDR’s war preparedness planning. The GM chief tried to dissuade GM executives with needed manufacturing and production experience from helping Washington’s early mobilization plans. In one typical 1940 case, Sloan asked Danish-born William Knudson, who had ascended to become president of GM, not to leave the company and help Washington’s war efforts. Sloan, who had become chairman of the company in 1937, warned his friend that the Roosevelt administration would make a “monkey out of you.”Knudson replied, ...That isn’t important, Mr. Sloan. I came to this country [from Denmark] with nothing. It has been good to me. Rightly or wrongly, I feel I must go. Sloan retorted, "That’s a quixotic way of looking at it." By mid-1940, with or without Sloan’s acquiescence, GM had been drafted by Washington to become a major war supplier for the Allies. Sloan had no choice but to comply, and GM and its employees would ultimately make enormously valuable contributions to the Allied war effort....In June 1940, Sloan brought Mooney back to America to head up GM’s key participation in America’s crash program to prepare for war. He was installed as an assistant to the new GM president to take ...full charge of all negotiations [with Washington] involving defense equipment …...Mooney’s mere appointment sent shivers through the anti-Nazi boycott and protest committee, which well remembered his 1938 medal for what the Nazis had termed “service to the Reich.” The Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League railed in a letter to Roosevelt: “How should we interpret the placing of a Hitler sympathizer and a Hitler servant (one must render service to the Reich to deserve such a medal) at the throttle of our defense program? Doesn’t that appear suspiciously similar to the planting of Nazi sympathizers in key positions…?”In June 1940, about the same time Mooney returned to America, Sloan wrote to a colleague, expressing disdain for FDR’s democracy while grudgingly acknowledging his admiration for Hitler’s fascist drive, even if that drive had become criminal.“It seems clear that the Allies are outclassed on mechanical equipment,” Sloan wrote, “and it is foolish to talk about modernizing their Armies in times like these, they ought to have thought of that five years ago. There is no excuse for them not thinking of that except for the unintelligent, in fact, stupid, narrow-minded and selfish leadership which the democracies of the world are cursed with.”Sloan added a poignant contrast: ...… But when some other system develops stronger leadership, works hard and long, and intelligently and aggressively — which are good traits — and, superimposed upon that, develops the instinct of a racketeer, there is nothing for the democracies to do but fold up. And that is about what it looks as if they are going to do....When at the end of 1940 the White House began to insist that GM break off relations with Latin American car dealers suspected of being pro-Nazi, Sloan defiantly refused. He lashed out at Washington, accusing it of protecting Communists at home while focusing on GM dealers in South America. “I have flatly declined to cancel dealers,” Sloan wrote in April 1941 to Walter Carpenter, a GM board member and vice president of du Pont.Days later, on April 18, 1941, Carpenter retorted, ...I think that General Motors has to consider this problem from three standpoints; first, from the commercial, second, the patriotic and, third, the public relations standpoint….We are definitely a part of the nation here and our future is very definitely mingled with the future of this country. The country today seems to be pretty well committed to a policy opposite to Germany and Italy....Carpenter continued with a blunt warning. ...If we don’t listen to the urgings of the State Department in this connection, he said, "it seems to me just a question of time… The effect of this will be to associate the General Motors with Nazi or Fascist propaganda against the interests of the United States…The effect on the General Motors Corporation might be a very serious matter and the feeling might last for years."...A few weeks later, in May 1941, a year-and-a-half after World War II broke out, with newspapers and newsreels constantly transmitting the grim news that millions had been displaced, murdered, or enslaved by Nazi aggression and that London was decimated by the Blitz bombing campaign, Sloan, then in his mid-60s, told his closest executives during a Detroit briefing: ...I am sure we all realize that this struggle that is going on though the World is really nothing more or less than a conflict between two opposing technocracies manifesting itself to the capitalization of economic resources and products and all that sort of thing....He then continued in a rambling, incoherent fashion, trying to further justify the company’s Nazi business dealings.By now, Assistant Secretary of State Adolf Berle, whose portfolio included the investigation of Nazi fronts and sympathizers in Latin America, had had enough of Sloan and GM executives. Berle circulated a memo asserting ...that certain officials of General Motors were sympathetic to or aligned with some pro-Axis groups….That this is [a] ‘real Fifth Column’ and is much more sinister than many other things which are going on at the present time. Berle called for an FBI investigation....The FBI’s probe of GM senior executives with links to Hitler found collusion with Germany by Mooney, but no evidence of any disloyalty to America. The Aug. 2, 1941, summary of the investigation clearly listed Sloan in the title of the report, but Mooney’s was the only name mentioned in the investigative results. However, in a separate report to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, the agent stated, ...No derogatory information of any kind was developed with respect to Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr....On Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed. The United States declared war on Japan. On Dec. 11, German diplomats in Washington called at the State Department to deliver Germany’s declaration of war against America. All direct communications between GM and its Opel subsidiary in Germany were necessarily severed, although historians have always wondered about indirect links through Denmark where GM operated a longtime subsidiary. Ranking GM men from Denmark were also in ranking positions both in Opel in Germany and GM in America.After Germany declared war on America, all American corporate interests in Germany or under German control were systematically placed under the jurisdiction of a Reich-appointed “custodian” for enemy-owned property. In practice, the “custodian” was akin to a court-appointed receiver. Generally, the Reich custodian’s duty was not to dismember the firm or Aryanize it, but to continue to run the enterprise as efficiently and profitably as possible, holding all assets and profits in escrow until matters would be resolved after the war. This generally meant re-appointing members of the pre-existing management team, although these managers no longer reported directly to their American masters in the United States.In the case of Opel, Carl Luer, the longtime member of the Opel Supervisory Board, company president and Nazi Party stalwart, was appointed by the Reich to run Opel as custodian, but only some 11 months after America entered the war. In anticipation of the outbreak of hostilities, GM had appointed Luer to be president of Opel in late 1941, just before war broke out.In other words, the existing GM-approved president of Opel continued to run Opel during America’s war years. The company continued as a major German war profiteer, and GM knew its subsidiary was at the forefront of the Nazi war machine. An Aug. 27, 1944, New York Times article detailed that Opel was the principal target of a 1,400-plane RAF bombing mission because its 35,000-worker plant was turning out crucial military transport and was known to be developing rocket technology.In the wartime months and years that ensued, 1941-1945, GM built and operated some $900 million worth (about $120 billion in today’s dollars) of defense manufacturing facilities for the Allies. Almost all of the company’s undertakings were propped up by federal programs that guaranteed profit and “cost-plus” contracts, various subsidies, tax benefits and other incentives then available to defense contractors to produce goods for the war effort.Secretary of War Henry Stimson later explained that when a capitalist country wages war, ...you have got to let business make money out of the process, or business won’t work. Gen. Lucius Clay, who oversaw war materiel contracts, confessed, "I had to put into production schedule the largest procurement program the world had ever seen. Where would I find somebody to do that? I went to General Motors."...GM also reaped the financial benefits of its relationship with the Third Reich. During the pre-war Hitler years, GM entered its Opel proceeds under “reserves” instead of listing the profits as ordinary income.Then during America’s war years GM declared it had abandoned its Nazi subsidiary, and took a complete tax write-off under special legislation signed by Roosevelt in October 1942. The write-off of nearly $35 million created a tax reduction of “approximately $22.7 million” or about $285 billion in 21st-century money, according to an internal Opel document.But Opel’s friendly Nazi custodian, Luer, kept on making profits for the company during those war years. Opel produced trucks, bomber engines, land mines, torpedo detonators and other war materiel, a significant amount of it by the sweat of thousands of prisoner laborers or other coerced workers; some of those workers were tortured if they did not meet expectations.Those profits and GM’s 100 percent stock ownership were preserved by the Reich custodian, even though GM and Opel ostensibly severed ties with each other after America entered the war.During the Hitler years, many of those excess profits were used to acquire other companies and properties, only increasing Opel’s assets in Germany. After the war, starting in 1948, GM began regaining control over Opel operations and eventually its monumental assets as well as blocked dividends. GM also collected some $33 million in “war reparations” because the Allies had bombed its German facilities.After the defeat of Berlin, GM and its executives, including those who joined the government in Washington, then steered America toward its gargantuan postwar boom. That boom was in large measure powered by the constellation of direct and indirect economic benefits delivered by the U.S. automobile industry.Ironically, while GM was mobilizing the Third Reich, the company was also leading a criminal conspiracy to monopolistically undermine mass transit in dozens of American cities that would help addict the United States to oil.The war in Europe had only been over for 16 months when on Oct. 2, 1946, a memo from the Department of Justice landed on the desk of J. Edgar Hoover, outlining the elements of the GM conspiracy.At the center of the conspiracy was National City Lines, an Enronesque company that suddenly arose in 1937, ostensibly run by five barely educated Minnesota bus drivers, the Fitzgerald brothers. Yet the Fitzgeralds miraculously marshaled millions of dollars to buy up one failing trolley system after another. Soon, through a patchwork of subsidiaries, the brothers owned or controlled transit systems in more than 40 cities.Generally, when National City Lines acquired the system, the tracks were pulled from the street, the beloved electric trolleys were trashed or burned, and the whole system was replaced with more expensive, unpopular and environmentally hazardous motor buses that helped addict America to oil.The Justice Department discovered that National City Lines was just a front company for General Motors, in league with Mack Truck, Phillips Petroleum, Standard Oil of California and Firestone Tires — all petroleum interests. The companies became the major preferred stockholders of National City Lines, but operated behind the scenes.The scheme worked this way: The manufacturers purchased NCL preferred stock to acquire transit lines on condition that when the systems were acquired, the trolleys would be dismantled and replaced with motor buses. That is exactly what happened.All the conspirators gained immensely when non-polluting electric systems were replaced by oil-burners. Phillips and Standard sold oil products. Firestone sold the tires. GM and Mack divvied up the bus manufacturing and sales market according to an agreed-upon formula.Transit systems in 16 states were converted, adversely affecting millions of Americans, who had to pay higher fares for lesser, more unpopular service. Dozens more cities were targeted in the $9.5 million scheme.In April 1947, indictments alleging two counts of criminal conspiracy were handed down against General Motors, Mack Truck, Phillips Petroleum, Standard Oil of California and Firestone Tires, as well as against numerous key executives of the companies.The defendants were found guilty on one of the two counts: conspiring to monopolize the bus business by creating a network of petroleum-based transit companies that were forbidden to use transportation or technology products other than those supplied by the defendants themselves. The jury found the defendants not guilty on the count alleging a conspiracy to actually control those transit systems.On April 1, 1949, the judge handed down his sentence: a $5,000 fine to each corporate defendant except Standard, which was fined $1,000. As for National City Lines, president E. Roy Fitzgerald and his co-conspirators at GM and the other companies, they too were fined. Each was ordered to ...forfeit and pay to the United States of America a fine in the amount of one dollar....The cases were appealed — even the one-dollar penalties — all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which allowed the convictions to stand. The government filed a civil action against the same circle of companies trying to stop their continued conduct. But the government was unsuccessful. Undaunted, National City Lines and its many subsidiaries continued into the 1950s to acquire, convert and operate urban transit systems using evolved methods.Edwin Black is a bestselling author of several books, including the upcoming book, Nazi Nexus (Nov 2008 Dialog Press). This article is adapted from his book Internal Combustion (St. Martin's Press). He is also the editor of The Cutting Edge News.http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=15588 Colonia Dignidad The Nazi Connection to the John F. Kennedy Assassination Colombia Two Chapters from “THE PLOT AGAINST THE PEACE,” by Sayers and K... Michael Sayers American Terrorism The Plot Against The Peace, by Michael Sayers and Albert E. Kahn – Excerpts That is, OUR peace. This book is a cornerstone of my library. I recall first pieing it in a used bookstore in Los Angeles over 20 years ago, when I was just wakLEARN ABOUT THIS Hitler FBI Believed Hitler Faked His Own Death in 1945 America’s FBI is set to reveal its secret files on Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, which details the agency’s attempts to find him despite reports of his suicideLEARN ABOUT THIS American Terrorism World Vision Published in 1991 - GroupWatch was compiled by the Interhemispheric Resource Center, Box 4506, Albuquerque, NM 87196.LEARN ABOUT THIS Hitler The Hitler Gun Control Lie Alex Seitz-Wald American Terrorism Southern Gothic: NC Klan Cases Expose Seedy Underworld David Holthouse By his own account, Gautier (pronounced "go-chay"), who was 50 at the time, had carried out the killing with three other members of two separate but allied KlanLEARN ABOUT THIS Assassinations MAE BRUSSELL: The Death of John Belushi When John Belushi died, there was much confusion in Los Angeles for the first week or so from the coroner's office and police officials concerning the causLEARN ABOUT THIS American Terrorism World Bank’s Robert B. Zoellick is from the Nazified German Marshall ... Zoellick is replacing Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank. Some are pleased about the appointment - "Applause greets Zoellick at World Bank" - according to toLEARN ABOUT THIS CorpWatch BMW’s Quandt Family and the Nazi Regime The reclusive Quandt family responded to the documentary five days later, on Oct. 5, pledging to back a research project into the family's Nazi past and its rolLEARN ABOUT THIS Colombia Robert Zoellick, US State Department & the Nazi German Marshall Fund Zoellick has replaced Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank. Some are pleased about the appointment - "Applause greets Zoellick at World Bank"LEARN ABOUT THIS American Terrorism Nazi Collaborator Alfred P. Sloan Sloan was a member, Advisory Council of the American Liberty League..LEARN ABOUT THIS

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Wednesday, 21 August 2013 13:28 Bringing history back to the open road A loud roar echoed from the back of the building. The deafening sound is terrifying, yet captivating, heightened by the smell of oil and gasoline. A cloud of smoke wafted through the air, evoking the power and intrigue of a mechanical performance about to unfold. “It’s more than the sound,” Dale Walksler said, straddling a 1928 Harley-Davidson Hillclimber. “It’s also the sight, smell and taste. Starting this motorcycle up achieves all of your sensitivities.” Walksler, the mastermind behind the Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley, suddenly became a magnet, a role he is not only accustomed to, but thrives in. Fans strolling the floor of his famous showroom flocked to Walksler as soon as he fired up the machine. He then regaled them with the motorcycle’s mechanics and origins. Like many of his pieces, this one was rescued and restored to mint condition, namely from an old general store in Central City, Colo. “We rebuilt this here and had it running in one day,” he said. “This museum is a very earthy place, where things are brought back to life everyday.” The Hillclimber became one of the subjects of Walksler’s new reality show, “What’s In The Barn?” Produced by Velocity TV, a division of the Discovery Channel, the show travels around the country in search of forgotten and highly prized motorcycles to bring back to Maggie Valley to resurrect and once again hit the open road. Filmed from Labor Day last year through Easter, the eight-episode first season has been airing throughout the summer. With much worldwide interest, plans are already in the works for the next season. “It’s a very simple premise where we take a cross-section of American history, where it’s about finding something and doing something with it,” he said. “We aren’t like the other mainstream reality shows where they find something and make a buck or take advantage of somebody to make a buck.” Founded by Walksler in 1992 in Illinois, Walksler relocated his museum to Maggie Valley in 2002 and almost instantly claimed a title as one of the region’s top tourist attractions. Featuring over 320 of the most highly sought-after American motorcycles in the world, the collection is a living, breathing history of this county on two, three and four wheels, with hundreds of thousands of visitors over the years. At the center of this showcase is Walksler, who has spent over 45 years scouring the world, from musty barns to urban storage units, in an effort to preserve the mechanical history of the United States. “I have the best connections and reputation for vintage motorcycles in the world,” he said. “My phone rings everyday with opportunity.” Wheels Through Time is no stranger to television. Since its inception, Walksler has been producing hundreds of his own videos online of bike rebuilds and treasure hunts. The History Channel and Discovery Channel have both featured Walksler and the museum numerous times, with popular show “American Pickers” tapping his shoulders over a half-dozen times. Eventually, Velocity TV and the museum decided to do their own project. “This show is the reflection of what we do here at the museum, which is to inspire Americans to love their country while we’re bringing things back to life,” he said. “This is not a ‘chase-a-dollar’ show. Education is at the top of our ladder. We want to provide education and discovery through entertainment. It’s about history and preservation.” Thus far, the program has Walksler and his son, Matt, traveling to Fresno, Pittsburgh, Denver and Philadelphia, among other locations. The Hillclimber discovery came through a cold call, where the owner of the motorcycle sent along some blurry photos of what he thought was something unique and worth checking out. Walksler jumped on the chance and headed for Central City. “Hillclimber motorcycles are what I’m familiar with intimately,” he said. “I’ve been collecting them for over 40 years and know every inch of every one made between 1926 and 1932.” The trip resulted in three bikes: the 1928 Hillclimber, 1928 Harley-Davidson JD and a 1929 Hillclimber, all of which had remained dormant in an old general store for the better part of the last 80 years. Walksler figures they were originally custom built for Harley-Davidson legendary rider Floyd Clymer. The bikes found their way into the hands of a man named “Wild Bill,” who used them to smuggle moonshine during Prohibition. From that point, the exquisitely preserved bikes were left in the store to gather dust and stay forgotten. “I have to be one of the luckiest guys in the world finding these motorcycles,” he said. “There are other people in the industry with as much passion as me who know what I’m looking at is a one-of-a-kind built machine.” And that passion for motorcycles seeps into the deepest parts of Walksler’s soul. He’s a bundle of energy, a lightning in a bottle personality who bounces around his 38,000 square foot showroom like a pinball. He shakes hands and takes photos with anyone he crosses paths with. They are visitors from all over the world, all wanting to experience the vision Walksler had those many years ago, a shrine not just to the transportation machines of the past but the American history and culture that they embody and reflect. They follow him around, hanging on his every word and action. One moment he’s cranking up a bike, the next he’s pointing out where an antique sign or machine part came from. Each piece in the museum has a story, and Walksler knows them all. “This isn’t just a museum of motorcycles, it’s a museum of people’s lives,” he said. “Passion for what you do is something that’s contagious. Whether you’re three years old or 80, everything in here appeals to everybody, and this show is really the proof in the pudding.” Want to watch? Season One of the reality show “What’s In The Barn?” will air on Velocity TV on the following dates and times: Wednesday, Aug. 21 (2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m.) Sunday Aug. 25 (10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.) Tuesday, Aug. 27 (7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.) Wednesday, Aug. 28 (2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m.) Velocity TV is distributed through Charter (Channel 778), DirectTV (Channel 281) and Dish Network (Channel 364), among other service providers. www.velocity.discovery.com or www.wheelsthroughtime.com. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. wheels through time In the wake of the drought, Haywood towns besieged by water shortage search for answers Maggie Chamber restructures membership options Maggie Valley seeks input on pedestrian, bicycle plan The biker politic « This must be the place Open Air Indian Art Market in Cherokee »

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You are hereHome » Meetings » Abstracts » Abstract: Nissan's Keiretsu, 1956-1970 Abstract: Nissan's Keiretsu, 1956-1970 Evelyn Anderson Abstract Because Toyota symbolizes the miraculous success of the Japanese automobile industry as a whole, scholars have thoroughly documented the nature of Toyota's business strategy and its keiretsu. In contrast, literature exploring the nature of Nissan's keiretsu and its business strategy was almost non-existent in the 1990s. The assumption was that the two keiretsu were identical, with similar characteristics, differences being a matter of degree. In this paper, I argue that the Provisional Act for the Promotion of the Machinery Industry (the Provisional Act or Kishinho), 1956-1970, enacted by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), provided Nissan with incentives to vertically integrate some of its most important keiretsu firms; during these fifteen years, Nissan adopted hierarchy. I document how the Nissan keiretsu evolved in the period coinciding with the Provisional Act and how it differed from the Toyota keiretsu. Toyota's inter-firm relationship with its core keiretsu members was built on trust and organizational capability, whereas Nissan's initial postwar strategy was similar to Toyota's only in name. Contrary to common belief, Nissan's governance in this period was driven by transaction cost considerations in the absence of trust. BEH On-Line Paper

