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Starting this new thread to capture automotive news happening around the world, in case you miss it. Anyone can contribute to the thread by sharing news that you have come across. Xiaomi’s Third Model Is A Full-Size EREV SUV That Could Launch In 2026 Xiaomi isn’t willing to rest on its laurels and has started testing its third model, codenamed the N3. This new model will take the form of a large SUV designed to rival the Li Auto L9. The new SUV will look radically different than the brand’s other models. It’s unclear if the company will develop the powertrain in-house. Range-extender EVs are proving popular for those seeking maximum driving range. Stellantis Boss Carlos Tavares Suddenly Resigns The first and only Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, the 66-year-old executive, decided to step down, effective immediately. Weeks before stepping down, Tavares said struggling brands would have a couple of years to save themselves, either from extinction or from being sold off. The search process for a replacement is already “well underway,” which tells us that Stellantis isn’t all that surprised Tavares has called it quits. Until a successor is announced in the first half of 2025, the company will appoint a new interim executive committee chaired by John Elkann. He’s the Stellantis Chairman, Executive Director, and Ferrari Chairman. This is not the only significant change within Stellantis in recent months. Two months ago, Santo Ficili was named CEO of Maserati and Alfa Romeo, replacing Davide Grasso and Jean-Philippe Imparato, respectively. Invasive Seaweed Could Be The Next Biofuel To Keep Gas Cars On The Road Forget hydrogen power or synthetic gasoline, fuel made from an invasive seaweed species could be key to our obsession with gas-powered cars A team of researchers on the Caribbean island of Barbados have been working to create a new sustainable fuel to power cars on the island. Instead of using carbon capture or recycled cooking oil, the scientists have turned to an invasive species of seaweed that is taking over the island nations. The algae is combined with dung from a local farm and waste water from a rum distillery. Once that delicious-sounding cocktail is pumped into a fermenter, a gas is released that can then be used to power cars on the island. The team says any car can be converted to run on the gas via a simple and affordable four-hour installation process, using an easily available kit, at a total cost of around $2,500 (£1,940). China EV global sales in Nov: Xiaomi 22,050, Xpeng 30,895, Geely 122,453, BYD 504,003 In November, China’s EV market was mostly up, with Li Auto and Nio being exceptions. Xpeng grew by about 30%, Geely by 13%, Xiaomi by 6%, and BYD remained nearly flat, with a 0.7% rise compared with October. BYD sold 504,003 passenger NEVs, up 0.7% from 500,526 units the month before and up 67.2% from 301,378 in the previous year. Geely Auto got second spot with 122,453 sold NEVs, up 12.6% from 108,722 in October and 88.3% from 65,034 units the previous year. In 2024 (January – November), Geely Auto delivered 777,029 NEVs, up 82% from the same period last year. Changan got the third spot with 100,000 NEV sales, up 17.6% from 85,000 units in October. Data posted by Changan are most likely rounded, despite being it explicitly said by the company. Deepal achieved record-breaking sales of 36,026 units in November 2024, a 29.3% increase from 27,862 units in October and a 123.0% rise from 16,157 units in the same month last year. Volkswagen-backed Xpeng reported sales of 30,895 units in November 2024, up 29.2% from 23,917 units in October and 54.2% from 20,041 units a year earlier.
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OK, I admit I just get to know this site recently, and had a good laugh at some of the "news". Enjoy... e:Ny1 was meant to be a secure password, Honda finally admits The Honda e:Ny1 was never meant to be called that, the company has finally conceded, after it emerged that the name was actually the result of a comical administrative error. According to a leaked internal report, a member of staff accidentally copy-and-pasted part of a secure password into the online trademark application. An investigation was launched but the employee was spared disciplinary action on the grounds that it was ‘long past 3pm on a Friday’ when the form was submitted. “This is all very embarrassing,” said the employee on the condition of anonymity. “But who among us hasn’t made a boo boo at the end of the week?” “My heart goes out to everybody who’s had to type out e:Ny1 since then. I’m also gutted for my mother in law, because if passwords didn’t need at least one number, capital letter and special character, that Honda would have her maiden name now. “It would’ve tickled her pink. And she’s in her seventies, so she undoubtedly would’ve bought one.” Honda has now called for members of the public to suggest a new name for e:Ny1. Popular candidates on social media include the Honda Typo, Honda Captcha and Honda TwoFactorAuthentication. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Intellectual Property Office declined to comment officially, but said: “This isn’t the first time this has happened. I’m not pointing fingers, but did you think Toyota bZ4X was intentional?”
