Volkswagen, Build Your Dreams Collaborate for EV/Hybrid Technology
May 27, 2009
Volkswagen and Chinese automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) have made a pact to co-develop new technology for use in future electric vehicles and hybrids.
“Volkswagen will consistently expand its successful ‘BlueMotionTechnologies’. Hybrids and electric vehicles will play an increasingly important role, of course,” said VW research and development boss Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg. “Particularly for the Chinese market, potential partners such as BYD could support us in quickly expanding our activities.”
The deal pushed through after BYD executives visited the Elektrotraktion Technology Center and VW’s Wolfsburg test facilities. BlueMotion technology is already the mark of the most efficient model in every VW range. BlueMotion was also most recently implemented in non-diesel form on the upcoming Touareg hybrid, whereas previous iterations were all implemented on diesels.
The deal could pave the way for hybrid and/or electric vehicle technology to be available for some of Volkswagen’s more mainstream BlueMotion models. Just imagine the potential for even more efficient vehicles.mother of tears the third mother dvd download download south park bigger longer uncut free
Alfa Romeo, Maserati Recall Cars in the US
May 27, 2009
Let’s face it. The Alfa Romeo 8C Competezione might be worth 14 feet of gearhead erotica but it’s quite a crappy driver’s car. Too bad, Alfa Romeo’s reputation of being not so reliable gets another sample case with the recall of the 8C Competizione in the US.
And since the 8C shared some of its underpinnings with Maserati, 2008 models of the GranTurismo and the Quattroporte are also part of the recall. The culprits – incorrectly torqued front and rear suspension upper and lower ball joints. The ball joint nuts can loosen and when failure happens, the driver can lose all steering. Guess what can happen when you can’t steer at all.
Hey, if you pay $265,000 for a car, at least you should be able to have at least a bit of guarantee that it works, right? Not the 8C. At least, encountering an 8C on US roads would be slim as only less than a hundred were shipped across the Atlantic. The total of the Maseratis and Alfas that are part of the recall, however, amount to 7,912.
Owners of affected vehicles can contact Maserati at (201) 816-2600. The recall is expected to begin in February.
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Design Students Tapped for Audi Intelligent Emotion Project
May 26, 2009
Audi has tapped design students at the Munich University of Applied Sciences to envision the future of automotive technologies as part of the automaker’s Intelligent Emotion project. The project focuses on concepts for future alternative fuels, car forms, and designs.
“The next generation of employees is our future,” says Audi Group Design head Wolfgang Egger. “That’s why sponsoring design students is one of our high priorities… The students have addressed the subject of mobility in the future with very well-conceived and lucidly presented approaches. Each concept, each model, contains at least one idea or feature that we could certainly conceive of as being included in a future production vehicle.”
“Emotion as a driving force must go hand in hand with responsibility as regulator,” Egger added. “The students’ assignment was to develop aesthetic approaches that reflect the new ecological, technical and social issues while also portraying an Audi as an attractive, sporty automobile.”
To coincide with the project, Audi has also published a book entitled “Audi Design Projekt” that contains the concepts and designs side-by-side with comments from the chief designers in Audi.
Source: Motor Authority download lost boys the
Mandelson Says Opel Sale is a ‘Painful Change’
May 24, 2009
Peter Mandelson, the British Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, has spoken about the impending sale of GM Europe, saying that it will result in a “painful change” regardless of who wins the Opel sweepstakes.
“Whoever comes out as the successful bidder will cut costs and consolidate,” said Mandelson. “We have to ensure that productive plants, where the greatest percentage of sales takes place and which include UK Vauxhall plants, have a secure future. That is what I am working for.”
The biggest point concerning the Opel takeover is that it may lead to massive job cuts for such plants as Vauxhall in the UK. Factories in other countries such as Germany and Italy are protected by the government, so the new Opel owners might turn to the UK for cuts.
Additionally, Mandelson stressed that the criticisms of UK scrappage scheme are unfounded. Many claim that the scheme only helps manufacturers from overseas because of the sheer amount of cars sold in the UK are made from outside it. Mandelson says this is not the case, saying that British-made components are used in the UK scrappage scheme, as well as other similar schemes in other European countries.
Lamborghini Estoque Won’t See Production
May 23, 2009
Lamborghini will be shelving the Lamborghini Estoque project indefinitely, as the Italian sports car manufacturer reevaluates its battle plan for the foreseeable future.
The four-door sedan concept was revealed at the Paris Motor Show last October. The Estoque would have been the first front-engined layout for Lamborghini since the early 90’s LM002 SUV. It is also a bit of a move away from the usual two-door design. It was pegged to have permanent four-wheel drive and a variety of engine options, including a turbo V8, a hybrid V8 and a V10.
“The timing and market conditions are just not right for an additional model line,” said Lambo research and development head Maurizio Reggiani.
While Lamborghini is one of the few car manufacturers who are better off at this point, the company is not spared from the ripples of the economic crisis. Sometimes, it’s good that companies play things safe and see all the variables rather than coming up with one model after another without the market to back it up.
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Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
May 22, 2009
son of rambow dvdrip Porsche might still get the regular flak of having a car that is fundamentally flawed with its rear-engine design. But one just has to admire the level of engineering thrown into improving the 911. The car might look like a sporty VW Beetle but it sure can give Ferrari a run for their money in the supercar showdown.
Porsche just released details in its new race-tuned 911 GT3 RSR which is their most powerful racing 911 to date. The six-cylinder engine gets a larger displacement at 4.0L which produces 444 bhp. The torque curve has also been tweak to give the car as optimum pull of 317 lb-ft of torque at 7250 rpm.
The body also got some work with some redesign on the front and rear of the GT3 RS to improve aerodynamics. Up front, the car features larger air outlets. At the back the adjustable rear wing can now be set depending on race demands. Carbon fiber bits were used to keep the kerb weight down to a mere 1245 kg.
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