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Mercedes Unveils New R&D Facility At Whitefield In Bangalore 201304 Mar Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, MBRDI, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz By Joydip Sur From L to R: Thomas Weber (Member of the Board of Management, Daimler AG and Head of Group Research, Mercedes-Benz Cars Development) hands over the key to Jens Cattarius (Managing Director and CEO of MBRDI) at the inauguration of Mercedes-Benz's largest R&D Center of Daimler outside Germany, in Bangalore. Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) announced the inauguration of their new facility at Whitefield, Bangalore. Spread over an area of 20,000 square metres with capacity of 1800 people, this is the single largest R&D facility of Daimler outside of Germany. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management, Daimler AG and Head of Group Research, Mercedes-Benz Cars Development commented, "MBRDI is one of our most important hubs within the global research and development organization and the new facility will be a cornerstone for leveraging the Indian talent pool for Daimler. As a global development center the contribution of MBRDI can be envisaged from the fact that in 2012 alone, the organization filed over 50 patents for innovations in automotive development- a powerful testimony to MBRDI’s success". He also stated that “India is a high potential market for Mercedes-Benz and MBRDI will continue to ensure that development initiatives are in cognizance with the needs of upcoming markets.” Mercedes-Benz R&D India is headquartered in Bangalore where 90 per cent of its workforce is situated. It also operates one satellite office out of the Mercedes-Benz India facility in Pune. MBRDI has been involved in many areas of Daimler’s R&D engagements including component development of parts and modules for the New Generation Cars from Mercedes-Benz. The integral seats of the newly launched A-Class and the seats of the new CLA are a few examples of end-to-end projects lead by the MBRDI team. Jens Cattarius, Managing Director and CEO of MBRDI, stated, "Indian talent needs no introduction- and the success story of MBRDI proves this point. As a global organization it is essential to harness local capabilities; it is from this perspective that MBRDI and its long association with India plays a pivotal role. We started in 1996 with only 10 employees; we have grown with a CAGR of 34% and today have a 1200 strong employee base. We are looking forward to a period of robust growth in India and as such, Indian talent pool will continue to play an even more dominant role in the months and years ahead. The new facility offers best in class infrastructure and houses all our scientists and researchers in a centralized location, essential ingredients to further catalyze cross functional collaborations and shorten development cycles. We are excited about the prospects ahead and look forward to a period of even steeper growth ahead of us". Previous | Next Latest Mercedes-Benz news Mercedes-Benz India Crosses 13,000 Units In Annual Sales In 2016 Mercedes-Benz has achieved a significant sales milestone, as it registered more than 13,000 units for the second year in row. By registering sales of 13,231 units in the January to December 2016 period, Mercedes-Benz successfully maintained its sales momentum despite battling strong market challenges, round the year. Mercedes-Benz India Announces Price Hike Mercedes-Benz India has announced an upward revision of the price of its entire model range effective from January 1, 2017. More News Go to Mercedes-Benz New Car Ashok Leyland News Datsun News Force Motors News Hindustan Motors News ICML News Mahindra News Maruti Suzuki News Premier News Rolls-Royce News Ford India Mercedes-Benz India Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. HMIL Renault India Buddh International Circuit Volkswagen India BMW India Hyundai Motor India Ltd Honda Cars India Ltd. Mahindra Group

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Path: EDN Asia >> News Centre >> Automotive >> Ethernet nodes in luxury cars will exceed 100 Ethernet nodes in luxury cars will exceed 100 Frost & Sullivan foresees that Ethernet nodes will have a strong presence in the automotive business in the coming years.With the use of the Ethernet technology in cars gaining pace very rapidly in Europe and North America, automotive network paradigms are shifting. Connected cars enable a host of new service models—provided the data exchange within the vehicle can be achieved at high speed and with great permeability—two factors that Ethernet, unlike most established automotive network technologies, can guarantee. Frost & Sullivan believes that against this background, the number of Ethernet nodes in the luxury class will exceed 100 by 2020. In the mass market, 50 to 60 Ethernet nodes will be the standard and even small entry-level vehicles will accommodate up to ten such devices. During the same time span, the global market for Ethernet ports will reach a volume of 300 million units.This expansion will be driven by data-intensive applications, in particular the deployment of camera-based driver assistance systems with their high data intensity. These systems include assisted parking, lane departure warning, collision avoiding, and traffic sign recognition. With their high amounts of data generated, these systems will require backbone bandwidths of 100 Megabit/s. The introduction of a data backbone in cars will fundamentally change today's in-vehicle data network architecture, says Frost & Sullivan Automotive & Transportation Research Analyst Divya Krishnamurty. "In such an architecture, we will see Ethernet as the backbone, connecting multiple domains and subnetworks. Other car networks like LIN, CAN, and FlexRay lack the specifications to meet the demand for high bandwidth and scalability. These shortfalls highlight the need for a common network that supports all these in-vehicle requirements."Automotive OEMs and suppliers invest already—or will have to invest—in the development of Ethernet-based electrical and electronic (E/E) system architectures. This is a research-intensive and costly process, Krishnamurty said. Benefits in terms of cost, performance, interoperability, upgradeability, and time to market can be achieved through the standardisation of Ethernet platforms. In this context, Krishnamurty pointed out that the OPEN Alliance special interest group with a large number of OEMs and tier ones and chipmakers (among others, BMW, Bosch, Broadcom, Continental, Daimler, Freescale, GM, Harman, Volvo, and many more) is already working to standardise on the BroadR-Reach Ethernet technology. This technology will represent a standard platform for future infotainment and telematics applications, enabling new business models such as bundled subscription services, incremental services, targeted sales, upfront revenue and pay-per-use offerings for OEMs, tier ones, and aftermarket players like the telecom industries. At the same time, it will open doors for innovative functions like autonomous driving and application domains in the vehicles. Sensor fusion rising: Mobileye/ST out autonomous car platform Mobileye, ST to build core for self-driving cars

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Si Habla Scion? In a move to counter Toyota's Scion division, Nissan announced two new models coming in 2007. A hatchback based off the Sport Concept concept car, and a sedan. Two Japanese models were considered, the Cube and the Tiida, but were rejected. The new models will be built in Mexico. The Tiida was rejected as being too Japanese, but it's more likely it's too boring. Looks like a melted Toyota Matrix. The Cube is the model they should bring over. Even funkier than the Scion xB, I think it would sell well, but apparently Nissan thinks it's too small. I think it would be a winner! Going Where No Satellite Has Gone Before Harley-Davidson announced it's new Sreamin' Eagle Ultra Classic Electra Glide (that's a mouthful!) model will come standard with XM satellite radio. Owner's get three months of service free. No more listening to the local AM stations while you're cruising in the middle of nowhere. The Future's So Bright, Again Hella, the light manufacturer, has won an award for it's LED headlamp. Expect to see this on cars before the decade is out. Due to the durability of LED's, you may never have to change your headlight again! 2 Swift, 2 Furious Brought to you by the guys at RedlineGTI.com comes a parody of 2 Fast 2 Furious, called 2 Swift, 2 Furious, something to give you a little chuckle on a Sunday. The '71-'74 Toyota Corolla, lovingly known as the mango body because of it's shape, is the subject of Tom Carter's website. This is probably one of the cleanest examples on the road. Tom has plenty of information on what he's done to his Corollas, with links to sites for parts, a handy reference. I also love the section on Performance Driving and Safety On The Road. Now that's a clean engine bay! Stylish SUV Fiat is introducing an SUV, developed with help from Suzuki. Based on the new Swift, which has received good reviews, it's a shame we won't see it here in the USA. Dennis Deferrals Ford and Mazda credit are offering customers in eleven counties declared as federal disaster areas due to hurricane Dennis two month deferrals. It's not much if your house has been blown away, but it will definitely help. Buell announced two new models for 2006, the Ulysses and the Lightning Long. The Ulysses is an adventure style bike along the lines of the Triumph Tiger, new territory for Buell. The Lightning Long is an extended version of the Lightning, stretched to improve comfort. This brings Buell up to eight models for 2006. After all the bad news about the domestic auto industry, it's nice to see one of the home team being successful. The effect of the Employee Discount programs is turning out to be increased market share for the Big 3, with sales for the month of July up dramatically, but this is a silver cloud with a dark lining. GM is up 42%, Ford 27%, and Chrysler up 11%, but instead of hurting the sales of the Japanese Big 3, their sales are also up, Toyota at 17%, Nissan at 16%, and Honda at 22%. What thi means is that people who were originally going to buy a domestic model anyways bought their car earlier than they originally planned, but conquest sales didn't happen. Look for a big drop in August sales when the discount programs end. As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!"

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You are hereHome > Blog How Volkswagen’s Deceit Could Help Accelerate an Electric Revolution Wednesday, January 18, 2017By Kate CohenState Director How Volkswagen’s Deceit Could Help Accelerate an Electric Revolution Connecticut could receive $51.6 million to reduce pollution from transportation. The payout is part of an agreement reached between the U.S. Department of Justice and Volkswagen after the carmaker was caught selling more than half a million diesel vehicles in the U.S. that polluted up to 40 times the legal limit of dangerous nitrogen oxides (NOX). The entire settlement is worth up to $14.7 billion and will help compensate consumers and clean up our nation’s transportation system. Out of the total settlement, $2.7 billion will be distributed to states specifically to reduce NOX pollution, a major component of diesel exhaust. In Connecticut, our share will be about $51.6 million. As part of the settlement, Connecticut will be required to develop a plan for how the money will be used to reduce NOX emissions. NOX poses a serious threat to human health and has been shown to aggravate and even contribute to the development of respiratory illnesses. NOX is also a key component of smog, which has similar respiratory and health impacts and contributes to acid rain. In addition, diesel exhaust, which contains NOX, carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter, and other pollutants has been classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization since 2012. Given the unique challenges and opportunities in each state, the settlement leaves a good amount of flexibility in how the money may be used. That flexibility though presents its own challenges, opening up the possibility of squandering the money on older, dirtier technology like diesel and natural gas, while forgoing all-electric alternatives. Such a move would represent a massive missed opportunity to transition to a cleaner, healthier, and modern, all-electric system while only realizing marginal pollution reduction benefits. Make no mistake, pollution from transportation is a major problem. MIT estimates that each year, more than 50,000 people die prematurely from air pollution linked to transportation sources, more than the number of people that die each year from guns or in car collisions. And recently, transportation has become the largest domestic source of global warming emissions, surpassing power generation which often receives far more attention. In fact, in Connecticut, transportation accounts for 42 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions. Transitioning to all-electric alternatives can reduce long-term costs, gas consumption and harmful pollution while bringing our outdated transportation system into the 21st century. Therefore, it is essential that these funds be invested wisely. This week, ConnPIRG released a white paper detailing how the money can best be used. After careful analysis, we recommend that Connecticut spend the maximum allowable amount (15 percent) on fast charging electric stations across the state and the remaining funds on new, all-electric transit buses. With the $51.6 million that Connecticut will receive, the state can provide between 77 and 154 fast charging stations covering the entire state highway system, and up to 54 all-electric buses. Why Charging Stations? Volkswagen sold hundreds of thousands of polluting vehicles, so getting cleaner vehicles on the road is important to make up for the harm that VW has already caused. All-electric vehicles are as clean as they come with zero tailpipe emissions and far lower lifecycle emissions. Compared to a traditional gasoline car, emissions from electric vehicles are about 50 percent less over their lifecycle. Unfortunately, one of the biggest obstacles to greater electric vehicle adoption is “range anxiety” or the fear that one will run out of juice while driving. To overcome range anxiety, more electric charging stations are required. A study from Cornell University showed that increasing the number of charging stations can speed electric vehicle adoption at near a one to one ratio; a 10 percent increase in electric charging stations would increase electric vehicle sales by 10.8 percent. Spending 15 percent of the funds on electric charging stations would buy between 77 and 154 fast charging stations, a significant improvement to Connecticut’s current network of about 30 fast charging stations. With these additional charging stations, it’s possible to cover the state’ entire highway system with a fast charging station every 50 miles or less. In addition to the health, wellness, and environmental benefits, more electric vehicles is also good news for consumers: electric vehicles are significant money savers compared to their gas-powered counterparts. With lower fuel and maintenance costs, thousands of dollars in additional federal and state subsidies, and about half of the pollution of a traditional car, electric vehicles are a smart bet for the state. And with the technology continually improving, initial purchase costs continue to decrease. In fact, since 2010, the global average cost of an electric car battery fell 65 percent. Why All-Electric Transit Buses For the remaining $43.9 million, replacing old diesel transit buses with new all-electric buses will offer some of the biggest pollution reductions. Under the terms of the settlement, states may cover 100 percent of the costs of these buses using VW settlement funds. Moreover, buses are the most heavily used form of public transportation in the nation, responsible for 48.7 percent of unlinked passenger trips – more than any other mode. Given this, electrifying buses in our state is likely to have one of the biggest potential impacts on reducing pollution for thousands of commuters and residents alike. Yet, the settlement leaves the door open to other alternatives including compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, hybrids, and even newer (but still dirty) diesel buses. While all of these buses will come with some pollution reductions compared to older, diesel buses, the most common type of transit bus, they pale in comparison to the emissions reductions from all-electric buses. A CNG bus, the dirtiest alternative, produces more than 140 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 110 kilograms of NOX emissions annually. A hybrid bus also produces more than 100 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and 20 kilograms of NOX emissions annually. Rather than eliminating tailpipe emissions, putting new CNG, diesel, or hybrid buses on the roads is locking in more pollution for the 10-15 years that bus is operational. In contrast, an all-electric bus produces zero tailpipe emissions and best supports our state’s clean air goals. As Connecticut’s electric grid continues to become cleaner with more renewable energy coming online, electric buses will continue to get cleaner. The same cannot be said about CNG, diesel, or hybrids. Like electric cars, electric buses are also money savers. According to Proterra, one of the top manufacturers of electric buses, the savings from maintenance alone over the lifetime of an electric bus are more than $135,000. With fewer parts, and no need for oil changes or gas, these buses can be a big help to cash strapped transit agencies. Many transit agencies are already heading towards electric buses, either already implementing them in regular service or piloting them on select routes. With the clear pollution reductions and cost savings, it’s not hard to see why. But with many transit agencies low on resources, making new capital investments is challenging; this money offers an opportunity to help get cleaner, electric buses on our roads in the near-term. As the report states, “Connecticut has no way of clawing back the unnecessary and damaging pollution that spewed into its air because of Volkswagen’s defeat devices. Therefore, we need to ensure that any money VW pays in settlements is invested in moving the transportation system toward a cleaner and cheaper future.” Using 15 percent of the funds on expanding electric charging stations and 85 percent on all-electric buses will allow Connecticut to realize that cheaper, cleaner future. Make VW Pay Transportation Search form Are you a student?Our sister (c)(3)Our Federation Contact 201-616-8379Contact person by email Archives

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Helper Menu History of Hells Angels Motorcycle Club World2016-01-13T15:59:54+02:002016-04-13T12:56:59+03:00Hells Angels Moscow > History of Hells Angels Motorcycle Club World The founding of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club On March 17th 1948 the first Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was founded in the Fontana/San Bernardino area in the United States of America. About the same time, other clubs were formed in various places in the state of California, but none of these clubs were associated with Hells Angels nor with each other. Most of them do not exist today, but the Berdoo charter (San Bernadino) still do. During the fifties more Hells Angels Charters came into existence. In the beginning the different charters had nothing to do with each other, but after some years they united and a regular criteria of admission was laid down. From having been exclusively a Californian phenomenon, the club developed internationally in 1961. It happened when the first charter outside California was adopted – strangely enough – as far away as Auckland, New Zealand. During the sixties Hells Angels spread out to the East Coast of the USA and later to the Midwest. On July the 30th 1969 the first European Hells Angels charter was accepted in London, England. Today there are more than 250 charters in Europe alone. At the end of the Seventies, Australian clubs were admitted and in 1984, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil became the first South American charter. In 1993, Hells Angels came to the African continent with a charter in Johannesburg, South Africa. Eastern Europe got its own Hells Angels charter in the new millennium and since then many more countries have been granted the now famous winged Death Head. Today the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has spread its wings all over the World. From Alaska and Norway in the high North, to South Africa and Argentina in the southern hemisphere. All around the globe from the Caribbean Islands to Turkey, who became the first Muslim country to join the club in 2009. The admission of clubs from all over the globe caused changes in the structure of the Hells Angels. The small motorcycle club from Berdoo was now Mother Charter to the world´s biggest motorcycle brotherhood, the HELLS ANGELS MOTORCYCLE CLUB WORLD. Today Hells Angels MC World has charters in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia. Charters→ Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Lineage Clarification The myth and legends surrounding the military lineage of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has, for decades, been cited as being from former members of the Hell’s Angels Bomber B-17 Group from World War II. This myth has been aided by incorrect reporting by authors who deemed it appropriate to align the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) with ex-service members returning from a war where excitement and adventure had become their lifestyle. Authors and newspaper correspondents, from a wide assortment of daily, weekly and other periodicals have made statements, not founded in fact. It has been stated that these former servicemen were alleged to have been drunkards, military misfits, and generally speaking substandard soldiers that would not adjust to a return to a peacetime environment. If any person, regardless of their association considered the content of the statements and inferences made, they would find these to lack any rational thought or concern for truthful reporting. A historical review of the exploits and accomplishments of the implied Bomber Group, 303rd Bombardment Groups (Heavy) 303rd European Theater of Operations (ETO) shows that this bomber unit did not tolerate malcontents, drunken pilots or aircrews. Such individuals, had they existed, would have seriously hindered the effectiveness of combat operations and would have been dealt with harshly and promptly. Documented records of the 303rd can be found in “Might in Flight”, Daily Diary of the Eighth Air Force’s Hells Angels, 303rd Bombardment Group (H), by Harry D. Gobrect, LtCol, USAF (Ret). One of the 303rd’s most famous B-17’s serial number #41-24577, commanded by then Captain Irl Baldwin, was named “Hells Angels”. This aircraft was unnamed until its fourth or fifth mission. The crew decided to adopt the name “Hells Angels” after the 1927 Hells Angels” WWI fictional Fighter Squadron movie by Howard Hughes. On May 13th 1943 the 303rd’s B-17F “Hells Angels” became the first 8th Air force B-17 to complete 25 combat missions. This feat has wrongly been credited to the “Memphis Belle” B-17 including the 1943 and 1990 “Memphis Belle” movies. The “Memphis Belle” B-17 was the first to complete 25 missions and return to the USA. “Hells Angels” continued to fly combat missions until December 13th 1943. When she completed 48 combat missions it was retired from combat. Shortly thereafter she was flown to the USA, rejoined by members of the Capt. Baldwin Crew and went on a morale boosting tour on war production plants. Hell’s Angels B-17 number #41-24577 was dismantled, for scrap, in 1947. On January 7th 1944, by a vote of group and squadron commanders, “Hells Angels” became the name of the 303rd with “Might in Flight” being retained as the Group motto. Facts which have been undeniably proven show that the 303rd “Hell’s Angels” B-17F was only flown by highly dedicated, motivated and mission oriented airmen. They were not malcontents and did not report for mission in a drunken state. Crew pilot and commander, Capt. Irl Baldwin, completed a stellar military career, retired as an LtCol, and was awarded numerous valorous and meritorious citations. Records show that the 303rd became one of the 8th Air Forces best Bomb Groups. It operated from Station 107, Molesworth and Huntingdonshire, England from September 12th 1942 until June 11th 1945. During this time theGroup flew an 8th Air Force record 364 combat missions, 10721 sorties and dropped 26,346 tons of bombs on enemy targets. The 303rd is credited with 664 enemy aircraft destroyed, probably destroyed or damaged. They sustained 1,748 personnel casualties and lost 210 B-17’s on combat missions. The 303rd was the first 8th Air Force Bomb Group to complete 25, 50, 75, 200 and 300 combat missions. Available historical information from HAMC Berdoo and extensive research by the 303rd reveals that no lineage exists between the HAMC and the 303rd other than both organizations having the same name. HAMC has copyrighted the name Hells Angels (in any form of spelling) in the US and internationally, along with all variations of the “Death Head” insignia of HAMC. These trademarks & copyrights are aggressively protected by HAMC, Corp. The name Hell’s Angels was adopted by no less than twelve B-17’s throughout WWII, from an assortment of organizations, additionally it was adopted by a B-26 Medium Bomber squadron, a United States Marine Corps fighter squadron and even on a P-38 Lightning fighter. The former Squadron Leader of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron “Hells Angels” American Volunteer Group (AVG), Arvid Olson, was the only person with specific military lineage to an actual unit which bore the name Hell’s Angels that was affiliated with the foundation of the HAMC, which occurred in Fontana, California in March 1948. Arvid Olsen was an associate of the founders of the HAMC; he never attempted to or became a member of HAMC. The AVG, or more famously known “The Flying Tigers” (the name is credited to a United Press correspondent named McGrath for an article written on December 26st 1941) were a secret United States military operation entity, authorized and approved by then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on 23 December 1940, under conditions of a SECRET Letter of Approval: refer to Official file 150, FDR Library, Memoranda 1941. The secret approval was declassified in December 1991, after 50 years, when the AVG was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. Additionally the pilots of the AVG were awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses. Ground crew personnel of the AVG were awarded Bronze Star Medals. After all those years the AVG veterans, that were still alive, received Veterans status from a grateful nation! This acknowledgement seems more like an afterthought to an intentional oversight, on the part of the government. As part of this covert operation, which had been requested by Claire Lee Chennault (a former USAAC pilot instructor and veteran of the 94th “Hat in the Ring” squadron during WWI) on behalf of Chiang Kai-Shek and the Chinese government, who had been at war with the Empire of Japan since 1937 the AVG were to be equipped, organized and deployed, in China, against the Empire of Japan. The AVG received 100 P-40 fighter aircraft. The P-40 was diverted from a shipment to England. The personnel were recruited from active branches of the War Department: the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Pilots, maintenance, communications, clerical and medical personnel were secretly recruited from active duty units. All documentation, equipment and personnel transfers were processed through and by the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO), as approved by the US Government. Nothing could then be traced to the United States government, which was not yet in conflict with the Empire of Japan. Chiang Kai-Shek appointed Chennault Commander of the AVG. The AVG was divided into four elements: a headquarters squadron and three fighter squadrons. Each squadron selected their respective name, which was the custom of the time for military aviation units. The First Pursuit Squadron (1PS) became the “Adam & Eve’s”. The Second Pursuit Squadron (2PS) became the “Panda Bears”. Chuck Older, Ken Jernstedt, Tom Haywood and Ed Overend, all former USMC pilots, selected the name “Hells Angels” for the Third Pursuit Squadron (3PS). Of note is that Charles “Chuck” Older became a judge and presided over the trial of Charles Manson. Ken Jernstedt became a US Senator. Squadron Leader Olsen was not involved in that name selection, however he immediately agreed with the recommendation... The Tiger Shark motif on the AVG P-40 aircraft was the idea of (3PS) Hells Angels Flight Leader Erik Shilling and (1PS) Adam & Eve Vice Squadron Leader Charles Bond, when they found a British magazine with photographs of an RAAF P-40 in desert camouflage. When the two took the idea to Chennault he wanted the entire Group to adopt the motif. Even today Shilling and Bond claim first for idea and application of the Tiger Shark paint job on the P-40’ Each of the squadrons, now with an approved name, designed their respective squadron insignia. The Hells Angels decided on a red colored silhouette of a very shapely female with halo and wings outlined in white. Each Hells Angels pilot had his own “Lady” painted on his individual aircraft; subsequently each “Lady” had her own personality. Yet the colors of red on white were the standard for the entire squadron. This same motif and insignia is used today by active United States Army, Marine Corps and Air Force squadrons, additionally a fighter squadron of the Israeli Air Force.s of the AVG. Erik Shilling actually painted his P-40 first, as Bond had gone off base to acquire the paint, whereas Shilling got paint on the base from Chinese personnel that were painting the Chinese Air Force insignia on the P-40’s. During the seven month combat operations of the AVG this unit acquired a record of 297 Japanese aircraft destroyed, as confirmed by British and Chinese Intelligence. Other sources have placed the total Japanese aircraft destruction, caused by the AVG, at well over 600 to 900, including aircraft destroyed on the ground during strafing operations. AVG losses were 4 pilots killed in air combat, 7 killed by ground fire, 3 died as a result of Japanese bombing while they were on the ground and 1 missing in action presumed dead. That reflects an AVG to Japanese kill ratio of 50 to 1, a record that has never been equaled. Chennault reviewed official Japanese war records, after the war. The Japanese reported the destruction of 544 AVG aircraft. Of note was the fact that at no time did the AVG possessed more than 100 aircraft in their unit. The AVG was disbanded on July 4th 1942, at which time few accepted returning into the US Army Air Force, most optioned to return to the US where they returned to active service or other war efforts. The reason many refused immediate return to active service, in China, was the manner by which Brigadier General Bissell, USAAF, presented the option to them. Bissell had been a long time adversary of Chennault and the Flying Tigers. Chennault, who had accepted return to active military service, immediately prior to deactivation of the AVG, at the rank of Brigadier General continued to command the 14th Air Force in the China Burma Theater (CBT). The 14th Air Force all referred to themselves as “Flying Tigers”, even though the real “Flying Tigers” had been deactivated on July 4th 1942. General Chennault was forced into retirement immediately prior to the Japanese surrender. At the official surrender ceremony, onboard the USS Missouri, General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur asked, “Where’s Chennault?” As a final insult General Chennault, founder and commander of the AVG, who had fought the Japanese Empire since 1937 was not even permitted to be present at the official end of hostilities, of which he had participated in for 8 years, unlike the 4 years of participation by other US officials at that ceremony. To answer the questions of lineage between HAMC and a military organization is that Arvid Olsen; “Flying Tigers” Hells Angels squadron gave the idea of the name to the actual founder of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, in Fontana, California. The selection of our colors, red on white, is a result of the association of Olsen with the HAMC founders, like the insignia of the 3Ps “Hells Angels”. The insignia of the HAMC, our copyrighted Death Head can also be traced to two variant insignia designs, the 85th Fighter Squadron and the 552nd Medium Bomber Squadron. Frank Sadliek, past president of the HAMC San Francisco Chapter designed the official “Death Head” insignia. Arvid Olsen died May 16st. 1974 in Point Clear, Alabama. Content Sidebar All May Events in Posters All April Events in Posters All March events in posters Hells Angels MC Moscow & The Brotherhood of War Representatives of the Hells Angels MC Moscow and Valery Vostrotin OAKLAND & SONNY IN PARIS 26-27 May 2017 Dock Eiffel La Plaine St-Denis © 2002-2017 Hells Angels Moscow