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Second-hand car dealer who pays for funerals of strangers up for ST Singaporean of the Year award https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/second-hand-car-dealer-who-pays-for-funerals-of-strangers-up-for-st-singaporean-of-the-year-award- 71 replies
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On and off, we will come across news, photo or video footage of driver(s) performing stupid stunt / act with their ride(s). Let me start off with these 3 cases reported recently (overseas). Autonomous car from Ford? Not yet... Residents of Arlington, Virginia, were stunned to see an unmarked, gray Ford Transit van tooling around town without a human driver behind the wheel. According to ARLnow, the vehicle was spotted driving through the Courthouse and Clarendon neighborhoods with nary a soul in the driver’s seat. Some speculated the van was part of Virginia Tech’s recently approved autonomous driving tests... ... A few days later, NBC 4’s transportation reporter Adam Tuss spied the driverless van again at a stop sign. And when he approached, Tuss noticed the driver’s “seat” had two hands and legs sticking out from it. Tuss tried to get the costumed driver to talk, but they sped off, running a red light in the process. A Cage to Protect Your Rolls-Royce, Will it Work? A rich guy buys $645,000 (Australian dollars) Rolls-Royce a few weeks ago, and then decides the parking structure of the luxury apartment building just wasn’t secure enough to safeguard his Roller. The Rolls owner had a custom cage built surrounding his parking space to protect the Rolls-Royce, sort of like how you’d protect a $500,000 labradoodle. Unfortunately, that very cage, built with the sole purpose to protect the car, also proved to be what caused a good amount of damage to the car, since the owner soon found that navigating in and out of the cage was a challenge beyond his skills, and ended up driving into one of the cage’s support poles and walls, causing a surprising amount of damage to the car. The steering was damaged along with a good bit of bodywork on the side and rear, plus the loss of a marker light that probably costs more than most of the objects you and I interact with every day. Ouch... ... Lessons learnt: Cars aren’t meant to be kept in cages. Especially if you’re pretty shitty at parking as it is. Porsche Pay For Owners Sunglasses? Lawsuits and settlements are usually pretty straight forward but one involving Porsche is anything but normal. A class action lawsuit has resulted in the company being held responsible for compensating owners for sunglasses - yes, sunglasses. According to the settlement, customers who purchased or leased any Porsche model between 2007–2016 are eligible to make a claim. However, the vehicle must have been equipped with a Cognac, Luxor Beige, Natural Brown, Platinum Grey, or Sand Beige dashboard. If you're one of the handful of Porsche owners who fit that description, you could receive up to $175 in compensation. Affected owners can check out DashboardGlareClassAction.com for more information but claims for sunglasses need to be submitted by September 21st. Customers who made other modifications to reduce the glare coming off their dashboards will have until June 25th of next year to submit a claim. The whole issue sounds ridiculous but the original lawsuit claimed the glare was a safety issue. Porsche objected to this notion but eventually decided a lengthy court battle wasn't worth the effort. In case you were wonder, the lawyers for the plaintiffs will apparently receive $790,000 in attorneys’ fees and $50,000 for expenses. That should be more than enough to buy a few Porsches and their own pair of sunglasses. Penny wise, pound foolish??
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I really hope it's this:
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Come across many near misses online, as well as misc automotive related news all the while, but don't feel right to create a thread for every single article. Thus starting this thread for all forumers to share their interesting read. For a start, these are what I deemed as near miss or news to be shared here. Massive WW2 Bomb Found Under Greek Gas Station Forcing 50,000 People Out Of Their Homes One of the things you don’t want to find when digging a hole in the ground is a massive 250kg / 550-lbs unexploded bomb from WW2, especially if you’re digging next to a gas station. This unbelievable discovery happened in Greece, when construction workers were digging to install a new tank for the gas station and according to local Voria they were able to stop the works just 4mm shy from hitting the bomb. The local authorities had to stop the original deactivation procedure as the bomb was much larger than initially anticipated, weighing 250kg in total (550lbs), and now are planning a massive evacuation in a 1.2-mile radius before they attempt one more time. The bomb was found at Thessaloniki in a densely populated area and the evacuation plan involves moving more than 50,000 people away from their homes this Sunday, February 12th. It’s been reported that the explosive weapon is an aerial bomb dropped from a plane during WW2 that didn’t explode when employed. Massive 700-Car Collection Liquidating In Ohio Includes Studebakers & DeLoreans, Tractors & Trucks There are lots of people who collect cars. Some amass more than others, but we've never seen anything quite this big. It's the Hackenberger collection, and it's going up for auction – all 700 cars, trucks, tractors, and motorcycles. The collection is the life's work of Ron and Eunice Hackenberger based out Norwalk, Ohio – about halfway between Cleveland and Toledo. Ron bought his first Studebaker at 15 years old with money borrowed from his grandpa, and set about a lifetime of expanding his collection after marrying Eunice. The rest, as they, is history. Hackenberger ran a trucking company before expanding into real estate, hospitality, and even cattle ranching, crisscrossing the country and picking up any and every type of unusual wheeled vehicle he came across along the way. Sometimes he would even take an empty car transporter out to the West Coast and bring it back packed with motorized oddities. At this point the collection has swelled to over 700 vehicles. There's some 250 Studebakers, reflecting his lifelong passion, with the rest of the collection including everything from European micro cars to John Deere tractors. There are some 1940s motorcycles, a series of mid-60s muscle cars, and even some Checker limousines – all in various conditions. There's even a DeLorean, Bricklin, Porsche, a couple of Jaguars, some Citroëns, and a Cadillac ambulance that looks straight out of Ghostbusters. It's all still being catalogued, but what's clear already is that the breadth and scope of it all is staggering. And it's all going up for auction over the course of one long weekend. Apparently Ron had planned to restore it all, but having reached this late stage in his life, realized it was too much to undertake. Everything will be up for grabs, with no reserve prices on anything when VanDerBrink Auctions handles its liquidation this coming July 14-16. Check out some of the highlights in the gallery below, or visit the auctioneer's website for more. Best Speeding Excuse Ever? Driver Tells Cop “Wind Was Pushing Me” Just when you think you've heard it all, an Australian driver finds the airiest excuse ever to get out of a speeding ticket. After being pulled over by the cops for allegedly speeding 17km/h or 10mph over the limit (127km/h or 79 mph in a 110km/h or 68mph zone), the unnamed man from Western Australia told the police “The wind was pushing me”. No, seriously, that’s what he said and it went on record with the Three Springs Police department sharing the citation on their Twitter account with the humorous caption ‘And the excuse of the day goes to…’. As you’d expect, the cops didn’t buy the excuse and handed the driver a AU$200 fine while also deducting two demerit points on Monday. Canadian Driver Masterfully Avoids Four Moose On Snow-Covered Road It seems that the driver of this car had a pretty good idea about what to do when he confronted a small herd of moose. According to the description of the video, once the driver saw the moose ahead, he started braking and the car kept sliding, which is when he cleverly lifted his foot of the brake in an attempt to steer around the animals. Thankfully, everything turned out OK for everybody involved. Seeing animals get hurt is always horrible, though from the driver's perspective, a direct hit with a moose would have probably been the end of the road for that vehicle, as these animals can weigh anywhere between 380 (837 lbs) to almost 700 kg (1,543 lbs). During the evasive maneuvers, the Canadian managed to steer his vehicle right in-between the animals, which at that point were simply trying to get away from the incoming projectile's path. By the way, is it us or does the guy's laughter sound a lot like he's saying "Ho Ho Ho?" A Mustang Almost Caused A Train Crash, Was Pushed Away Seconds Before Locomotive Rolled Through Four men helped prevent a disastrous situation when a Ford Mustang got stuck on a railway crossing in Portland, Oregon, on Friday morning. According to reports, bad weather conditions led several cars getting stuck in ruts crossing MAX lines along NE 99th and East Burnside, but the red second-generation Mustang got stranded just as a MAX train was approaching the crossing. “We saw a red mustang coming down the road. It was fishtailing a little bit. It got to that stop light up there. It went to go across those max tracks and got stuck,” said Andrew Rasmussen, a physical therapy student who followed the scene with his mentors at Laurelhurst Physical Therapy, KATU reported. “Rear wheel drive, real low sports car, yeah probably not the best to be on these kind of roads,” he said. A news helicopter flying from above captured the moment on film, when four men ran to help the Mustang driver. “About four or five people rocked the car to get it off the tracks in about 10 to 15 seconds before the max came by,” Rasmussen explained. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the pony car will have another chance in making it to this year’s Top Mustang Crashes – see last year’s here. If there’s a lesson to be learned here it’s that, drivers should use common sense, and avoid things like, you know, heading out with a rear-wheel drive sports car, especially without appropriate tires, when the roads are covered in snow.
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2015 GT-R Nismo to sprint to 100km/h in two seconds flat?