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Posted: 24 November 2008 Officials in California have unveiled ambitious plans to turn the San Francisco Bay area - home to 7.6 million people - into one of the world's leading centres for electric vehicles. If it succeeds, the strategy will see billions of dollars poured into a power infrastructure that will turn the region away from fossil fuels and persuade millions of people to switch to green transport technology.The plan, which will see the bay area become the first region of California to switch its transport systems entirely away from traditional fuels, is being supported by local government as well as the state's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. California Roadster electric car The California Roadster electric car, certified as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle for 4 passengers. Maximum speed: 25 mph. Range 35 miles. Cost $ 9,000. Photo: The Electric Car Company of Long Beach "California is already a world leader in fighting global warming and promoting renewable energy," he said. "This partnership is proof that by working together we can achieve our goals of creating a healthier planet while boosting our economy."Globally, cars generate about 20% of the world's output of carbon dioxide and California's cars account for 40% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing around 1m petrol cars with electric cars by 2015, as is proposed under the new plans, will make a big difference.At least $1bn is expected to be spent on improving green transport infrastructure to make the bay area - encompassing the cities of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, as well as Silicon Valley - the leading centre for electric vehicles in America, and potentially around the world.The electric transportation company Better Place will build a network of kerbside charging points across cities in the area and create the equivalent of filling stations, where electric car owners will be able to replace their flat batteries for fully charged ones. With a full charge on one of Better Place's batteries, a typical car will be able to travel 100 miles, ideal for commuting around urban areas.The local government will also work to harmonise standards across the region so that drivers of electric vehicles can travel the length and breadth of the bay area without worrying about finding the right kind of charging station.Most users of the Better Place system would pay a monthly subscription for unlimited access to the company's services. Visitors with electric cars could also use the charging points for a one-off fee."You can plug in any car," said Jason Wolf, the California business manager at Better Place. "In California, everyone who's bought Teslas, everyone who has bought plug-in hybrids or electric cars that are not in tight relationship with us, will be able to plug into our network."Speaking at the launch yesterday, Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, said: "If we're going to get serious about advancing climate-action plans, we've got to get serious about getting into the business of alternative transportation."California, the world's eighth largest economy, has some of the most progressive climate-change legislation. The state aims to reduce greenhouse gas levels to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.The plans will put California on a footing with other countries leading the attempt to introduce electric cars, including Israel, Denmark and Australia. Last month, the Britain pledged £100m to speed the commercial introduction of electric and low-carbon road transport to the country. © Guardian News and Media Limited 2008. See the full story here. Link: Better Place In this Topic

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Bosch Projects 50% of Euro New Vehicles to Have Stop-Start by 2012 Shane McGlaun (Blog) - December 5, 2008 10:48 AM Fiat 500 at CES 2008 (Source: DailyTech/Brandon Hill) Bosch Start-Stop system reduces fuel consumption and emissions by 8% Reducing emissions and improving fuel economy is a huge area of investment for many carmakers. Most people equate this type of technology with hybrid or electric vehicles, but Bosch has a system that helps improve fuel economy and reduce emissions on diesel and gasoline motors as well. The system is called the Bosch Stop-Start System. Bosch and Fiat announced recently that the Fiat 500 would use the systems and Bosch went so far as to claim that 50% of European vehicles would have the Stop-Start system by 2012. Bosch has been making the system since 2007 and reports it has already delivered 500,000 of the special starters to BMW and Mini. In the Fiat 500, Bosch says the Stop-Start system would be available with the Dualogic automated manual transmission and the 1.2-liter engine. Fiat does say it plans to install the system on other vehicles as early as 2009. The Fiat 500 will also use a Bosch engine control unit including Bosch software that analyzes the sensor data to start and stop the engine of the vehicle. Stefan Asenkerschbaumer, president of Bosch Starter Motors and Generators division said, "In 2008, roughly five percent of all new vehicles in Europe are equipped with a start/stop system. By 2012, we estimate this will be every second newly registered vehicle—most of them with Bosch technology." The Bosch Stop-Start system works by turning the motor of the vehicle off when the vehicle is stationary. An example is if a driver pulled up to a stop light, the Stop-Start system would turn the motor off while at rest. When the driver put a foot on the clutch pedal to put the car back in gear, the engine would start back up. Bosch says that the system reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in the urban component of the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) by up to 8%. To ensure that the starter lasts with the significantly increased stop/start cycles, critical components of the special starter have been strengthened. Bosch says it increased the service life of starters used in the Stop-Start system compared to a normal starter. The bearings in the new starter were strengthened, the commutator is strengthened, and the planetary gear was improved as well. The system has other components including control software, a battery sensor, crankshaft sensor, and sensors at the pedals. A high-efficiency alternator and a deep-cycle electric battery are part of the system. A few specifics on the system remain unclear. For instance, presumably the system won’t function if the driver doesn't place the vehicle in neutral. Bosch isn't specific on that aspect of the system. Another concern is how long the vehicle will be able to remain with the engine cut off in high power usage scenarios like summer with the air conditioner running or in winter with the heater on. Bosch doesn’t specify if the system would automatically restart the vehicle if it were still stationary if the battery started to get too low on power. Presumably, the system would restart so the driver won’t be left with a dead battery.

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Ford Says It Can React Quickly If There is U.S. Demand for Diesel Cars The Focus Estate, another Ford delicacy that we don't get in the United States Ford offers diesel-powered cars in Europe already making a transition for the US very easy if needed Several automakers have been announcing new vehicles powered by diesel engines for the U.S. market. Chevrolet recently announced the Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel and Mazda will be bringing a diesel-powered version of its Mazda6 to the U.S. And we can’t forget that Volkswagen has been selling diesel vehicles in the U.S. for years with great success. Despite these major automakers announcing diesel-powered cars, Ford is still playing it safe. Ford has long offered diesel engines in its heavy-duty F-Series pickups and will offer a diesel engine in its upcoming Transit commercial van (which will replace the E-Series), but is playing it safe when it comes to passenger cars. "If we see diesels start to take off here in the U.S., we can react very quickly," said Ford's Mark Fields. While diesel-powered vehicles make up only 3% of retail passenger vehicle sales in the U.S., that figure was actually up by 25% in last year compared to 2011 according to Edmunds. Ford already offers diesel-powered cars in Europe (where half of all vehicles sold come with a diesel engine) and other world markets as part of its global strategy. If Ford sees the demand in the United States increase significantly for diesel-powered cars, it would be easy to start placing those engines into vehicles destined for the United States. However, Americans would be facing a $3,000 to $4,000 premium compared to an equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle. Ford has been slow to introduce diesel engines in its U.S. vehicles because it has put quite a bit of energy into promoting its EcoBoost engines instead. The turbocharged engines can be found in varying displacements in everything from the tiny Fiesta to the hulking F-150. However, the fuel efficiency ratings of those comparatively small, turbocharged engines have recently come under fire. Consumer Reports maintains that Ford's turbocharged engines offer little to no improvement over conventional engines in fuel efficiency or performance. Source: Detroit News "Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine." -- Bill Gates Consumer Reports: Small Turbo Engines Don't Meet Efficiency Claims Mazda to Bring Diesel Engine to U.S. by '14 January 18, 2012, 11:00 AM

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Slowing sales hit BYD, Chinese automakers' profits Share Tweet Weaker than expected sales are sapping the earnings of China's automakers, with BYD Co. reporting a sharp drop in profit so far this year, while state-owned FAW recorded a net loss in the third quarter.The sharp declines reflect both slower sales and thinner profit margins in the world's largest vehicle market, thanks to rising costs and intense competition on price.BYD, which is backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffet, is forecasting its profit will fall between 35 percent and 65 percent for the full year, though it expects an improvement in the fourth quarter.The company's profit fell nearly 86 percent to 352.7 million yuan ($55.5 million) in January-September, though it jumped nearly sixfold in the third-quarter, from a very low base the year before, as sales were energized by the introduction of new models.Auto sales in China surged in 2009-2010, propelled by subsidies and tax cuts meant to help the industry rebound from the global crisis. Sales rose 32 percent last year to 18 million vehicles.But the lackluster growth seen in recent months has prompted most analysts to slash sales forecasts for this year to below 20 million vehicles, or single-digit growth."Everybody can have good financial results when the market is growing by double-digits," said Yale Zhang, managing director of the independent consultancy AutoForesight in Shanghai."If it should be in the single digits, then some of the weaker ones will show sluggish performance," he said.A tightening of the quota for subsidies for purchases of fuel-efficient vehicles, beginning in October, is likely to slow sales in the fourth quarter, which is usually one of the stronger seasons for auto sales.BYD's problems became apparent in the past two years, as its sales of mostly small sedans failed to keep up with rapid expansion of its dealership network. The company, which also makes batteries, phone handsets and energy storage equipment, attributed the weak results so far this year to a decline in auto sales.BYD sold 326,379 vehicles in the first three quarters, down 15.5 percent from a year earlier, but saw sales climb 9.1 percent in September-July, to 94,024 vehicles.The recent introduction of its S6 SUV is helping, said Zhang. "They are stabilized. They've passed the worst and should be back on track to do business," he said.FAW Car Co., a major state-owned automaker based in the northeast, reported a net loss in the third quarter of 49.9 million yuan ($7.9 million). The company, whose results only reflect sales of its domestic brands and not of its joint ventures with Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG, said auto restrictions in Beijing and rising oil prices hurt sales.Dongfeng Motor Group Co., a partner of Nissan Motor Co. and PSA Peugeot Citroen, said its profit fell 3 percent in the first three quarters, to 8.6 billion yuan ($1.4 billion). Its performance was hit both by slowing sales and by disruptions related to the March 11 tsunami and earthquake in Japan.Commercial vehicle maker Beiqi Foton Motor Co. said its third quarter profit fell 60 percent from a year earlier to 211 million yuan ($33.2 million). The company said its sales of light trucks fell 6 percent while sales of passenger cars dropped 21.4 percent.However, not all automakers are suffering such malaise.Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp., partner of both General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG, reported its profit jumped 27 percent in the third quarter, helped by strong demand for new GM and VW models.Its sales jumped 12 percent in the first nine months of the year, to almost 3 million vehicles.___Associated Press researcher Fu Ting contributed.

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Designs on cars Top universities, major laboratories continue to partner with Local Motors to develop new technologies for 3D-printed cars Local Motors today announces the winner of its Project Redacted challenge, a design competition which will serve as the inspiration for the world’s first fleet of 3D-printed cars. The winning design of Project Redacted is Reload Redacted - Swim/Sport by Kevin Lo. In addition to its revolutionary design, the entry showcases many benefits of Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM), including the ability to create a completely customizable vehicle. What’s more, its design boasts a flexible foundation that can support many different styles and technology options. Local Motors is the first company to utilize DDM in vehicle production, with the goal of decreasing the amount of tooling while increasing speed to market for highway-ready vehicles. Local Motors proved the ability to build vehicles with DDM when it debuted the world’s first 3D-printed car, the Strati, in September of 2014. “At Local Motors, we are hellbent on revolutionizing manufacturing, ” said John B. Rogers, Jr., CEO and co-founder of Local Motors. “Car manufacturers have been stamping parts the same way for more than 100 years. We now have the technology to make the process and products better and faster by linking the online to the offline through DDM. This process will create better and safer products, and we are doing exactly that.” Local Motors launched Project Redacted to challenge the co-creation community to imagine and design the next generation of 3D-printed cars. The winning entry will act as the foundation for the world’s first, and yet-to-be-named, road-ready 3D-printed vehicles. Local Motors plans to design, build and sell a Low Speed Electric Vehicle (LSEV) iteration, planned to debut in Q1 2016, as well as a fully homologated highway-ready version later that year. The winning entry was chosen after a voting process that tapped the Local Motors community, as well as a professional judging panel, including former Tonight Show host and car enthusiast Jay Leno; SEMA Vice President of Vehicle Technology John Waraniak, and SABIC Senior Manager Geert Jan Schellekens. “You need something that makes you go ‘what’s that?’” Leno said of the winning entry. “My top choice would be Reload Redacted - Swim/Sport because it’s sporty, fun, and you can commute in it.” Top U.S. universities and national laboratories continue partnering with Local Motors Local Motors today also unveils a fleet of vehicles it has coined LOCO University Vehicles. LOCO, short for Local Motors Co-Created University Vehicles, is one of the first steps in the company’s effort to change the automotive industry forever by partnering with some of the nation’s top universities and laboratories. The university partnerships will amplify 3D-printing and other technologies by co-creating with some of the best and brightest minds in the nation. The first three universities to participate in the program are the University of Michigan (U of M), Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV). Today U of M takes delivery of a LOCO, with its research efforts focusing on the development of autonomous (self-driving) technology. U of M plans to use the LOCO to develop a fleet of autonomous vehicles which will transport students around the University’s North Campus while also serving as the nation’s first testbed for on-demand autonomous. “Think Uber, but with low-speed, autonomous cars, ” said Ed Olson, an associate professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at University of Michigan who leads the project. “The goal of this program is for us to begin to understanding the challenges of a transportation-on-demand system built around autonomous cars.” The UNLV LOCO will also focus on autonomous vehicle technology. The partnership with Arizona State University will conduct and gather groundbreaking research on advanced materials. The goal with all the schools is to deliver the latest technology in additive manufacturing to the Local Motors community, who will be hard at work in the coming months co-creating on and bringing Reload Redacted to roads across America. Cutting-edge technology will define all aspects of the 3D-printed car DDM allows for the rapid adoption of new technology in vehicles. For example, the Local Motors co-creation community has built an electric powertrain test platform to explore advanced battery technology that will go into the 3D-printed car. The battery technology in the test platform uses the same lithium ion chemistry used in existing electric vehicles (as well as iPhones). Local Motors is already working to identify numerous cutting-edge battery options. For example, the company is exploring lithium sulfur battery technology, which creates three times the energy at half the weight of lithium ion technology. The electric powertrain test platform also serves as a base for the development of the powertrain that will be used in the 3D-printed vehicle. Local Motors is poised to leapfrog current EV technology within the next 12 – 18 months. ABOUT LOCAL MOTORS: Local Motors is a technology company that designs, builds, and sells vehicles. From bytes-to-bits, the Local Motors platform combines global co-creation with local micro-manufacturing to bring hardware innovations, like the world’s first 3D-printed car, to market at unprecedented speed. To learn more about and join the Local Motors community, please connect on or follow on Twitter @localmotors. Discover more at localmotors.com. They often manifest as black spots floating in your vision. Source: localmotors.com Automotive Design Cars of the Future (1948) Future Vision ... Music and Sound Design on Car Commercial Audi How to quickly design cars on Photoshop 7.0 The TMC Costin was a lightweight sports car built from 1983 to 1987 at the Thompson Motor Company in Wexford, Ireland. It was designed by the aerodynamicist and Marcos founder Frank Costin and was intended to be an Irish-made rival to Lotus Seven-inspired cars as... Chrysler's rear wheel drive F platform was used from 1976 to 1980. It was replaced by the nearly identical Chrysler M platform. There were two wheelbases: 108.7 in for 2-door models, and 112.7 in for four-doors. As the market evolved, these would be marketed as... Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe (Central Car Works, CWS) was a Polish pre-war car and motorcycle manufacturer. Created by the Polish Ministry of War Affairs in 1918, the privately run company was initially entitled to service of all the mechanical equipment of the... Mechanical Engineering engine design Automotive Design Sketches Car designers names Car Technical drawings

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« US DOT releases voluntary guidelines to minimize in-vehicle distractions | | US DOE seeking input on home hydrogen refueler systems » Print this post London to introduce new Ulta Low Emission Discount for Congestion Charge scheme; countering dieselization The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, confirmed his decision to introduce a new Ultra Low Emission Discount (ULED) for the Congestion Charge scheme in the city. (Earlier post.) The new ULED will replace the existing discount and is intended to ensure that only zero or ultra-low emission vehicles driving into the capital receive a 100% discount. One of the aims of making the changes is to help tackle the increasing dieselization of London’s car fleet. Over the past decade diesel car sales have increased from around 10% to 50%, partly as a result of low carbon vehicle incentives. However a Euro 4 diesel car emits about 22 times as much particulate matter as the equivalent gasoline car. While the ULED is technology neutral, no currently available diesel car would meet the criteria for the discount and this is unlikely to change in the immediate future. The Mayor also announced two further changes to the scheme that will see the removal of the option to pay the charge in shops, which is now used for 6% of payments, and an increase in the level of penalty charge from £120 to £130 (US$183 to US$198). To qualify for the new discount vehicles will have to be either pure electric or be cars and vans that emit 75 g/km or less of CO2 and meet the Euro 5 emission standard for air quality. The ULED will be introduced on 1 July 2013 and will provide a single 100% discount from the Congestion Charge for electric vehicles and ultra low emission cars and vans. It replaces the current Greener Vehicle Discount (GVD) and the Electric Vehicle Discount, although anyone registered for the latter will automatically be transferred to the new ULED. Cars currently registered for GVD will not meet the criteria for the new ULED. The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) recognize that many drivers made the decision to purchase a low emission car in order to benefit from the existing discount. Therefore, in response to a number of comments made during the consultation, the current owners of cars registered for the GVD will continue to receive a full discount for that vehicle for a sunset period of three years—an increase from the two years proposed in the consultation. The sunset period for the owners of vehicles currently registered for the GVD will therefore end on 24 June 2016. April 24, 2013 in Brief | Permalink TrackBack URL for this entry:http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef017eea84980b970d Listed below are links to weblogs that reference London to introduce new Ulta Low Emission Discount for Congestion Charge scheme; countering dieselization:

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Close Call For California Motor Vehicle Dealers A bill was introduced earlier this year in February that, had it passed, would have made it more difficult for California auto dealers to get bonded or remain bonded. Assembly Bill 1939 was originally written to increase the cap on the document processing charge for leased vehicles by $20 to $65 and for purchased vehicles by $10 to $65. Opponents to this bill expressed concerns on behalf of the consumers, who have faced many rising costs lately in other areas, and that this increase would be unjustified. Opponents also expressed that an increase in fees, if necessary, should be in some way linked to furthering consumer protection. In response to opposition, the author of AB 1939 amended the bill in June. First changing the increase for the document processing charge for leased vehicles by $10 to $55 and dropping the increase for purchased vehicles. The amendment also included a change in the surety bond requirement for dealers and remanufacturers. Currently, dealers and remanufacturers must file a $50,000 bond with their license. If the bill were to pass, the surety bond requirement would be increased to $100,000. The Surety Bond of Motorcycle Dealer, Motorcycle Lessor-Retailer, All-Terrain Vehicle Dealer, or Wholesale-Only Dealer (Less than 25 Vehicles per Year) would remain at $10,000. These amendments failed to appease the original opponents of the bill and brought on additional opponents because of the increase in the surety bond requirement. Among these opponents, The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) raised concerns that the increased bond amount would make it even more difficult for dealers to obtain or maintain their bonding requirements. Others expressed concerns that the increased bond amount would serve as another barrier to dealers just getting started, especially used car dealers. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of the SFAA, AIA, and other local surety associations, the bill died in Senate after the hearing was cancelled by the author of the bill. This topic reinforces the importance of keeping yourself informed of the latest activities of your state legislation. There may be other bills introduced in the future that could be unfavorable to your industry. It is essential that they hear your opinions, so that decisions can be made in the best interests of everyone involved. Here you search for information about a bill using keywords or the bill number at: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html Submit comments to the Assembly on pending legislation They also offer an index that list bills introduced in both the Assembly and the Senate. November 3, 2008 by Eric Weisbrot California Auto Dealer Bonds,Commercial Bonds,Surety News

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Want to own James Bond’s DB10? Here’s a chance to get that exclusive Aston Martin you saw in Spectre. By Alethia Tiang Petrol heads with a soft spot James Bond’s choice ride will find jubilance in this piece of news: The sleek Aston Martin DB10 — the first car created exclusively for the fictional English spy — will go under the hammer at Christie’s London this month.The DB10 was conceived and made especially for the 2015 blockbuster, Spectre, and is strictly limited to 10 units. Of the lot, two are factory standards that were not modified for special movie effects. It is one of these units that will be available for purchase at the Spectre — The Auction on February 18 at Christie’s King Street auction house. The auction is organised to celebrate the release of the 24th Bond film on Digital HD, Blu-ray and DVD. The DB10 is one of 24 special lots that will be sold for charity.The coupe features a 4.7-litre V8 petrol engine and a six-speed manual transmission. Boasting an estimated top speed of 305km/h, the car has a carbon fibre exterior while its interiors are crafted using fine luxury leathers, carbon fibre and aluminium. This unit in particular was originally displayed at the movie’s world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall and has been signed by actor Daniel Craig.The DB10 is expected to rake in £1 Million from the auction, with proceeds going to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), an international humanitarian-aid non-governmental organisation and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. To register for this auction, email [email protected]. Further information can be found at christies.com/bond.Read more about the DB10 and its role in Spectre. Read about Aston Martin's future plans for Singapore and Asia.

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Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class - CLAss Mates Dec 08,2012 BSM Team Read News PRINT Dec 08,2012 BSM Team Read News The swoopy Mercedes-Benz CLS is about to have some internal competition really soon. The Concept Style Coupé Mercedes showed recently is actually going into production. To be called the CLA-Class, the latest four-door-coupé from Mercedes’ stable will slot in below the C-Class as the new entry level sedan. The whole point of the CLA was to attract youngsters to an ageing brand, so what that means is that not only will this look good, it will actually be within reach of the youth. The production model of the CLA is all set to debut at next year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit while the high-performance version will make its debut at the end of 2013. Here in India though, you can expect to see this car on the roads in late 2014 after the A-Class has been launched. Till other photos are out though, all we have are photos of the camouflaged models running about. Powering the CLA will be a set of four-cylinder engines, the same set that power the new A-Class. The mainstay of that line-up will be a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine that will make anywhere between 160 and 200 bhp while a larger engine will power the higher performance versions. Needless to say, a diesel model will most certainly be out. What we’re interested in though are the CLA 250 and the high-performance AMG version that will eventually come out of it, reportedly called the CLA 45 AMG. Both these versions will feature a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 210 bhp for the 250 and 354 bhp of peak power for the AMG version. Both mated to a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission routing power to all four wheels through Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. From what we can see, this new sedan will be sharing quite a bit with the new A-Class. And depending on the demand, the A-Class may well be assembled here with a few local components, so expect this sedan to come in with a similar deal. By the time this makes it here, we expect there to be more competition in that space as well, especially in the way of the upcoming Audi A3 sedan. With the next generation C-Class set to go up in price, expect the CLA to be priced in the range of Rs 22 to Rs 25 lakh. mercedes-benz mercedes-benz cla-class mercedes cla cla-class cla amg cla 45 amg mercedes cla india mercedes benz cla india mercedes-benz cla india Load Comments

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» Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems Emmette Cox Product Management Coordinator for Physical Science Engineers are always trying to improve the vehicles we use to transport ourselves and our goods. One of their high focus areas is fuel efficiency, which is the measure of the distance a vehicle travels using a given amount of fuel. You may be familiar with the US term miles per gallon, or MPG. Fuel-efficient vehicles save money and produce fewer waste products. The internal combustion engine of a car is not very efficient. The engine converts the potential energy stored in the fuel into heat, which is then converted to the mechanical energy that makes the car move. Unfortunately, more energy from the fuel gets turned into heat than into mechanical energy. The same is true of the braking system. Traditional automobile brakes use friction to slow down. Friction generates heat. That heat moves from the surface of the brakes to the surrounding air and spreads out into the atmosphere, where it is lost. Clearly, driving a car creates a lot of wasted energy. What if that wasted heat energy could be captured? A kinetic energy recovery system, or KERS, is designed to do just that. A KERS recovers some of the wasted heat energy when the driver applies an automobile’s brakes, storing that energy for later use. The energy may be stored in a flywheel or in batteries. A flywheel is a rotating disc that stores energy. A vehicle using a flywheel as a KERS will have a specially designed transmission. When the car slows down, the transmission transfers energy to the flywheel. As the flywheel speeds up, the car slows down. When the car needs to speed up again, the transmission transfers the energy from the spinning flywheel back into the car’s wheels. The flywheel slows down, and the car speeds up. Other vehicles that employ KERS store the energy in high-voltage batteries instead of a flywheel. The batteries can be accessed to rapidly accelerate the vehicle or, over a longer period, to increase fuel economy. Some Formula 1® (F1) race cars use a KERS to provide a boost of horsepower when needed. Vehicles still need traditional brakes to slow to a complete stop, as a backup for safety, and for parking. Some automakers are developing KERS for their production vehicles. Soon, you may be driving a car equipped with a kinetic energy recovery system. Ring and Disc Set ZeCar Flywheel Car

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Home > Cars > Aston Martin GT4 Challenge lets customers take to… Aston Martin GT4 Challenge lets customers take to the track By May 18, 2014 11:00 AM Subscribe Aston Martin launched a new one-make race series for well-heeled enthusiasts this weekend at the Watkins Glen International track in upstate New York. The the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge for North America is a seven-event series that will allow customers and enthusiasts to compete in identical V8 Vantage racers at some of the best tracks on the continent. The series is similar in concept to one-make race series operated by Ferrari and Lotus, which allow participants to experience racing without the complications of running a team. After the inaugural round at Watkins Glen, the series moves to Virginia International Raceway next month, then on to Circuit Mount-Tremblant (Mount-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada), Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (Monterey, California), Monticello Motor Club (Monticello, New York), Road America (Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin), and finally Sebring, Florida, home of the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race. The cars themselves will be Aston Martin Vantage GT4s, prepared and leased to customers by Aston racing partner TRG-AMR on a per-season or race-by-race basis. The GT4 is a modified V8 Vantage coupe, with the same 4.7-liter engine. Aston didn’t specify with the racing version produces more than the stock 420 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque. The start of the GT4 challenge comes as Aston launches the V8 Vantage GT, which is intended to emphasize the connection between the company’s race cars and road cars. Announced at the 2014 New York Auto Show, the Vantage GT features a 470-hp version of the 4.7-liter V8, a new aerodynamic package, and a sport exhaust system. Aston didn’t say how much a Vantage GT4 racer costs, but the Vantage GT can be yours for $99,900.

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Studebaker Buildings Bob's Resource Website Studebaker Buildings - Detroit, MI This is going from being detroitblog to being Lost Detroit History blog. From Scovel Memorial Church to the Jefferson Avenue Baptist Church to the Statler and Madison-Lenox hotels to the recently torched Studebaker plant, it’s becoming hard to keep up with what is being destroyed around town so far this year. I can only imagine what the second half of the year will bring, as Superbowl pressures reach a crescendo. As reported extensively elsewhere, an entire city block containing the old Studebaker plant burned to the ground Monday night, taking several businesses with it. So, once again, a brief history of something lost: The plant that eventually housed Studebaker was built in 1906. The building was originally home to the Wayne Automobile Company, which was founded in 1901 by Charles Palms, who named the company after General Anthony Wayne, the Revolutionary War hero whose name also graced the county. In 1908, Byron Everitt, the company’s president, formed a partnership with Walter Flanders, a former Ford production manager and the Wayne auto company’s manager, and Bill Metzger, the founder of the first Detroit Auto Show, and organized the E-M-F automobile company, which took over the Wayne plant, and renamed it the E-M-F 30 Plant. The Studebaker Automobile Co. entered into a partnership with E-M-F in July 1908, with Studebaker distributing the E-M-F vehicles through their dealers. But the E-M-F cars had significant problems, and the acronym E-M-F came to be called, among other derisive titles, as “Every Morning Fix-it.” Studebaker took control of the E-M-F plant in 1910, and began putting the Studebaker name on the autos produced at that plant. By 1911, the company became the Studebaker Corporation. The plant produced Studebaker autos until 1928. After that it went through a number of uses, including as the U.S. Army’s 182nd field artillery armory and as a parts plant for Chrysler until the 1960s as its John R plant. For a time, the Detroit Public Library’s Automotive Collection was housed there. The western part of the complex was left to rot after that, while the eastern half was used by meat producers, furniture stores, storage facilities and other assorted businesses. I had put off exploring the Studebaker plant because it seemed it would be there forever, and there really wasn’t much of historical value left to see. Luckily I went with some other explorers a mere two months ago, just in time, it turns out. The Studebaker plant consisted of two halves – one occupied by functioning businesses, the other abandoned. This resulted in the striking effect of having a single structure with a dividing line down the middle, separating decay from preservation. The roof of the abandoned portion of the building had collapsed long ago and sent the contents of the upper floors plunging downward through the wood-beam floors, even to the first floor in some spots. While exploring I climbed no higher than the third floor in one spot, but since the building looked like a strong gust of wind could send more debris through the floors, I went no further. The building served mostly as a canvas for graffiti and as a hiding place for junkies nodding out in the middle of the day. Out in the courtyard a hobo wandered around, urinating, scratching himself, wandering dazed in the spring sunshine. The usual hobo activities. After the overnight fire, I had to wait until after work to head over there. It was an utterly surreal scene. A rain shower had just finished, and though it temporarily dampened the smoldering ruins, smoke began billowing upwards and outwards as soon as the rain would stop, filling the neighborhood with a pungent, burning odor. The streets surrounding the old plant were tainted russet because of the pulverized brick powder settling to the ground in a drizzle from the firehose water. The steel beams of the building were bent and twisted in U-shapes, and mixed in with thousands of loose, red bricks. I started talking to some firefighters, and one of them, seeing my camera, said it was OK to go “to the other side,” meaning the other side of the fire truck on the street, but I took that to mean “go ahead, you can have full access to the entire structure.” Why, yessir! I don’t argue with my interpretations of the words of first responders! So despite being ridiculously underdressed, I headed past the piles of bricks, past the firemen, into the courtyard. Before the fire, the abandoned portion of the old auto plant was so crumbled and decayed that there isn’t much contrast between the pre-fire photos and the post-destruction shots, except for the blackness of the charred wood. The first three photos in this post are before the fire, the rest are after. Hard to differentiate in some cases. The courtyard atmosphere had a quality that can best be described, without being overwrought and college poet, as apocalyptic. Standing in the center I was surrounded by smoking ruins and pretty much total silence except for the sound of water from the fire hoses. A passing rain shower and the impending sunset made the sky various gloomy shades of red and purple, with the rising smoke adding a grey veil. Charred embers smoked on the open concrete of the courtyard, and various large pieces of metal, ejected from the building by the intense fire, were lodged in trees, still steaming. I had never been inside a freshly burned building, let alone in the center of a destroyed city block, and it was bizarre. Eerily enough, the many small trees that managed to grow over the years in the cracks in the concrete still stood, slightly singed but still mostly green despite being surrounded by an inferno just hours before. Small plants remained upright. I stepped inside the only building in the complex that still had a roof attached, and took a couple of quick photos, but the whole building creaked loudly like it was on the verge of collapse, so I gingerly crept out of it and away from the scene, and made my way off that block, back to more breathable air. While other cities take great pains to preserve their history, especially something as significant as a piece of the birthplace of a worldwide industry, in Detroit history is left to rot, or be taken out quickly and cheaply by arson. For the most part, buildings are saved not by the city, but only when private citizens do it themselves, as with the Ford Piquette Plant next to the Studebaker, another remnant that almost caught fire Monday night, but which was likely saved by the efforts of a handful of people, its caretakers, who don’t even live in the city but had to drive in to save it. How sad. To This.... About 2 miles north of downtown Detroit is an area that some call the "Cradle of the Automobile". In three blocks you could find a former Studebaker factory, Fisher Body and the birth place of Ford's Model T, the Ford Piquette Avenue building. This is the Studebaker factory or what remains of it. About 10 p.m. on June 20 a fire broke out that spread across all floors of the massive block size 500 x 200 foot (150 x 60 meter) building. It quickly became a 5 Alarm fire that could be seen for miles in the night sky. Approximately 150 firefighters using 20 engines and 8 aerial units to were called to fight the blaze. By 1:15 the the fire was under control but the building was a complete loss as its wood frame fueled the flames sending its beautiful brick facade crashing into the street. But two days later the ruble was still smoking as fire trucks remained watering down the debris. But because of the excellent skills of the Detroit Fire Department they were able to save the buildings across the street, including Ford's Model T facility. The building had been mostly abandoned for years. Built 100 years ago it saw many uses, first by the Wayne and EMF automobile companies, then Studebaker. It served as the Piquette Armory and then as a warehouse for some time before it was abandoned. Parts of it were still used for storage and part of the eastern end was used as the Piquette Meat Market. Here someone who looks like a chief monitors the situation. The fire department did a remarkable job containing the blaze which, when seen from the air, was a wild and raging inferno with flames spitting into the night sky. Luckily only two of these brave men and women were treated for very minor injuries and there was no one in the building at the time of the blaze. The long abandoned former Studebaker plant dominated this vista at the corner of John R and Piquette with its terra cotta brick facade. A wood frame building, for the most part, the roof had rotted through and collapsed at several points. Nonetheless efforts were being made to convert it into residential lofts and at the far end a thriving market and furniture store operated. After the fire, below, little remained. This image is from April 2005. These pages and programming contained therin are © 1996 - , Bob Johnstone and may not be reproduced without the permission of rfjohnstone at cox.net All Rights Reserved. Some technical opinions are my own from experience, other informational data is from online sources with credits when available and while care has been taken to be as accurate as possible, it is offered only as a guide and caution should be exercised in the application of it.

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Truck Centers Expanding Truck Centers Inc., Troy, IL, is expanding its Troy facilities and will build a new dealership in Foristell, MO. Road construction in Troy, IL, will allow a $20 million expansion which should be finished in May. The expansion will include the construction of a 57,000-square-foot service area with 60 truck bays, a 24,000-square-foot training area, a 30,000-square-foot parts warehouse, and a 5-acre lake. Customers who bring their trucks for repair can fish in the fully stocked lake while they wait. The existing building will be converted to handle body show, fire engine and school bus repairs and business. With an estimated 14,000 trucks passing through Troy on Interstate 55/70 each day, this is a key spot to serve truck repair needs, according to company chairman John Hopkins IV. Truck Centers will build a new heavy truck dealership to sell new and used trucks in Foristell, which has passed a bill providing an eight-year tax abatement schedule to help defray the cost of a new water line for the center. The city will not collect any sales tax from Truck Centers for the next three years, and the company will pay only 50% of the sales taxes it would owe for the following five years.Truck Centers is building a new heavy truck dealership on about 80 acres on the north outer road of Interstate 70 on the east side of the city. The company is also building a SelecTrucks used truck dealership on the same site in partnership with Freightliner. The SelectTrucks part of the development should be ready by the end of the month, while the new-truck dealership will be opened later this year.The development will cost more than $20 million when completed, making it the largest commercial enterprise undertaken in Foristell, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Truck Centers Inc. owns eight repair and retail centers in Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky. Snider Fleet Solutions Opens Major Tire Retread Facility Freightliner Custom Chassis Building $22M Logistics Facility Chris Christie Signs $400 Million N.J. Transportation Bill Chiefs of FedEx Freight, Werner Urge Congress to Up Highway Funding Maintaining a Top-Level Shop & the Benefits of Outsourcing 42 Questions on ELDs Answered

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State and Local Officials Appeal for Federal Waiver State officials took a last opportunity to plead for a waiver that will allow the state to enforce new emissions standards for cars. The U.S. EPA held its second—and final—hearing in Sacramento Wednesday. By Jenny O'Mara State officials requested a waiver from the federal government over a year ago. They want to enact stricter tailpipe emission regulations for new cars. Under the federal clean air act the state can set its own standards, but needs the waiver to enforce them. Former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley wrote the law creating the guidelines. Before testifying in front of EPA administrators she said there are compelling reasons to move forward. “Not only dwindling snowpack in our Sierra Nevada mountains, but I’m particularly concerned about impacts to air quality." A lawyer with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers also testified. He says the law would do nothing to address global warming. The Alliance has also sued the state over the standards. State officials say they want a decision from the federal government on the waiver by October. If they don’t get it, they’ll sue. Part of seriesAll Things Considered 2007-05-30Wednesday, May 30, 2007 4:00 PMMorning Edition 2007-05-31Thursday, May 31, 2007 3:00 AM

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U.K. eyes jobs, aims to lead green motoring revolution Tweet New initiatives to put Britain at the forefront of a green motoring revolution by encouraging a mass market in electric and hybrid cars were announced on October 27.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> With the potential to create up to 10,000 new British jobs and help preserve many thousands more, this comes as part of wider government plans to make the most of the low-carbon economy, with estimates that around a million green jobs could be generated by 2030. Fulfilling Gordon Brown's pledge this summer to speed up the delivery of low-carbon and electric vehicles for ordinary motorists, experts from across the globe gathered in Whitehall, England, on October 27 to examine how to turn this into a reality. Speaking at this international experts meeting, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon set out the next steps across government to deliver a £100 million commitment to accelerate the emergence of the greener vehicles of tomorrow. As part of this, 100 electric cars will be provided in United Kingdom towns and cities to allow families and other motorists the opportunity to feedback the practical steps needed to make greener motoring an everyday reality. "Electric cars and other low carbon vehicles, like plug-in hybrids, cut fuel costs and reduce harmful emissions. If we can inspire more people to use them, it will help us to make a positive impact on climate change,” said Hoon. “Alongside this, their research and manufacture is an emerging industry with the potential to create new jobs and safeguard existing employment in the U.K. Therefore, exploring how to ensure they are a practical and affordable everyday option makes sense all round. That is what the cross government package of measures announced today will do." Motor manufacturers will be invited to bid for the opportunity to participate in a £10 million project to run electric car and ultra-low-carbon vehicle demonstration projects overseen by the Technology Strategy Board. This will see around 100 electric cars provided to allow families and other motorists the opportunity to feedback the practical steps needed to make greener motoring an everyday reality. At the same time, up to £20 million have been dedicated to U.K. research into improving technology that could make electric and other green cars more practical and affordable. This follows the publication of important new research which concludes that, correctly managed, the U.K. power system could support widespread use of electric cars and their charging needs without requiring large numbers of new power stations. Secretary of State for Business, Lord Mandelson, said: "Investment in greener motoring forms part of our plan to put the U.K. at the forefront of the new low-carbon revolution. We know our automotive sector has a global reputation for taking forward new technology, and we want the U.K. to be at the heart of new developments in electric vehicles. In the recent Manufacturing Strategy, we made clear our determination to support the next generation of low-carbon cars, and today we are delivering on our promises. Work will continue next year when we produce our low-carbon industrial strategy." Lord Drayson, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, added: "The technologies for low-carbon vehicles are developing fast, whether for all-electric, hybrid or alternative fuels. The challenge for the U.K. is to ensure industry takes full advantage of this shift and explores opportunities now, to position itself as a world leader in low-carbon vehicle technology in the long term. To do this, the government-funded Technology Strategy Board is providing further investment of up to £30 million to support industry R&D and demonstrations of electric and other low-carbon vehicles. This investment will accelerate the development of these vehicles and bring benefits to U.K. businesses and, ultimately, help to meet the U.K.'s emissions targets." The government has already committed to removing the barriers that could slow a changeover to greener motoring. This includes a commitment to facilitate the roll-out of charging infrastructure through the planning system and to collaborating with other countries to develop international standards and consider how best to encourage the right consumer market to promote electric and other low-carbon vehicles. Work also continues with energy companies and the national grid to assess the impact on the electricity system of the widespread use of electric drive vehicles. To encourage the mass production of green vans for the first time, the Department for Transport also announced today that 10 companies have been shortlisted to bid to provide electric and low-carbon vans to some councils and other public sector bodies, like the Royal Mail, as part of a £20 million program to ensure all road transport emissions are reduced. Liverpool, Newcastle, Gateshead, Coventry, Glasgow and Leeds will be among the first councils to trial green vans on their streets. The 10 companies are: Ford; Mercedes Benz; Citroen; Ashwoods; Land Rover, Modec; Smiths; Electric Vehicles; LDV; Nissan and Allied Vehicles. A list of the public sector bodies are provided in the notes to editors. "Vans make up around 15 percent of road transport emissions in the U.K., and their emissions are rising more than any other mode of road transport,” said Hoon. "That's why we are committed to this new program to help kick-start the market. In the public sector, there is considerable demand for vans so we want to use our spending power to lead the way in developing lower-carbon options that will appeal across the board." Why your plant should be energy efficient Cool software tools for managing industrial energy use 5 tips to help manufacturers go green and save green Advertisement Manufacturers waste millions on inefficient lighting How to Save Energy with Intelligent Lighting Systems

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Ford Australia eyes European models Ford Australia plans to bring in more new models from Europe, as larger and more powerful fuel-guzzling cars fall out of favour with local motorists. By Isabelle Oderberg Ford Australia's chief executive Tom Gorman, who took the role in 2004, says the future will still hold challenges here for the automotive maker, which last year laid off 650 staff and cut 20 per cent of its production capacity. "Specifically within Ford Australia it is going to be very challenging, but I think there are lot of opportunities with those challenges," Mr Gorman told Sky News. "We are still doing a lot of very exciting things on the product side and we think there is in fact a lot of upside to our business." Mr Gorman said he has seen a fundamental shift in the landscape of the automotive market in Australia, with larger, more powerful vehicles losing favour. "The market has changed fundamentally and in our view it has changed permanently," he said. "We're actively pursuing bringing more important products into this country and really being in the segments where our customers want us to be and that's the simple reason we think that we can turn around our share decline and grow our business profitably into the future." Ford Australia had sales of around 76,000 last year and Mr Gorman believes this year's numbers will be similar, although a lot of growth will come in the second half of the year. "We have an all new Focus coming out in the middle of this year... we're bringing in an all new Mondeo," he explained. "We do see a lot of growth coming, particularly in the second half of this year." He also said there is an all-new Falcon planned for next year, despite some pressure on the model. "The Australian consumer is benefiting from a vast array of new products coming into this country and when you put that with the very strong Australian dollar it makes it attractive for all exporters to export into this country," he said. "We are taking advantage of that to some degree, bringing in a lot of new products, particularly from Europe, and that is putting some challenges in front of the Falcon, but we are still committed to that segment. "We're very, very excited about the future for that segment, even though it's quite a bit smaller than it was just two years ago." Mr Gorman said the decision to cut 20 per cent of production capacity and 650 jobs last year was the right one, but tough. "That was a very difficult decision for us to make at that time, but I think it was the right decision and we have clearly put ourselves in a better position to be successful going forward," he said. But he indicated that further job or production cuts are unlikely. "We think we've made the cuts that are necessary to be competitive at this point in time." ford-australia-eyes-european-models-20070409-140qu.html 140qu

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No Human Drivers By 2040 - Israel According to the chief scientist of Israel's Ministry of Transport, the days of human drivers (and human error) are limited. “By 2040 people won’t be allowed to drive on public roads, because people make many more mistakes than machines, and we think that autonomous vehicles will dramatically reduce the number of fatalities from car accidents,” Dr. Shay Soffer, the Ministry of Transport’s chief scientist told The Jerusalem Post. That, he said, is why Israel is pushing to be on the cutting edge of driverless-car technology, both in terms of helping companies such as Mobileye develop it, and in terms of getting it on the road. Mobileye, whose technology is reportedly embedded in Tesla’s cars, currently has three driverless cars roaming Israel’s streets, though they are required to have an alert driver at the wheel to take control should things go awry. The cars are constantly collecting data to feed back into the Mobileye system. Once again, science fiction readers are prepared for even the most dramatic statements about technology. The great Arthur C. Clarke expressed his opinion about the future of autonomous cars and human drivers in his 1976 novel Imperial Earth: As the beautiful old car cruised in almost perfect silence under the guidance of it's automatic controls, Duncan tried to see something of the terrain through which she was passing. The spaceport was 50 km from the city - no one had yet invented a noiseless rocket - and the four-lane highway bore a surprising amount of traffic. Duncan could count at least 20 vehicles of different types and even though they were all moving in the same direction, the spectacle was somewhat alarming. "I hope all those other cars are on automatic," he said anxiously. Washington looked a little shocked. "Of course," he said. "It's been a criminal offense for at least a hundred years to drive manually on a public highway. But we still have occasional psychopaths to kill themselves and other people..." (Read more about Arthur C. Clarke's autonomous cars) Via Jerusalem Post. Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 6/25/2016) Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy. '... the taxi utilized sophisticated electronic sensors to perceive its surroundings.' - Allan Dean Foster, 2006. President Trump's Wall As Otra Nation Hyperloop '...an hollow tube must be constructed the whole distance... as to admit a four wheeled carriage...'- George Medhurst, 1812. Flying In An Ironman Suit Just ask WWTSD? That's 'What Would Tony Stark Do...' Griff 300 Octocopter Carries You And Friend 'The cab came floating down out of the sky...' - James Blish, 1957. Web

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Jim Buck is it really what i think it is? Driving Change in the World When I was three or four my parents bought me a pedal car, a small metal-bodied car with pedals that propelled the car forward. I loved that car. I became quite fast driving it around our house. When I was a little older my father put me on his lap and let me steer our car down the street. I absolutely fell in love with driving and got my first license as soon as legally possible, at sixteen years and one month old. To me driving represented freedom and self-determination, thrill and satisfaction, solitude and meditation. It still does. I love to drive. I simply cannot imagine how I would feel if, after all that, my government told me I was not allowed to drive a car because I was too tall, too dumb or because I was a man. I’ve been hearing stories here and there about women wanting to drive in Saudi Arabia for some time now. Today I read a story on Huffington Post about Saudi women asking Hillary Clinton to help them be allowed to drive. I say go for it. They should also appeal to Laura Bush since “W” and his family are closer to the Saudi royals than Hillary. There is a petition which I signed on the Change.org website, which was recently cyber attacked by China because of their support for Chinese artist/activist Ai Weiwei. According to Women of the Revolution, Manal al-Sharif dropped her campaign to call for the driving ban to be lifted. She was detained and released on May 21, 2011 and rearrested the next day and released on bail on May 30, 2011. She’s a computer security consultant but she can’t drive. A video of her driving and discussing the ban was posted on YouTube. It is here. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that prevents women from driving so it’s not a Muslim thing as perhaps the “Shariers”—my new word to denote those who try to scare gullible Americans that American Muslims are trying to institute Sharia law here in the US in much the same way the “Birthers” tried to scare gullible Americans that Obama…you know the rest—might have us believe. Wahabism is the dominant form of Islam in Saudi Arabia. And Wahabism is as fundamentalist conservative as the Reverend Ted Haggard was before he realized the door to his closet was opened. We cannot surmise for certain that granting women the right to drive would commence in Saudi Arabia a social revolution for gender equality, but there may, however, become a large number of Saudi soccer moms. In Iran, women are working as taxi drivers, picking up only women as fares. And, as Lubna Hussein made progress for women in the Sudan in 2009 by wearing trousers, the Muslim world is slowly changing. This morning, while driving to work, I saw a crowd of Syrians outside the CNN building on Sunset Boulevard holding signs that read “Free Syria” and “Where is the media?” That may be their mistake; confusing CNN with legitimate media, thinking that CNN cares. But I used to do that too—protesting outside Rockefeller Center in 1986, hoping to raise NBC’s awareness and concern about the forced relocation of the Navajo just so Peabody Coal could strip mine coal. A century ago the American Suffragist movement was working hard to gain women the right to vote, which it won in 1920. Saudi women will get the right to drive one day. Maybe royal Saudi nephew and Fox News investor, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, can help. I suggest we all write him letters asking him to intervene directly at Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, c/o Fox News Channel, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. This can have a double affect. Bin Talal has already called for it. Show him and shower him our support. And it makes visible again, the close connection between Fox and bin Talal, the guy who wanted to fund the Ground Zero Mosque that Fox on-air conservatives were against. We may also want to write to “W” at his Presidential Center. The website talks about Middle East’s “Wave of Freedom”, a Bush Institute Area of Engagement is “human freedom” and one of the Bush Institute’s Integrated Initiatives has a women’s initiative. Bush has to do some good in the world. You can send them an email at [email protected]. You may need to copy and paste this email address. And I say why not? Perhaps for the betterment of the world we should commit to this century being the century of women. We have Hillary encourage the Saudis to give women the right to drive and we allow the Iraqis, Afghanis and Libyans to successfully encourage Hillary, Barack and the rest of us to give women in those three countries the right not to have their children and babies killed in our wars. I’m harping on the death of children in war again, eh? What a downer. Well, here’s an upper. “Drive My Car” performed by the man who wrote it (with Lennon) and sang it, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. Alwaleed bin Talal, lubna hussein, Manal al Sharif, Ted Haggard, Wahabism, women driving, women taxi drivers There isn't much to tell. Deities United: A Future Supreme Court Ruling SataYnism

汽车

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Car Rental Las Vegas Reviews (4.5 out of 5.0) from 13 customer reviews Finding The Best And The Top-Rated Las Vegas Car Rental Companies Booking inquiries at Las Vegas pick up locations Las Vegas - Airport(5 days) Chevrolet Suburban $137.82 / day Ford E-350 $64.08 / day If you’re planning to get Las Vegas car rental, make sure you know which names you can trust. According to both expert reviews and customers, the best and most trustworthy car rental companies these days are the following: 1. Hertz Car Rental Las Vegas Hertz Car Rental is one of the biggest car rental chains in the country. When the company first started in 1918, it had a small fleet of Model T Fords, which were kept in its Chicago base. Now, Hertz has over 8000 locations in 147 different countries, and its fleet consists of a large variety of vehicles including minivans, convertibles, luxury cars, sports cars, economy cars, and even eco-friendly vehicles for the more environment-conscious customers. If you’re interested, give hertz.com a visit. 2. Enterprise Rent-A-Car Las Vegas Enterprise Rent-A-Car is one of the largest car hire companies in North America. According to the 2009 Rental Car Satisfaction Study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, Enterprise is so far the number one in the eyes of customers. The company is more well-known, however, for its reliable line of commercial trucks, vans, and SUVs. The company now has more than 900 rental car branches and is also in the business of selling used cars. 3. National Car Rental Las Vegas National Car Rental may not be as popular as Hertz and Enterprise, but it made its name when it became the first company to offer a one-way car rental in 1954 and to use a computerized reservation system back in 1966. In 1976, they started another car rental trend – flat rate rentals. Yes, it will probably be more expensive to rent a car in Las Vegas from these big, trusted companies. But choosing a trustworthy company makes all the difference in the world. Good car rental companies keep their rental cars well-maintained and they have tried and tested insurance policies, so you will also be assured of your safety while you’re driving. Aside from that, reliable car hire companies can provide you with any form of assistance that you might need in case you run into some problems. CarRentals

汽车

2017-17/2162/en_head.json.gz/7215

Plug In Your Ride It is finally happening. Electric charging station networks–one of the key components to the acceptance and use of electric vehicles–are starting to appear around the world. Charging stations, like this one in Portland, Oregon, are key to the viability of an electric vehicle industry. Photo by Adventures of Pam & Frank. Rik Langendoen posted Mar 10, 2010 In London, for example, Mayor Boris Johnson recently pledged that no resident will be farther than one mile from an electric car charge point by 2015. "A golden era of clean, green electric motoring is upon us and London is well ahead of cities around the globe in preparing the right conditions for this," said Johnson. The network of charging stations are key to the adoption of electric vehicles, since most are still limited to ranges of less than 150 miles per charge. The e-vehicle charging network in London will be supported by a web site to be launched next year, which will provide owners of electric vehicles with a single point of information on locations and payment options for recharging. London is not the only city to commit to electric vehicle chargers. A number of other cities are also stepping forward, including several within the U.S. This is in part due to a $100 million federal grant to the Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. (eTec), which will fund the installation of 2,500 charging stations in each of five markets: Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. The grant calls for several hundred of these stations to be fast-charging systems that can charge a vehicle 80 percent in a mere 15 minutes. Regular charging systems require about 30 minutes to six hours, depending on the discharge level and battery type and size. In California, a company called Solar City recently announced a plan to provide free charging to drivers of Tesla Motors electric vehicles—and others that use the same charging technology—traveling along Highway 101 between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Some workplaces and multi-unit living spaces—especially within the larger cities in California—are already providing special parking bays for charging electric vehicles. Some are powered by solar panels. However, the rapid adoption of electric vehicles does not come without its challenges. Several key questions are being asked: How do we build up the electric grid so we don't overload at 6 p.m. each day when commuters return home to charge up? Can the existing grid supply enough electrical energy to feed the electric vehicles? Getting There, Carbon FreeIn a post-carbon world, transportation means feet, bikes, buses, and an all-electric fleet. "If we're successful and could move immediately to electric vehicles, we would have a huge problem, because there is not enough electricity," said Dave Hill, deputy director of the Idaho National Laboratory. Many of the challenges related to electrical supply can be addressed with the installation of a “smart grid,” such as the one recently installed in Boulder, Colorado as part of a pilot program. However, most cities are considered to be years away from developing smart grids. And how do we ensure that the electricity we produce to meet the increased demand is produced cleanly? "Half of the electricity being generated in the U.S. is in the form of coal," Hill said. "Any expansion on the demand on electricity will lead to an expansion on the demand for coal. Unless we can find out how to deal with that... what we're doing is moving emissions from the tailpipe to the smoke stack." Experts agree that preparing for the future will take a systems-wide approach, involving government, utilities, researchers, and the private sector. Another challenge is the resource limitations of the battery technology. U.S. Representative Jay Inslee—who is on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee and is the key author of the New Apollo Energy Act—has pushed to add $2 billion to the federal stimulus package to get a domestic industry rooted in production of lithium ion batteries, which are the newest generation power source for electric vehicles. "Think about how pathetic it would be to trade our current addiction to Middle Eastern oil for an addiction to Chinese lithium ion batteries. To replace one addiction for another is not a good investment strategy for growth in the United States," he said. On the opportunity side, electric vehicles could be a way to boost shrinking market share for the beleaguered U.S. auto makers like General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. "Detroit needs something to be exciting and new," said William Hederman, a senior vice president at Concept Capital's Washington Research Group. General Motors' highly-anticipated battery-powered Chevy Volt is expected to hit showrooms in November of this year, about the same time that Nissan begins U.S. sales of the LEAF. Other manufacturers are anticipated to release electric vehicles in 2011 and 2012. Interested? Plug-in hybrids and electric cars can run on wind or solar power—and in their off hours, they can give it back. What can we do about electricity, buildings, transportation, and food and forests?Our new infrastructure will have to be both highly efficient and powered by renewable energy—the sun, wind, earth, or ocean. Producing in-depth, thoughtful journalism for a better world is expensive – but supporting us isn’t. If you value ad-free independent journalism, Rik Langendoen wrote this article for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas with practical actions. Rik is an environmental consultant with an emphasis on sustainability. The Secret Life of Plug-In CarsWelcome to the Post-Carbon World13 Best Energy Ideas YES! Gift SubscriptionsGive friends and family a year of inspiration! Now with print and digital editions. YES! Chico BagNever forget your grocery bag again! This handy reusable bag is made of 100% recycled PET and can fit in your pocket. link

汽车

2017-17/2162/en_head.json.gz/8309

Chrysler LLC and Fiat Group Announce Global Strategic Alliance to Form a Vibrant New Company /PRNewswire/ -- Chrysler LLC today announced that, as a result of the comprehensive restructuring plan agreed to by many of its stakeholders, it has reached an agreement in principle to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat SpA to form a vibrant new company. It will allow Chrysler and Fiat to fully optimize their respective manufacturing footprints and the global supplier base, while providing each with access to additional markets. Fiat powertrains and components will also be produced at Chrysler manufacturing sites."This partnership transforms Chrysler into a vibrant new company with a wealth of strategic advantages," said Bob Nardelli, Chairman and CEO of Chrysler. "It enables us to better serve our customers and dealers with a broader and more competitive line-up of environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient high-quality vehicles. Benefits to the new company include access to exciting products that complement our current portfolio, technology cooperation and stronger global distribution."Chrysler initiated discussions with Fiat more than a year ago to develop plans for a global product alliance. Over the past several months, these discussions have evolved and expanded. Chrysler and many of its stakeholders worked tirelessly to agree upon concessions that will result in a significantly lower cost base and enable fulfillment of a broader strategic alliance."We want to personally assure everyone that the new company will produce and support quality vehicles under the Jeep(R), Dodge and Chrysler brands as well as parts under the Mopar(R) brand. Chrysler employees will become employees of the new company. Chrysler dealerships remain open for business serving our customers. All vehicle warranties will be honored without interruption and consumers can continue to purchase our vehicles with complete confidence," explained Nardelli.Despite substantial progress on many fronts, Chrysler was not able to obtain the necessary concessions from all of its lenders, which would have avoided the need for a bankruptcy proceeding. As a result, under the direction of the U.S. Treasury, Chrysler LLC and 24 of its wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries today filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York."Even though total agreement was not possible, I am truly grateful for all that has been sacrificed, on the part of many of Chrysler's stakeholders to reach an agreement in principle with Fiat," said Nardelli. "My number one priority has been to preserve Chrysler and the thousands of people who depend on its success. While I am excited about the creation of the global alliance, I am personally disappointed that today Chrysler has filed for Chapter 11. This was not my first choice. "Chrysler also will file a motion under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code requesting the swift approval by the Court of the agreement with Fiat and the sale of Chrysler's principal assets to the new company. The benefit of this type of filing is speed. It should allow a leaner new company to emerge in a matter of 30 to 60 days, well positioned for long-term viability.Nardelli, who has been leading Chrysler since August 2007, also announced to Chrysler LLC's Board of Management and the U.S. Treasury his plan to leave the company following the emergence of the new company from Chapter 11 and the completion of the alliance with Fiat. He will return to Cerberus Capital Management LP as an advisor. "Now is an appropriate time to let others take the lead in the transformation of Chrysler with Fiat," said Nardelli. "I will work closely with all of our stakeholders to see that this new company swiftly emerges with a successful closing of the alliance."During the restructuring process, the government will provide sufficient debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to allow continuation of "business as usual." The company will seamlessly honor warranty claims, pay suppliers and keep our dealer body operating to continue to serve our valued customers."To create this vibrant new company, we are using this structured bankruptcy to rapidly implement tough but necessary changes, including: the agreed upon wage and benefit structure for active and retired employees that is competitive with those of transplant manufacturers; a reduction of debt and interest expense; the disposition of idle assets; a rationalized and more efficient dealer network; and sound agreements with our suppliers," said Nardelli.Chrysler's Mexican, Canadian and other international operations are not part of any bankruptcy filing.As part of the restructuring and with the backing of the U.S. Treasury, we have reached an agreement in principle with GMAC to become the preferred lender for Chrysler dealer and consumer business. GMAC will be able to offer the best long-term finance options for Chrysler dealers and customers with standard rate installment products.When the transaction is completed, the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) will own 55 percent of the new company and the U.S. and Canadian governments will own proportionate shares of a 10 percent stake. Fiat will initially hold a 20 percent ownership stake in Chrysler. Fiat will have the right to increase its ownership stake an additional 15 percent in three increments as it meets the following criteria: 5 percent for bringing a 40 mpg vehicle platform to Chrysler to be produced in the U.S.; 5 percent for providing a fuel-efficient engine family to be produced in the U.S. for use in Chrysler vehicles; and 5 percent for providing Chrysler access to its vast global distribution network to facilitate the export of Chrysler vehicles. Fiat cannot become a majority owner until after all U.S. government loans have been completely repaid.As a part of the restructuring, most manufacturing operations will be temporarily idled effective Monday, May 4, 2009. Normal production schedules will resume when the transaction is completed, which is anticipated within 30 to 60 days."We want to recognize the Administration, the U.S. Treasury, President's Auto Task Force, as well as Members of Congress and representatives at the state and community level and Canadian Federal and Ontario Provincial governments for their energy and efforts in helping to move this new company forward," Nardelli said. "It is also important to acknowledge Cerberus and Daimler, which provided the foundation for the alliance as well as Chrysler's many other stakeholders including the UAW and CAW leadership, employees, dealers and suppliers. Without their deep sacrifices, unstinting loyalty and enduring belief in Chrysler, the alliance would not have been possible. We look forward to our new partnership with Fiat. To be sure, there will be many changes as we move forward to implement our plans. But today, from many great parts, we begin to build a vibrant new company with less debt, a stronger balance sheet, richer product portfolio, supported by a well-positioned finance company."-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front PageFollow on Twitter and Facebook restructure plans NOPA Calls on Georgia, Michigan and Other State Attorneys General to Investigate Whistleblower’s Allegations against Office Depot (BUSINESS WIRE)--Today the National Office Products Alliance (NOPA) called upon Attorneys General in Georgia, Michigan and other states to open investigations into allegations of fraudulent pricing and overcharging by Office Depot on government contracts for office and classroom supplies. NOPA applauds the Attorneys General of Florida, Missouri and Texas for launching formal investigations into similar allegations, as well as the newly appointed Inspector General for the Detroit public schools system, who recently launched an investigation.NOPA now calls on the Attorneys General of Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Michigan to follow the leads of other states and formally launch investigations into complaints filed by whistleblower David Sherwin alleging fraudulent pricing and overcharging in their respective states.Through an expanding number of state and local government and school district audits and investigations of national "piggyback" contracts such as the Office Depot/U.S. Communities national agreement for office and classroom supplies, public officials have found evidence of allegations contained in Sherwin’s complaints.Of particular concern, these agreements remove local officials from direct oversight of office and school supplies contracts and stifle local bidding and competition, which is a key to ensuring best value for government purchasers and contract compliance. NOPA believes the lack of ongoing competition produced the conditions in which the alleged practices under the Office Depot/U.S. Communities agreement occurred, and contributed to higher prices for office and classroom supplies in the affected local jurisdictions.Local media have played an instrumental role in bringing allegations of fraud and overcharging to public attention. Major stories on alleged serious abuses in sole-source state and local government contracts for office products were broken by Leisa Zigman KSDK-TV, St. Louis; Allison Ross, Palm Beach Post; Bill Frogameni, South Florida Business Journal; J. Douglas Allen-Taylor, Berkeley Daily Planet, Berkeley, CA; and Péralte C. Paul, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.It is essential for the credibility of the office products industry that states’ attorneys general now fully investigate allegations of contract fraud and overcharging.-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front PageFollow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage attorney general, government contracts, nopa, office depot, IBHS Cautions Businesses to Prepare for Flu Pandemic; Provides Free Self-Assessment Tool to Rate Readiness /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is cautioning businesses and nonprofit organizations to examine their ability to operate in the event of a flu pandemic.With the federal government declaring Swine Flu a public-health emergency, IBHS says it would be wise to prepare now for the possibility of closures or other impacts a pandemic could have on operations."Evaluating specific risks and planning well beforehand for a variety of potential emergencies that could disrupt day-to-day business is critical, no matter how big or small a company may be," states IBHS President and CEO Julie Rochman. "Fortunately, most catastrophes can be managed with advance, effective preparation - and that means having a well-thought out action plan with specific, appropriate policies, resources and contingencies." The Top 5 IBHS pandemic preparedness steps include: 1. Determine when to curtail employee travel, domestically and internationally. 2. Develop business continuity policies that provide work-at-home options. 3. Address sick leave policies, since people with swine flu or those attending to relatives may need to be on leave longer that the current policy allows. 4. Consider the impact a shutdown of public transportation or the loss of basic utilities would have. 5. Determine at what point the organization would need to close its doors.IBHS has created a self-assessment tool for business owners and managers who can rate their readiness for a flu pandemic by answering nine basic questions. http://www.disastersafety.org/resource/resmgr/pdfs/pandemic_flu.pdf.-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front Page evaluate readiness, flu pandemic, operate, West Central Technical College President to Speak at Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce Will Speak at Early Bird Forum on the Role of Post -Secondary EducationThe Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce will feature Dr. Skip Sullivan of West Central Technical College at its Economic Engagement Series Early Bird Forum Tuesday, April 28, at 7:30 a.m. April’s Early Bird Forum sponsor is Pattillo and will be emceed by Caryn Broome. The Forum cost is $15 for Chamber members and $20 for nonmembers and includes breakfast. Dr. Sullivan has over twenty years of prior business and industry experience and has been the President of West Central Technical College for six years. Dr. Sullivan’s passions include developing programs that emphasize the importance of access to education for all, improving the educational opportunities for students in the College district, and highlighting the value of assisting students to get their GED.The Early Bird Forum is a monthly Chamber networking event that provides information about key economic drivers in our community and the roles they play in helping keep Coweta’s economy strong. Reservations are required; contact the Chamber at 770-253-2270 or [email protected] News You Can UseFollow us on Twitter: @gafrontpagewww.FayetteFrontPage.comwww.GeorgiaFrontPage.comwww.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com--- coweta, gwinnett, south metro, Governor Perdue Participates in Board Cutting for Lowndes County Home Depot Distribution Center Governor Perdue, CEO Frank Blake Tour State-of-the-Art Facility ThursdayGovernor Sonny Perdue joined The Home Depot CEO Frank Blake at the opening of the company’s 657,000 sq. ft. Rapid Deployment Center in Lowndes County. Governor Perdue and Mr. Blake toured the facility Thursday and joined local officials in a unique Home Depot board-cutting ceremony. The world’s largest home improvement retailer will create several hundred jobs in office and warehouse positions over the next few years at the site.“I’m proud to have one of Georgia’s largest and most admired companies invest in our state. It shows that we’re not just a great place to get started, but also a great place to grow,” said Governor Perdue. “Our strong business climate and strength in logistics continues to attract top-tier retailers like The Home Depot.”The distribution center is located on 89 acres in the Lake Park Industrial Park and will serve approximately 150 Home Depot retail stores throughout the southeast.Commissioner Ken Stewart of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and other state and local officials joined the Lowndes County Industrial Authority and officials of The Home Depot at the facility for the grand opening.“The Home Depot is pleased to create additional jobs in our home state of Georgia,” said Chris Falcon, General Manager of The Home Depot Rapid Deployment Center. “I’ve been impressed with the quality of talent that we have found in this region, which has helped us get this facility up and running on time.”The Home Depot offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401k, a discounted stock purchase plan, and its Success Sharing bonus program for eligible full- and part-time associates.This site is part of a larger program to transform the Home Depot supply chain, making it easier for Home Depot stores to keep the right products in stock when consumers need them.The Valdosta/Lowndes County region has been awarded a top three designation as a location for new industry by Site Selection Magazine. The site is convenient to several major highways and is backed by tremendous government and development support. sonny perdue, Thriving Business Owner to Share Tips and Advice During SBA’s April 30th Web Chat In recognition of National Small Business Week, SBA’s Web chat series will feature 2009 Kentucky Small Business Person of the Year Thomas E. Masterson, owner of T.E.M. Electric, Inc. of Lexington. Masterson started his business 10 years ago, branching out on his own after more than 30 years in the electrical industry. Since then, the company has experienced success and growth, with the help of the SBA and its resource partners. Masterson at first ran the company from his living room, using business management skills he received through the SBA’s Small Business Development Center Program. T.E.M. later became 8(a) and HUBZone-certified as a minority-owned business, which opened the doors to government contracting opportunities. Masterson has built a solid reputation in the government contracting arena as a subcontractor, and today is a prime contractor on federal contracts. National Small Business Week will take place in Washington, D.C, May 17-23. The National Small Business Person of the Year and runners-up will be selected from among the 53 state small business winners, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. More than 100 outstanding small business owners will be honored. For more information, including a schedule and registration information, visit www.NationalSmallBusinessWeek.com.WHO: Small business owner Thomas E. Masterson will host the April 30 Web chat on “Entrepreneur's Spotlight: Maintaining Business Success,” to share his story of success, and provide helpful insights on the successes and challenges of entrepreneurship. Chat participants can receive helpful tips and advice on how to maintain business success. WHAT: SBA’s Web chat series, provides small business owners an opportunity to chat about relevant business issues online with experts, industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs. Chat participants have direct, real-time access to the Web chats via questions they submit online, both in advance and during the live session.WHEN: April 30, 2009, 1 – 2 p.m. ET HOW: Participants can join the live Web chat by visiting www.sba.gov, and clicking the “Online Business Chat” icon. Web chat participants may post questions for Masterson before the April 30th chat at http://app1.sba.gov/livemeeting/apr09/.---Community News You Can UseFollow us on Twitter: @gafrontpagewww.FayetteFrontPage.comwww.GeorgiaFrontPage.comwww.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com--- Cbeyond Recognized by Atlanta Business Chronicle as One of Georgia’s 25 Fastest-Growing Publicly Traded Companies for Second Consecutive Year (BUSINESS WIRE)--Cbeyond, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBEY), a leading IP-based managed service provider to small businesses, has been named one of Atlanta’s fastest growing public companies by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Cbeyond has been ranked number 21 on the list of rapidly-growing Georgia companies. In terms of annual revenue growth, Cbeyond is ranked fourth*.“Cbeyond’s consistent growth and stability continues to be validated in the market and we are pleased to be recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the fastest- growing companies in Georgia,” said Jim Geiger, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Cbeyond. “We will continue to focus on our business model and proven expertise in delivering the communications and IT services small businesses need.”This achievement comes on the heels of several additional industry honors including being ranked the sixth fastest-growing technology company on Forbes Fast Tech list, and recently named as a 2009 Member’s Choice Award winner for being a “Top 10 Integrated Access Solutions Provider” as voted by 3,200 national resellers by the Telecom Association of Channel Partners.Innovative Solutions that Small Businesses Need Fuel GrowthCbeyond continues to provide innovative solutions that small businesses require to manage and grow their business. Offering more than 30 productivity enhancing solutions in the Cbeyond portfolio, customers benefit from customized and easy-to-use communications packages all managed over a private, high-quality IP network.Mobile voice and data, T-1 Internet access, local and long-distance voice, broadband laptop access, web hosting, data backup, secure desktop, file-sharing and virtual private networking are some of Cbeyond’s product set that provides extensive benefits for today’s small businesses.One of this year’s product highlights has been the introduction of Cbeyond’s Mobile Workforce Manager, a mobile application that allows customers to track and route field service personnel via their smartphones. Named “Best of Show, Editor’s Choice” at the 2009 IT Expo Conference earlier this year, Mobile Workforce Manager is making rapid headway in the industry and more importantly, providing value and bottom line improvement to small businesses.*About Georgia’s 25 Fastest-Growing Public Companies ListTo complete the list of fast-growing Georgia companies, the Atlanta Business Chronicle collected the past three years’ annual revenue and employment figures from Georgia public companies’ annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2007, 2008, and as of March 16, 2009.Companies were ranked by a growth index formula which is used to even the playing field among companies of different sizes. The revenue and employee growth indexes are the percentage change from 2006 through 2008 multiplied by the absolute change for the same years. A company’s average employee or revenue growth index is the growth index divided by the average growth of companies that qualify for the ranking. Companies must be at least $100 million in revenue to be considered for the top 25 fastest-growing list.-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front PageFollow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage business chronicle, cbeyond, Industry Analysts Rate Aflac's Investor Relations Best in the Insurance/Life Category /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac announced today that Institutional Investor has named the Georgia-based insurance company as the best in the Insurance/Life category for investor relations (IR). Aflac received the top selection among publicly traded U.S. companies, chosen by more than 1,000 industry analysts representing both the sell-side and the buy-side of investment professionals.According to Institutional Investor, both the buy-side and sell-side agree that the quality and transparency of companies' financial reporting and disclosure are paramount, but there are differences too. Buy siders -- with whom IR professionals concentrate much of their efforts -- care most about the quality and depth of the answers to their inquiries, while sell-siders want increased access to senior management."This honor speaks directly to the philosophy, accessibility and leadership of Aflac management," Sr. Vice President of Investor Relations Kenneth S. Janke Jr. said. "Our reputation is built upon providing information with openness and transparency regardless of the audience or economic situation. I am proud of our team and thankful for the validation of our efforts from more than 1,000 industry analysts.""Although companies may be tempted to withdraw from shareholders during tough times, the best IR teams in the U.S. are actively engaging with their investors," said Tom Buerkle, Institutional Investor's executive editor. "Now more than ever, shareholders are looking for clear, up-to-date information from corporate executives."To determine the leading companies for investor relations in the U.S., Institutional Investor surveyed two distinct audiences: (1) Sell-side analysts, and 2) Buy-side analysts and portfolio managers. This year's rankings were based on the opinions of 417 sell-side analysts and 656 buy-side individuals. Individuals were asked to nominate up to four companies for each attribute used to evaluate the effectiveness of investor relations communications -- six for the buy-side and 15 for the sell-side. They were also asked to nominate companies with the most improved IR communications over the past year. All voting was conducted on an unprompted basis.For a more detailed look at the survey, including its methodology, please visit www.iimagazine.com.-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front Page aflac, Cities of Lithonia, Chamblee and Norcross Partner with SAFEbuilt, Georgia’s Largest Provider of Building Department Services The Cities of Lithonia, Chamblee and Norcross have recently contracted with SAFEbuilt Georgia to provide all building department services for their communities. SAFEbuilt Georgia is the state’s leading contract provider of building department services for public agencies. Services include plan reviews, permit applications and inspections for both residential and commercial projects.Lithonia and Chamblee are both located in Dekalb County. The City of Lithonia formerly utilized building services from the County, while Chamblee used a variety of vendors to facilitate their building department needs. The City of Norcross has expanded their relationship with SAFEbuilt, previously utilizing supplemental services to support an in-house department.Outsourcing building department services is an option for communities to more closely align revenues with associated costs. SAFEbuilt assumes the expense of staffing and provides a wider range of expertise and professional certifications than most in-house departments can offer.SAFEbuilt Georgia also partners with 15 other communities throughout the greater Atlanta area to provide a full-service building department. Additionally, SAFEbuilt provides supplemental support services for the new KIA facilities in the City of West Point and the residence hall at Young Harris College.SAFEbuilt Georgia provide options to government agencies that allow them to provide a continuously superior level of service during peak building periods as well as in low volume times like the current recession. To find out how the SAFEbuilt Georgia team can customize a building department program to benefit your community, contact Jon Walker at [email protected], or call (770) 809-4714. Jon is a former city manager and understands the challenges and needs facing today’s public agencies.---Community News You Can UseFollow us on Twitter: @gafrontpagewww.FayetteFrontPage.comwww.GeorgiaFrontPage.comwww.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com--- chamblee, dekalb, SAFEbuilt, Aflac Dedicates New Information Technology Center Expansion Illustrates Company’s Commitment to Columbus and GeorgiaGovernor Sonny Perdue joined Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos and Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington, yesterday to dedicate the company’s newest facility on the Paul S. Amos (PSA) campus at Corporate Ridge in Columbus. The 161,000 square foot building will host the Columbus-based insurance giant’s Information Technology (IT) Center.“Aflac is fortunate to be in a state and a community with economic and educational programs that enable our company to accomplish so much here in Columbus," said Dan Amos. “I want to thank Governor Perdue, Commissioner Ken Stewart, Mayor Wetherington, and all of the local development leaders who worked so hard to make this new building a reality.”The new building will accommodate 850 workers with 550 IT employees who will begin moving in on April 20. The IT unit is responsible for maintaining a reliable infrastructure and ensuring that technology systems are available to support internal and external electronic communications and the more than 870 servers and 6,000 desktops and laptops used by Aflac employees and sales personnel.“Aflac has been an outstanding Georgia company for more than 50 years,” said Governor Perdue. “Here in Georgia, we work hard to nurture our homegrown companies and provide them a business-friendly environment that allows innovative companies to succeed and thrive.”“We are excited about the opening of Aflac’s newest facility in Corporate Ridge Business Park. It is evident that Aflac has a strong commitment to Columbus and the region with the opening of a second building on the Paul S. Amos Campus in two years,” Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington said. “We appreciate the support and confidence that Aflac shows by its continuing to increase its capacity to bring more jobs and capital investment in the future. Aflac and the City of Columbus have a strong public-private partnership and we look forward to working with Aflac as the company grows.”Construction of the new IT Center began in 2007. The $41 million building brings the total work space at the PSA campus to 504,000 square feet, capable of accommodating 3,300 employees. It includes a fitness center for employee health and wellness, as well as a full-service cafeteria called the Mega-Bytes Cafe. The expansion includes preferential parking for carpoolers and preserves more than 2,000 feet of green space. More than 70 video monitors throughout the IT Center will help facilitate communication for employees and visitors. Local architectural firm Hecht Burdeshaw Architects Inc. was responsible for the design of the new building. As the general contractor, Batson-Cook was responsible for the IT Center’s construction.About AflacFor more than 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan. Our insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for two consecutive years and was also named by the Reputation Institute as the Most Respected Company in the Global Insurance Industry in 2008. In 2009 Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the eleventh consecutive year. Aflac appears on Hispanic Enterprise magazine's list of the 50 Best Companies for Supplier Diversity and on Black Enterprise magazine's list of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity. Aflac was also named by Forbes magazine as America's Best-Managed Company in the insurance category. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com .---Community News You Can UseFollow us on Twitter: @gafrontpagewww.FayetteFrontPage.comwww.GeorgiaFrontPage.comwww.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com--- Can You Really Get a Job Using Twitter? One Job Seeker Gives a Resounding YES (BUSINESS WIRE)--There are many articles and stories about people posting and searching for jobs via Twitter. The big question is does this type of approach work? For one job seeker, the answer is a resounding yes.P. Downes of Staatsburg, New York, needed a new job. After posting his resume on several job sites, spending money on creating a better resume, and even using professional career coaching, nothing was working. “Then I found TweetMyJOBS.com (http://www.tweetmyjobs.com),” says Downes. “Instant Karma.” He received notification of an open position, called the hiring company, got a meeting, and was quickly hired.TweetMyJOBS.com is the idea of Gary Zukowski, an entrepreneur located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Users can search jobs for free by signing up for various job channels in for cities across America. Companies, in turn, can post jobs on the site as well. When a job becomes available on a job channel for which a person has subscribed, the person instantly receives a text message on his or her cell phone notifying them of the opportunity.“Job seekers and recruiters are all rushing to use social media such as a way to find and post jobs,” says Zukowski. “However, since this process is so new, people want to know if this approach truly works. Because of the functionality we offer we are confident that we have built a service that will produce results.”How much has this experience with TweetMyJOBS.com affected Mr. Downes and his career? “In addition to my normal day to day sales responsibilities part of my new job is Social Media Guru!”-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front PageFollow us on Twitter and Facebook Imperial Sugar Updates Port Wentworth Rebuild Project (BUSINESS WIRE)--The Imperial Sugar Company (NASDAQ:IPSU) updated the status of its project to rebuild its Port Wentworth, Georgia, refinery which was extensively damaged in an industrial accident in February 2008. The Company reported that through March 31, 2009, it had spent approximately $54 million of the estimated $200 million to $220 million construction costs. The Company’s property insurance policy provides coverage for construction replacement cost, as well as business interruption and certain payroll and other costs. The Company received an additional $35 million advance under the property insurance policy in March 2009.Advances, which total $160 million to date, are not identified with any specific coverage under the policy. Imperial expects to begin producing granulated bulk sugar at the facility in late May of 2009 and complete restoration of the packaging capabilities by the fall of 2009. The Company also reported that as of March 31, 2009, it had cash balances of $79 million and available, undrawn revolving credit capacity of $55 million, after deducting $30 million of outstanding borrowings under that facility.John Sheptor, Imperial’s President and CEO, said, “The rebuild project continues to progress nicely and we are on track to begin bulk sugar production in late May. Our employees are enthusiastic about the project and we are working closely with our customers and suppliers to coordinate the restart of the refinery. Discussions with representatives of our insurance companies continue productively, and an additional $35 million of advances were received in March.”-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front PageFollow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage imperial sugar, port wentworth, rebuild, refinery, Pilgrim's Pride to Close Processing Facility in Dalton, Ga., as Part of Reorganization /PRNewswire / -- Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (Pink Sheets: PGPDQ) today announced plans to close its chicken processing plant in Dalton, Ga., within 60 days and consolidate production at the company's processing facility in Chattanooga, Tenn. These actions are aimed at improving the company's capacity utilization and reducing its costs.Approximately 280 employees who work at the Dalton plant will be affected by the closing. Pilgrim's Pride will provide transition programs to employees whose positions are eliminated to assist them in securing new employment, filing for unemployment and obtaining other applicable benefits. The hatchery in Cohutta, Ga., will continue to operate. Other live production operations will also continue to function, but as a part of the Chattanooga complex or other nearby operations. Approximately 120 independent contract growers who currently supply birds to the Dalton processing plant will be transitioned to begin supplying the company's Chattanooga plant or other nearby company facilities within approximately 90 days.There will not be any disruption in the supply of product to retail, foodservice and industrial customers as a result of closing the Dalton facility."The closing of the Dalton plant is part of our plan to maximize our capacity utilization and operate more efficiently as a market-driven company," said Don Jackson, president and chief executive officer. "We will continue to look for opportunities to improve our cost structure as we reorganize the company. While the decision to eliminate jobs is always painful, we are taking decisive steps now to protect the greatest number of jobs in order to restructure our business and ultimately emerge from Chapter 11 as a stronger, more efficient competitor."As previously announced, the Company filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions on December 1, 2008. The Chapter 11 cases are being jointly administered under case number 08-45664. The Company's operations in Mexico and certain operations in the United States were not included in the filing and continue to operate as usual outside of the Chapter 11 process.-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front PageFollow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage chicken processing plant, closing, cohutta, dalton, pilgrims pride Perma-Fix Commences Treatment of Characteristic Hazardous Waste Utilizing New Treatment Unit at its South Georgia Facility /PRNewswire/ -- Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) announced today that it has completed construction and permitting activities related to installation of its proprietary treatment process for characteristic hazardous wastes at its South Georgia facility. Characteristic hazardous wastes are defined as wastes that exhibit one or more of the following characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. The new system designed around the Perma-Fix I process eliminates the hazardous components within the waste using a chemical treatment process. The resulting materials meet all federal and state standards for non-hazardous materials, reducing the costs and risks normally associated with characteristic hazardous waste.Dr. Louis F. Centofanti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Our Perma-Fix I process has been used successfully throughout the Company for over 15 years. Installing this process at our South Georgia facility provides companies in the Southeast a lower-cost, as well as a "green" and RCRA compliant solution to many of their hazardous waste problems. Treatment to eliminate hazardous constituents within the waste stream means fewer hazards going into the ground, as would be the case for companies sending these wastes to either a hazardous waste landfill or a hazardous deepwell. Further, because this new treatment process at the South Georgia facility is centrally located within the Southeast, it provides regional customers with a local solution that reduces transportation and disposal costs."-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front PageFollow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage hazardous material, liquid waster, perma fix, south georgia, Sallie Mae to Create 2,000 Jobs, Return Its Overseas Operations to U.S. (BUSINESS WIRE)--Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs, today announced that it will create 2,000 jobs by returning its overseas operations to the U.S. Specifically, Sallie Mae will hire call center, information technology, and operations support positions in various communities across the country.“For 37 years, we have been dedicated to helping America’s students enhance their lives through an investment in higher education,” said Albert L. Lord, Chief Executive Officer. “We also contribute economically to the many communities where we operate our business. The current economic environment has caused our communities to struggle with job losses. They need jobs, and we will put 2,000 of them into U.S. facilities as soon as we possibly can.”Sallie Mae expects to hire these employees over the next 18 months. The company currently has operations in 20 communities in the U.S., including Lynn Haven, Fla.; Fishers, Ind.; Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Killeen, Texas; and the company’s newest facility in Newark, Del. Today, Sallie Mae employs more than 8,000 people nationwide.-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front Page call center, sallie mae, International Dignitaries to Tour Northeast Georgia 23rd Annual VIP Tour brings diplomats, business officials to Georgia’s communitiesA cadre of top diplomatic and business officials representing close to 20 countries will tour Northeast Georgia as part of the 23rd annual VIP Tour. The tour, which runs from April 15 – 17, will showcase destinations, businesses, educational institutions and economic development partnerships in Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Clayton, Young Harris, Dahlonega, Helen, Dawsonville and Cumming.The tour combines travel destinations with significant economic development projects and local business leaders and enables Georgia’s diplomatic corps to meet local Georgians in their own communities.“Each year, the VIP Tour gives Georgia a unique opportunity to highlight business, cultural, tourism and educational assets of different regions of our state,” said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Georgia’s diplomatic corps will be able to witness first-hand Northeast Georgia’s unmatched beauty as well as its economic development capabilities. It is our belief that our distinguished diplomatic corps will, in turn, become advocates for the value this region of Georgia can bring to their home-country companies.”The International VIP Tour is a unique program that benefits its participants and host regions. Each year, tour participants visit a part of the state they might not otherwise experience in order to enhance their understanding of Georgia’s amenities and culture. The tour also offers communities the opportunity to establish relationships with international business representatives. This year’s VIP Tour will include representatives from Albania, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Nigeria, Philippines, Slovenia, Switzerland and Taiwan.“Every year, Georgia’s consular corps looks forward to getting to know more of Georgia by way of the VIP Tour,” said Amanda Hodges, Consul General and Trade Commissioner of Australia. “It’s an excellent way for us to reinforce our social, political, economic and cultural ties with Georgia’s communities.”The VIP Tour will visit sites highlighting Northeast Georgia’s diversity of manufacturing, educational, tourism, entertainment and cultural industries. The first stop on Wednesday, April 15 is the Falcons Team Headquarters in Flowery Branch. The rest of the day, the VIPs will visit the Kubota plant in Gainesville and Tallulah Gorge State Park, with an overnight stay in Clayton.Thursday, April 16 the group will enjoy a presentation at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School and then head to Young Harris College for a program. In the afternoon, the VIPs will visit several sites in Dahlonega and spend the night at the Unicoi State Lodge in Helen.On Friday, April 17, the VIPs will visit the Kangaroo Conservation Center in Dawsonville and complete their trip with a tour of Hansgrohe’s facility in Cumming.The Atlanta Consular Corps consists of consuls general, consuls, honorary consuls and trade commissioners representing 61 countries. Career officers are members of their country’s foreign services while honorary officials are local residents appointed by foreign governments to perform consular duties. Each consulate offers diplomatic and business assistance to nationals from its respective country.Currently, 53 countries operate more than 2,500 internationally owned facilities in Georgia. In fiscal 2008, international companies accounted for $1.08 billion in investment and the creation of 7,001 jobs.The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. ---Community News You Can UseFollow us on Twitter: @gafrontpagewww.FayetteFrontPage.comwww.GeorgiaFrontPage.comwww.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com--- fayette county, Ford Completes Debt Restructuring Initiatives; Reduces Debt by $9.9 Billion and Lowers Annual Interest Expense by More Than $500 Million - In total, Ford and Ford Credit will use $2.4 billion in cash plus 468 million shares of Ford common stock to reduce Ford's outstanding Automotive debt by $9.9 billion from $25.8 billion at Dec. 31, 2008. This will reduce Ford's annual cash interest expense by more than $500 million based on current interest rates- This successful debt restructuring, together with previously announced agreements with the United Auto Workers, will substantially strengthen Ford's balance sheet- Approximately $4.3 billion principal amount of Ford Motor Company's 4.25% Senior Convertible Notes due December 15, 2036 were validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to Ford's conversion offer. Ford will use $344 million to pay a cash premium to convertible note holders who validly tendered- Ford Motor Credit Company today separately announced the final results of its previously announced $1.3 billion cash tender offer for Ford's unsecured, non-convertible debt securities. Based on the tenders received, Ford Credit will use $1.1 billion in cash to purchase $3.4 billion principal amount of Ford's unsecured notes- As previously announced, Ford Credit used $1 billion to purchase $2.2 billion principal amount of Ford's term loan debt at a price of 47 percent of par. /PRNewswire / -- Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) announced today the successful completion of debt restructuring initiatives that will reduce Ford's Automotive debt by $9.9 billion from $25.8 billion at December 31, 2008, and lower Ford's annual cash interest expense by more than $500 million based on current interest rates."By substantially reducing our debt, Ford is taking another step toward creating an exciting, viable enterprise," said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. "As with our recent agreements with the UAW, Ford continues to lead the industry in taking the decisive actions necessary to weather the current downturn and deliver long-term profitable growth."Previously Announced Debt Restructuring InitiativesOn March 4, 2009, Ford and Ford Credit announced the major components of a comprehensive debt restructuring: (1) a conversion offer in which Ford offered to pay a premium in cash to induce the holders of any and all of the $4.88 billion principal amount outstanding of its 4.25% Senior Convertible Notes due December 15, 2036 (the "Convertible Notes") to convert the Convertible Notes into shares of Ford's common stock (the "Conversion Offer"); (2) a $500 million cash tender offer by Ford Credit (the "Term Loan Offer") for Ford's senior secured term loan debt (the "Term Loan Debt"); and (3) a $1.3 billion cash tender offer (the "Notes Tender Offer") by Ford Credit for certain of Ford's unsecured, non-convertible debt securities (the "Notes").Results of Conversion OfferThe Conversion Offer expired at 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on April 3, 2009 (the "Expiration Date"). As of the Expiration Date, approximately $4.3 billion principal amount of Convertible Notes were validly tendered and accepted for purchase, according to information provided by Computershare, Inc., the Exchange Agent with respect to the Conversion Offer. This will result in the issuance of an aggregate of approximately 468 million shares of Ford's common stock and the payment of an aggregate of $344 million in cash ($80 in cash per $1,000 principal amount of Convertible Notes converted), plus the applicable accrued and unpaid interest on such Convertible Notes, on the expected settlement date of April 8, 2009. Upon settlement of the Conversion Offer, approximately $579 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Notes will remain outstanding.Holders who validly tendered and did not withdraw their Convertible Notes by 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Expiration Date and whose Convertible Notes were accepted for purchase will receive, for each $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes converted, 108.6957 shares of Ford's common stock plus $80 in cash and the applicable accrued and unpaid interest.Previously Announced Results of Term Loan OfferOn March 23, 2009, Ford Credit announced that the Term Loan Offer, which expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 19, 2009, had been over-subscribed. Based on the tenders received, Ford Credit increased the amount of cash used from $500 million to $1 billion to purchase $2.2 billion principal amount of Ford's Term Loan Debt at a price of 47 percent of par. This transaction settled on March 27, 2009, following which Ford Credit distributed the Term Loan Debt to its immediate parent, Ford Holdings LLC. The distribution of the Term Loan Debt is consistent with Ford Credit's previously announced plans to pay distributions to Ford of about $2 billion through 2010.Approximately $4.6 billion aggregate principal amount of Term Loan Debt remains outstanding.Results of Notes Tender OfferConcurrent with this announcement, Ford Credit separately announced today by press release the results of its previously announced $1.3 billion cash tender offer for Ford's unsecured, non-convertible debt securities. As of the April 3, 2009 expiration date of the Notes Tender Offer, approximately $3.4 billion principal amount of Notes were validly tendered and accepted for purchase, according to information provided by Global Bondholder Services Corporation, the Depositary and Information Agent with respect to the Notes Tender Offer. This will result in an aggregate purchase price for the Notes of approximately $1.1 billion, to be paid by Ford Credit on the expected settlement date of April 8, 2009. Upon settlement of the Notes Tender Offer, such Notes will be transferred from Ford Credit to Ford in satisfaction of certain of Ford Credit's tax liabilities to Ford. After settlement of the Notes Tender Offer, approximately $5.5 billion aggregate principal amount of the Notes will remain outstanding.In addition, as Ford previously announced, it has elected to defer future interest payments related to the 6.50% Cumulative Convertible Trust Preferred Securities of Ford Motor Company Capital Trust II (the "Trust Preferred Securities"), which will result in the deferral of $184 million in interest on the Trust Preferred Securities annually.-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front Pagewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front Page reduce debt, restructure plans, Karen Gordon Mills Confirmed By Senate as SBA Administrator The U.S. Senate confirmed by unanimous consent President Barack Obama’s nomination of Karen Gordon Mills as the 23rd Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration on Friday. “Small business is the backbone of the American economy,” Mills said upon her confirmation. “The SBA has a vital role to play in supporting our nation’s small businesses so that they can be the key driver in getting our economy moving again. I look forward to leading this critical agency at this important time.“I want to thank President Obama for this opportunity to serve as a voice for our nation’s small business owners and entrepreneurs,” Mills said. “I would also like to express my appreciation to Darryl Hairston for his leadership as Acting Administrator during this transition, along with everyone at the SBA for the hard work they are doing to implement the important programs of the Recovery Act.”In testimony on April 1 before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Mills discussed her hands-on experience managing and helping to grow small businesses. “I was there on the factory floor in Arkansas and Ohio working to weather the recession of the early ‘90s,” she said. “Those experiences give me a deep understanding of what our small businesses need today to survive this downturn and to prosper in the years ahead. Since then, I have helped grow companies in organic food, and women’s media, and spent time in rural Maine working with our boat builders and composite technology to help them compete throughout the globe.“The sum of my experience is this: I am a believer in American small business. I am a believer in America’s ability to manufacture goods and services that are world class, and I am a believer in America’s spirit of entrepreneurship. This spirit is one of our country’s greatest assets and we need to cultivate it today, more than ever.”As Administrator of the SBA, Mills will direct a federal agency with more than 2,000 full-time employees, with a leading role in helping small business owners and entrepreneurs secure financing, technical assistance and training, and federal contracts. SBA also plays a leading role in disaster recovery by making low interest loans.Mills, of Brunswick, Maine, was president of MMP Group and has a 25-year career of investing in and growing small businesses. In 2007, she was appointed by Maine Gov. John Baldacci as chair of the state’s Council on Competitiveness and the Economy, where she focused on attracting investment in rural and regional development initiatives. She also co-authored a Brookings Institute paper on competitive clusters.Mills is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served as vice chairman of the Harvard Overseers. She holds a degree in economics from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was a Baker Scholar. Mills and her husband Barry Mills, president of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, have three sons. ---www.FayetteFrontPage.comFayette Front PageCommunity News You Can UseFayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyronewww.GeorgiaFrontPage.comwww.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com--- Employers More Focused on Keeping Current Staff Levels Than Hiring, According to Quarterly Job Forecast from CareerBuilder and USA TODAY /PRNewswire/ -- Following a loss of 2.6 million jobs in the last four months*, U.S. employers are holding off on staff expansions and focusing efforts on keeping current headcount as they navigate through a tough economy. This is according to the latest quarterly survey from CareerBuilder and USA TODAY, conducted by Harris Interactive(R), tracking projected employment trends. The survey, titled "Q2 2009 Job Forecast," was conducted from February 20 through March 11, 2009 among 2,500 hiring managers and human resource professionals and over 4,400 workers in private sector companies."We'll be looking for the market to stabilize over the next three to six months, when you'll hopefully see job losses below 100,000 and eventually closer to zero," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.com. "Employers want to hold on to their talent and are taking measures to contain costs and bring in new revenue streams, so they can maintain their staff levels. Sixty-four percent of employers expect there will be no change in their number of full-time, permanent employees in the second quarter."Hiring in Q1 2009Thirteen percent of employers said they increased their number of full-time, permanent employees in the first quarter - down from 31 percent this time last year - while 60 percent reported their staff levels remained the same. Twenty-six percent reported a reduction in headcount, up from 13 percent this time last year. One percent were undecided.Hiring in Q2 2009Fourteen percent of employers expect to add full-time, permanent employees in the second quarter, relatively unchanged from the first quarter of 2009 and down from 29 percent in the second quarter of 2008. Fourteen percent anticipate there will be a decrease in headcount in the second quarter while 64 percent expect no change and 7 percent are undecided.LayoffsTwenty-two percent of hiring managers reported there were layoffs at their locations in the first quarter of 2009, up from 11 percent this time last year. Twelve percent anticipate there will be layoffs in the next three months while 16 percent are unsure. Seventy-two percent expect no change.Looking at a subset of managers specializing in human resources, nearly half (48 percent) believe their organizations will benefit from the economic stimulus in terms of getting more business. Twenty-three percent said their companies are planning to bring back workers who were laid off once the economy turns around.Six Employment Trends for Employers and Job SeekersNo. 1 - Trimming Perks and Benefits - Companies are taking interim measures to free up funds to weather the economic storm. Forty-two percent of employers reported they experienced a cut in perks and benefits at their organizations in the first quarter of 2009; 31 percent expect there will be cuts in the second quarter of 2009. The top three areas that will be impacted are bonuses, 401K matching and healthcare coverage, according to the survey.No. 2 - Upgrading Talent Rosters - Twenty-three percent of employers said they are taking this time, when hiring has slowed, to replace lower-performing employees with top talent that may not have been available in a healthier economy. Job seekers who stand to benefit the most include those operating in sales, accounting/finance, retail and customer service.No. 3 - Postponing Retirement - Six-in-ten workers (60 percent) over the age of 60 said, in a separate survey, they are putting off their retirement due to the impact of the U.S. financial crisis on their long-term savings. The majority (73 percent) anticipate it will take them up to six years to recoup lost savings while one-in-ten fear they may never be able to retire.No. 4 - Transferring Skills - Seventy-one percent of workers who were laid off and have not found work said they are looking for jobs outside of their chosen profession either because they're ready for a change or there are no available jobs in their field. Hiring managers are amenable with 69 percent stating they would hire someone who didn't have experience in their profession, but had transferable skills.No. 5 - Relocating - Thirty-nine percent of workers who were laid off and have not found work said they would consider relocating to another city or state for a job. Employers are open to recruiting candidates from other cities with 28 percent of hiring managers stating they would pay to relocate a good job candidate.No. 6 - Going Back to the Classroom - Twenty-one percent of all workers surveyed are going back to school for formal degrees, certifications and refresher courses to make themselves more marketable to employers.Hourly Workers in Q1 2009When asked if hours had changed, on average, for hourly workers in Q1 2009 year over year, 53 percent of hiring managers reported no change in the number of hours offered while 25 percent reported hours were cut. Five percent stated that hours had increased while another 5 percent were unsure.Hiring By Region in Q2 2009The South continues to perform better than other regions in terms of hiring, seeing the benefits of growth in healthcare and energy. Sixteen percent of hiring managers in the South plan to increase their full-time staff, compared to a 14 percent average among other regions. The Northeast, plagued by losses in banking and financial jobs, is expecting the largest decrease in headcount among the regions. Nineteen percent of hiring managers expect to trim staffs compared to 14 percent in the Midwest and West and 12 percent in the South.Compensation in Q2 2009Tightened budgets are restricting pay increases and, in some cases, resulting in pay reductions. Forty-two percent of employers expect to increase salaries for full-time, permanent employees in the second quarter, down from 70 percent this time last year. Twenty-nine percent estimate the average raise to range between 1 and 3 percent, 12 percent expect an average raise of 4 to 10 percent while 1 percent expect raises to be 11 percent or more. Forty-six percent of employers anticipate no change in compensation levels, 7 percent expect a decrease and 5 percent are unsure. *Bureau of Labor Statistics, February 2009 Employment Situation Summary Note: Totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding. Survey MethodologyThis survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder and USA TODAY among 2,543 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; with at least significant involvement in hiring decisions; non government); and 4,435 U.S. employees (employed full-time; not self-employed; non government); and 361 respondents who have been laid off in the past 12 months from a full time position and have not found a new job; ages 18 and over between February 20 and March 11, 2009 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset of U.S. employers or employees, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 2,543, 4,435, and 361, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.94 percentage points, +/- 1.47 percentage points, and +/- 5.16 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.-----www.fayettefrontpage.comFayette Front PageCommunity News You Can UseFayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyronewww.georgiafrontpage.comGeorgia Front Page staffing, talent, Chrysler LLC and Fiat Group Announce Global Strate... NOPA Calls on Georgia, Michigan and Other State At... IBHS Cautions Businesses to Prepare for Flu Pandem... West Central Technical College President to Speak ... Governor Perdue Participates in Board Cutting for ... Thriving Business Owner to Share Tips and Advice D... Cbeyond Recognized by Atlanta Business Chronicle a... Industry Analysts Rate Aflac's Investor Relations ... Cities of Lithonia, Chamblee and Norcross Partner ... Can You Really Get a Job Using Twitter? One Job Se... Pilgrim's Pride to Close Processing Facility in Da... Perma-Fix Commences Treatment of Characteristic Ha... Sallie Mae to Create 2,000 Jobs, Return Its Overse... International Dignitaries to Tour Northeast Georgi... Ford Completes Debt Restructuring Initiatives; Red... Karen Gordon Mills Confirmed By Senate as SBA Admi... Employers More Focused on Keeping Current Staff Le...

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Honda to cut 800 jobs from Swindon facility’s workforce Article by Anita Panait, on February 13, 2013 Honda will be reducing its workforce in the United Kingdom as it sees no signs that the current vehicle sales slump in Europe will reach its end soon enough. The Japanese carmaker plans to reduce its workforce at its Swindon plant in England by 800 jobs. According to analysts, Honda’s problems go beyond the European sales slump, since fellow Japanese carmaker is boosting its workforce and production at its UK plant. The planned job cuts will be Honda’s first in the UK since commencing production in 1992. Ken Keir, executive vice president of Honda Europe, said that the carmaker’s restructuring is essential to "meet the new reality of the car market." Keir expected to post weak sales in Europe in the next three years. In 2012, vehicle sales in Europe dropped for the fifth consecutive year. Honda also suffered a 6-percent drop in sales in Europe to 141,019 units, forcing its share to slide to 1.1 percent, according to data from industry association ACEA. While Honda’s decline was less than the Euroepan market's overall sales drop of 8 percent, it was a far cry from the carmaker’s peak of 311,743 sales in 2007, according to ACEA data. It was also the last year that Honda posted a profit in Europe. According to industry observers, Honda’s sales in 2012 should have received a boost from the rollout of an updated Civic compact as well as of CR-V medium SUV, both of which were produced in Swindon. IHS Automotive senior analyst Tim Urquhart told Automotive News Europe that Honda is still losing volume with a “very young mainstream model range” in the form of the Civic and the CR-V. He noted that the “somewhat conservative” styling of the Civic is not helping the vehicle stand out in the market or appeal to new customers. Topics: honda If you liked the article, share on:

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TopicsAutomotive WatchManufacturing Minute Advertisement Advertisement Global China's Biggest Automaker To Build Thailand Factory Thu, 12/13/2012 - 10:38am Comments by The Associated Press BANGKOK, Dec. 13 (Kyodo) — Thai agriculture conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group said Thursday it has agreed to set up a joint venture with China's largest automaker, SAIC Motor Corp., with the aim of opening an auto factory in Thailand in the next two years.The joint venture, under the name of CP Motor Holding Co., will facilitate Thailand's ambitious efforts to become the "Detroit of Asia," said Noppadon Chiaravanont, a deputy chairman of CP Group's Automotive Industrial Products Business Group (China).SAIC Motor will hold 51 percent of shares in the new joint venture and the CP Group will hold the rest.Noppadon said the firm eyes production of MG-brand passenger cars for the Thai and worldwide markets."Thailand will be our production base for worldwide export. We are confident in the potential of Thailand as Detroit of Asia," he added.Noppadon said the initial phase of investment will require at least 10 billion baht (about $333 million). He said the joint venture is expected to begin releasing MG-brand products in 2014.Last week in Shanghai, SAIC Motor said the joint venture with CP Group will initially strive for a production and sales capacity of 50,000 units per year.In the second step, annual capacity will be raised to 200,000 units "by leveraging internal taxation policies" inside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand is a member, to boost sales to the ASEAN market, in particular."The parties will leverage the-MG brand resources and the R&D capabilities of SAIC Motor and the local industrial resources of Thailand to seize the developmental opportunities on the ASEAN market," it said in a statement.The SAIC Motor, formerly known as Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., is China's biggest carmaker with annual production and sale of 4 million units.The MG series of cars was originally manufactured in Britain by MG Car Co. SAIC took over that business in 2007 and set up a factory in China to produce left-steering wheel cars for the domestic market. Advertisement Advertisement View the discussion thread. Connect with IMPO Facebook

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Future Jeeps? Date 1999/9/17 0:00:00 | Topic: CommanderDetroit News recently posted a story about how DaimlerChrysler was working towards introducing "sweeping redesigns" of all of its vehicles by 2005. Here's a couple snippets: ...Left largely to its own devices, the Chrysler group within the past year has embarked on a sweeping redesign of nearly every existing vehicle line by 2005, beginning with the Grand Cherokee last fall and the Neon earlier this year, and progressing into early 2000 with replacements for the Sebring/Avenger coupes and the Cirrus/Stratus sedans. But they’re also stuffing the pipeline with new products, many of which began life as concepts on the international show circuit. The first evidence is the new PT Cruiser, which is being built on an extensively modified version of the Neon platform. The PT Cruiser (the initials came from the vehicle’s original development code name) had its genesis in two earlier Chrysler concept vehicles and will reach showrooms in the spring, less than three years after the original design sketches were approved. A second Neon derivative, tentatively called Dodge Sequoia, is slated to arrive in 2002-03, on an all-wheel-drive version of the PT Cruiser’s chassis. This so-called platform-stretching exercise is taking place throughout the company. Take the full-size Dodge Ram pickup. When the big truck is overhauled for model year 2002, Chrysler may add a niche variant with a unique cab and a performance powertrain, based loosely on the recent Dodge Power Wagon show truck. A second proposal calls for Jeep to get a full-size Suburban killer in 2002-03, derived from the Commander concept and built on the revised Ram 4x4 chassis. There may also be a Dodge variant to duke it out with Ford’s colossal Excursion. This article comes from mike's totally free jeep news nowhttp://www.jeepnewsnow.com The URL for this story is: http://www.jeepnewsnow.com/article.php?storyid=236

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city / hwy Get More Car Info Previewed by a thinly-veiled concept that bowed in Geneva earlier this year, the A3 Sportback e-tron will be powered by a heavily-modified 1.4-liter TFSI engine and a compact 100-horsepower electric motor integrated into a brand-new six-speed gearbox called e-S tronic. Combined, the two power sources will send 201 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque to the front wheels.The driver will be able to choose whether the car is running on gasoline, on electricity or on both by flicking a switch on the center console. When driven conservatively, the e-tron will return 156 mpg in a mixed European cycle and emits just 35 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Alternatively, the hatchback will be able to operate on electricity alone for 31 miles at speeds of up to 80 mph.If fuel economy is not a concern, the electric motor will provide a power boost that will enable the e-tron to reach 62 mph from a stop in 7.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 137 mph. Audi will publish a full set of details about the 2015 A3 e-tron closer to its on-sale date. Pricing information is not available, but expect it to be priced near the top of the A3 lineup.The e-tron will be the only A3 hatchback sold in the United States. All other models - including diesel-burning TDI-badged variants and 296-horsepower S versions - will only be available as a four-door sedan. +READ FULL ARTICLE RELATED CONTENT Audi to launch Q7 e-tron next year? 2015 Audi A3 Sedan to start from $30,795 A3 to star in Audi's Super Bowl commercial Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

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Coke plant new home for Harleys Published October 14. 2013 12:01AM | Updated October 14. 2013 4:23PM Mike's Famous Harley-Davidson finally will be motoring to the New London side of the Thames River.The motorcycle sales and service operator, which previously had unsuccessfully sought to open a location in East Lyme, and at one time considered another site on Crystal Avenue in New London, closed on a $550,000 deal last month to purchase the former Coca-Cola bottling plant at 951 Bank St. The dealership will be one of the largest in the Northeast when it opens in December.Mike Schwartz, owner of the Delaware-based motorcycle business, said Friday that the massive 55,000-square-foot building he is in the middle of renovating will be his business headquarters. The Bank Street site more than quadruples the size of his current location at 1416 Gold Star Highway in Groton, which will be winding down operations, he said."It's an incredible building," Schwartz said during an hourlong tour of the rambling structure on a nearly 5-acre site. "The attractiveness of the building was the grittiness of the warehouse."Schwartz said he will incorporate much of the building's current features, including tongue-and-groove ceilings, warehouse-style windows and steel trusses, into the design of his new Harley-Davidson showroom. Redoing the floors and installing new lighting will be a major part of re-imagining the space as a vibrant retail establishment, he said."This building is the perfect backdrop for the products that we sell," he said.Schwartz said he started looking at the 1938 landmark building last spring, but couldn't close on the deal with the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Southeastern New England until he had all approvals in place.The building, with its distinctive curve, served as a bottling operation for more than half a century before being converted into a distribution center in 2003. Coca-Cola Bottling moved out of the building three years ago when it opened a new 74,000-square-foot sales and distribution center in Waterford.Schwartz said the building has enough space for an expansive showroom to display more than 200 motorcycles, along with all-terrain vehicles and watercraft. It also will allow for a drive-in service and parts operation while providing space for storage as well."It's always been the goal to find the right location for the business," Schwartz said. "It's been a challenge."He bought the former New London County Motorcycle Sales in Groton in 2004 and the following year proposed a large Harley-Davidson dealership on Industrial Park Road in East Lyme, where Bob's Discount Furniture is now located. But local opposition eventually killed the plans.He then had a brief flirtation with a site on Crystal Avenue, but eventually dropped the idea.On Bank Street, he is working with Groton-based civil engineer Clint Brown of DeCesare-Bentley Engineers, Carlin Construction Co. of New London and Point One Architects in Old Lyme to design a space that will be flexible enough for a wide range of activities, including public and private events."We have this very short window to get it right," said Sabrina Foulke of Point One Architects, who is helping coordinate the project.Schwartz said the idea is to highlight the building's inherent beauty and use found objects on site and reclaimed materials elsewhere to create an interesting ambiance. Lumber, brick and even corrugated metal will make its way into the design, he said, as well as some of the current concrete flooring."It's an iconic building, an iconic brand," Schwartz said. "Coca-Cola and Harley-Davidson are two of the most iconic American brands in the world."Schwartz said New London has been very enthusiastic about the project, and though the business will have residential neighbors, he has not encountered major obstacles along the way to approval.The business could employ as many as 40, Schwartz said, about double the numbers that work in Groton during the warmest months of the year, when motorcycle sales are at their highest."This is a great American city," he said. "I'm very proud of the fact we have an opportunity to take a part of town that has been a little downtrodden and try to inject some life and vibrancy into it."[email protected]

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Electric vehicles to make auto show debut in L.A. Chrysler LLC’s three advanced production-intent electric vehicle prototype vehicles are headed to California where they will make their worldwide auto show debut at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. The vehicles—the Dodge EV, Jeep® EV and Chrysler EV—will be on display during press days (Nov. 19-20), and throughout the show’s public days (Nov. 21-30). Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President—Product Development, will attend the show tomorrow to discuss the vehicles with journalists. Chrysler recently announced that at least one of these models will be produced in 2010 for consumers in North American markets, and European markets after 2010. Additionally, the company will have close to 100 electric vehicles on the road in government, business and development fleets in 2009. Chrysler is well into the development of advanced production-intent electric vehicles, and will apply its electric-drive technology to its front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive platforms in the next several years. “We have a social responsibility to our consumers to deliver environmentally friendly, fuel efficient, advanced electric vehicles, and our intention is to meet that responsibility quickly and more broadly than any other automobile manufacturer,” Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli, said. “The introduction of the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge electric vehicles provides a glimpse of the very near future, and demonstrates that we are serious and well along in the development of bringing electric vehicles to market.” Chrysler’s Electric Vehicles use just three primary components. These include an electric motor to drive the wheels, an advanced lithium-ion battery system to power the electric-drive motor, and a controller that manages energy flow. The electric-drive system is being developed for front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive vehicle applications. “This technology provides customers with a vehicle that has zero tailpipe emissions and a 150 to 200 mile driving range—far exceeding most Americans’ daily commutes, as nearly 80 percent of Americans drive less than 40 miles per day, or 14,000 miles per year,” Klegon said. “Electric Vehicles provide the opportunity to fulfill social responsibility, reduce dependency on foreign oil, and eliminate monthly gasoline bills, while delivering performance and utility that our customers desire.” The range-extended electric vehicle combines the electric-drive components of the electric vehicle with a small gasoline engine and integrated electric generator to produce additional energy to power the electric-drive system when needed. This provides the positive attributes of an Electric Vehicle with the driving range equivalent to today’s gasoline-powered vehicles—with no compromises in performance. Range-extended electric vehicles offer environmental responsibility without giving up driving range, comfort or utility.

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New & Reviews / Car Reviews / Lotus Car Reviews Lotus Car Reviews Lotus Cars is a British car manufacturer that produces sports and racing cars. Lotus Overview The company was formed as Lotus Engineering Ltd. by engineer Colin Chapman, a graduate of University College, London, in 1952. Team Lotus, which broke away from Lotus Engineering in 1954, was active and competitive in Formula One racing from 1958 to 1994. Lotus won a total of 79 Grand Prix race, and during his lifetime Chapman saw Lotus beat Ferrari as the first team to achieve 50 Grand Prix victories. In 1986 the company was bought by General Motors, four years after the death of Chapman. The man who founded Lotus in 1952 had witnessed his cars win the Formula 1 World Championship 7 times. In 1993 General Motors sold the company to a company controlled by Romano Artioli. Later, in 1996, a majority share of Lotus was sold to Proton. Lexus is now recognised as the Lotus Group and divided into two sections consisting of Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering. The Lotus Esprit is a high-performance sports car that was built by Lotus between 1976 and 2004. The car was initially unveiled as a concept car in 1972. To date there have been five generations of the Esprit, the latest of which features a V8 engine and a top speed of over 175mph. Since production ceased in 2004 over 10,000 models have rolled off the production line. The Esprit is set to make a return in 2013 after Lotus unveiled a completely redesigned model in 2010. The company claim a top speed of over 200mph. The Lotus Evora is a sports car, and one of three currently being produced by Lotus. The model has been produced since 2009 and is the first in a series of products planned to expand the Lotus range. It has a top speed of 162mph and can accelerate from 0 – 60mph in 4.9 seconds. The car uses a 6-speed transmission and is priced at around £50,000. The Lotus Elise is a two-door, two-seater convertible sports car. The car has been in production since 1996, and its current model since 2002. There are currently three versions of the Elise available in Europe, the Elise S, Elise R and Elise SC. The SC has a top speed of 150mph and can accelerate from 0 – 60mph in just 4.3 seconds. The Elise is quality built and handles extremely well. Seats are low to the floor and the focus is mainly on providing a good driving experience. The latest model also focuses on some of the extras, providing a luxury trim, carpet and a state-of-the-art audio system. The Lotus Exige is a two-door, two-seat sports car made by Lotus Cars. It is essentially a coupé version of the Lotus Elise and has been in production since 2000. The car is a very stylish one, designed brilliantly in terms of aesthetics. The Exige sports a composite roof, aerodynamic alterations and a high revving petrol engine designed with performance in mind. Exige models have received many enhancements geared toward increasing the car’s performance and usability. The latest production model is the Exige S, which has been available since 2005. The S has a top speed of 148mph and can accelerate from 0 -60mph in 4.1 seconds. There have also been non-production models built in recent years, the Exige 265E and the Exige GT3. Ssangyong unveil Rexton Nissan Juke specials New Insignia autumn unveiling Aston Martin RAF edition New Volvo XC60 on sale JLR sell car every 30 seconds Record start to year for MG Beat tax increase with Suzuki Two new Audis join the Q Best April Fools' pranks Double award for F-PACE Double celebration for Jag after F-PACE landed two World Car of the Year Awards this week. Latest Euro NCAP results Euro NCAP release results of their latest crash tests. Good news for BMW, not so good for Fiat. New Giulia Veloce model A new version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the Veloce, has gone on UK sale priced from £37,935.

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Starting back in 1976 and in every generation since, the Honda Accord has raised the bar in the Family Sedan class. Once one of the easy choices in the mid-size sedan segment, there are now a slew of competitors out there. And that’s why we feel that an in-depth, unbiased review of the 2013 Honda Accord is crucial to those in the market. Has Honda made mid-size sedan shoppers’ lives easier by raising the bar once again? Let’s find out! More than just a new look, the Accord is the first Honda model to get the EarthDreams powertrain, starting with a new 4 cylinder engine. It’s a 2.4L unit and for the first time uses direct injection. Transmission options include a CVT automatic or 6-speed manual. Power is rated at 185 hp @ 6400 rpm and 181 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm. Fuel economy for the new engine is estimated at 27 MPG (city) and 36 MPG (highway) for an average of 30 MPG combined, putting it one MPH shy of the class-leading Nissan Altima. There’s also an optional 3.5L V6 engine which combines both VTEC technology and cylinder deactivation. It’s available exclusively on the 6-speed automatic but Coupe buyers can get it on the 6-speed manual. V6 power is rated at 272 hp @ 6200 RPM and 252 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4900 RPM. Fuel economy is 21 MPG (city) and 34 MPG (highway), making it the most fuel efficient V6 mnid-size sedan on the market, although a little short of some of the turbo-charged 4-cylinder offerings. The design of the all-new 2013 Honda Accord is certainly evolutionary (not revolutionary) and even Honda designers have admitted that it’s no work of art. And yet there are definitely some nice design cues on this vehicle. Perhaps the best word to describe it is serious. That’s because of the up-front look with squared-off edges. You have to love this cool chrome splitter down on the bottom. And helping the car look more purposeful and better proportioned, the 2013 Honda Accord is actually 3.6″ shorter in length overall and yet Honda insists that it’s kept interior volume the same as the older model. Inside, the interior is definitely familiar. While it’s not exactly dripping with design, for the most part all of the materials are first-rate. We really like the 3D center gauges, but if we have one complaint about this car, it’d have to be the seats. While they’re comfortable, the look and feel of the seats as well as the materials they’re made of are something you’d expect from a Honda Accord in the 90’s. But sit in any seat in the Accord and you can appreciate the reason for its outside design. It might not have one of those sleek designs with a really high belt line and tiny windows, but you can see out of it really well from any seat. The 2013 Honda Accord comes very well equipped. All models come standard with dual-zone climate control as well as an 8″ LCD screen up on the dash that includes the Honda i-MID system and backup camera. Along with that, all cars get a USB port and Honda’s ECON button which helps fuel economy by dulling the throttle response. Step up to the popular EX trim level and you get a sunroof, keyless access with pushbutton ignition as well as Honda’s new Lanewatch System. Instead of just a blind spot warning system, it will actually use a camera and the LCD screen to display what it in your blind spot. Drive the all-new 2013 Honda Accord and the first thing you’ll notice is the improved sound deadening. This car is nearly silent! And even more so if you opt for the V6 engine; at idle you literally can’t even tell it’s on. In many ways, you’ll feel like you’re driving a luxury car when behind the wheel of the new Accord, especially if you’re in one of the high-grade trim levels with the V6. But at the same time, it doesn’t feel like a big car. The new electric power steering system is light but reasonably responsive. Honda claims that they maximized the steering ratio, making it a little quicker but the change is so slight that the average driver can’t tell. The new 4-cylinder engine is peppy enough and while Honda claims that it’s faster than any of its competitors, it’s probably such a slight margin that it wouldn’t be noticeable on a normal basis. As for the V6, when equipped with a manual transmission on the coupe, it’s an absolute riot! The big question for many will be the CVT transmission paired with the 4-cylinder engine. Obviously done for the sake of fuel efficiency, it does seem unlike Honda to go that direction with the Accord. However, we’re happy to report that the combination is quite good when throttle levels are sufficient! Otherwise, it can feel somewhat like the rubber band effect. That being said, the results speak for themselves. The Accord does achieve a real-world 30 MPG as promised! Quieter and more refined, the 9th generation Honda Accord carries on hallmarks of the brand like interior space and value. The car does cost between $200 and $340 more than the outgoing model, meaning it starts at $21,680 or $22,480 if you want an automatic transmission. Truth be told, it’s hard not to be swayed by sleeker styling and an extra MPG on the highway when you consider the long-standing reputation Honda has for quality, durability and reliability. Package that with everything Honda offers in the new 2013 Accord and it never has been a question of why should you buy an Accord, but better yet, why shouldn’t you? Be sure to watch the video version of this review! Color options for the 2013 Honda Accord sedan are: Basque Red Pearl II (NEW), Modern Steel Metallic (NEW), White Orchid Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Obsidian Blue Pearl (NEW), Hematite Metallic (NEW), Champagne Frost Pearl (NEW), and Alabaster Silver Metallic. Incoming search terms for the article:honda accord 2013 interiorall new accord 20132013 honda accord interior2013 accord interior2013 honda accord touring interiorShare this car news from our auto blog... Tweet What users are searching for...porsche 916eric Clapton careric claptons watch collectionFord mustang 302 bossford f500muscle cars of all times1964 chevelle ss 327 365 hp l76ford shelby gt500 ford shelby gt500 super snake 2016honda sport Gt wagonf500 ford Recent Posts Eric Clapton loves cars. A lot. Especially Ferrari!

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