Regan_ong posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
We all know about the Nissan GT-R and its need for speed. Now the 'Godzilla' is all set to get wickedly faster with Nismo - the performance arm of Nissan - unveiling the GT-R Nismo. There have been no spy shots whatsoever, so the closest we could get are pictures of the GT-R Track Edition. The future Nismo version will be based on the 2014 GT-R and will feature a series of updates that will transform the 'Godzilla' into a real track machine, while keeping it perfectly suitable for the road. On the exterior, Nismo will work on improving the car's aerodynamics, so lower front and rear bumpers, wider wings and sill side skirts, plus a huge wing at the rear is to be expected. Inside the car, the GT-R Nismo will most likely get special suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats with red stitching, plus a redesigned steering wheel, pedals, gauges and gear knob. Under the hood, the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine delivers at least 20 horses more than the standard 550bhp. There have been rumours that the GT-R Nismo will hit 100km/h in two seconds. Wait a second. The current GT-R already does the century sprint in three. Wouldn't that mean that the GT-R Nismo will be able to outsprint a 1,200bhp Bugatti Veyron Super Sport over short distances? Well, as exciting as the GT-R Nismo is going to be, we're having a hard time accepting that it will be able to hit 100km/h in two seconds flat, at least on street tyres. What do you think? -
Late night shopping, another car with an Impreza scoop and the Mercedes Benz W124
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Last saturday night I was out and about in the fair City of Singapore. I ended up in the area around Mustafa at about 11.00 at night. Little India is one of the places to go if you want to endure traffic jams at night. Usually, people will find it hard to even wake up in the morning and dread facing the morning rush hour traffic but when things are cheap at a certain place, people are willing to suffer things they do not want to suffer. But tell this to people who love shopping and they will say that shopping is different. It is always worth suffering if you want to do some shopping when all the other stores are closed and it is different as it isn't work therefore it's alright to suffer a little. Anyway, some you you readers out there would realize that I have a certain fascination about cars other than a Subaru utilizing a Subaru Impreza bonnet scoop. I managed to find one more right in front of Mustafa's. This time the scoop resides on a Toyota. Yes. I suppose since Toyota now owns some shares it must be okay for this Toyota to use the scoop. Wait, I have mentioned it before. And now before some of you out there say -
Always enjoy watch him dirtying his hands!! (the taller one), and one of his "specials"
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I believe owning a Lamborghini is surely a proud thing for pretty much everyone in the world. When you drive a car like the Aventador, for example, passers-by will most likely think that you're one hell of a successful person - besides the natural jealousy that follows after. It seems not everyone can contain their 'feelings' when they come across such successful people. The cyclist in the video is perhaps a good example. While the driver of the black Lamborghini Aventador is trying to pass the road, this cyclist simply stops right in front of the car. Even worse, the cyclist stares down on the owner and even scolds him. I can't seem to figure out if it's because the elderly cyclist thinks that others should respect him instead of him respecting others or that he thinks car drivers should always prioritise cyclists. Or, perhaps this cyclist just doesn't really like cars after all, which is why he is riding a bicycle in the first place?
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The LTA recently revealed a Land Transport Masterplan which maps out enhancements to the public transport as well as road management. We look at the some intrinsic details and finds out what they can mean to us. Naturally, one of the key highlights of the plan lies in the public transport sector. Both the rail and road systems will receive substantial boost, such as extending bus services to more areas, giving more priorities to buses, as well as an ambitious plan to double the island's rail network by 2030. For a moment, the plan does seem to have hit the nail on head. But we reckon there is more than meets the eye. Our rail system has been plagued by frequent service faults and disruptions. Even with the current network, train operators have been struggling to keep maintenance up to the mark, and statistics have proven this point. There were four cases of service disruptions in October alone, and no less than nine cases in previous three months. On that point, imagine the amount of workload on the maintenance with the doubled network, which will likely lead to more disruptions if all things remain constant. Then, there is the mindset of the local commuters. A study has shown that locals still prefer private mode of transport. And if nothing is done to adjust this preference, the enhanced public transport network will just be a 'white elephant'. Next, the plan aims to address road congestion by putting ERP gantries on major roads (Bukit Timah Road, Holland Road etc.). At this instance, one question springs to our minds: If the current 71 gantries placed on expressways and arterial roads have limited effect on congestion, how will adding gantries to major roads help? And hence, the big question remains: Do you think the master plan will succeed?
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Singapore's great weakness is that it is an absurdly small nation. Paradoxically, one great strength of Singapore is that it is an absurdly small nation. Hence, Singapore can try things out on a national scale that few other nations can dream about. Let me suggest one such bold national project. Let Singapore become the first country in the world to have an all-electric fleet of vehicles: cars, trucks, taxis, buses, etc. Singapore can create a new chapter in world history by becoming the first country in the world not to have petrol-fuelled engines on the road. And why should Singapore do this? There will be at least three massive benefits from doing so. Healthier population First, Singaporeans will breathe much cleaner air. Without petrol and diesel engines, there will be much less carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, particulate matter and other pollutants in the air. As a result, I have no doubt that the health of Singaporeans will improve. There will be fewer instances of asthmatic attacks, and incidents of cancer may also go down. Singapore will also become the quietest city in the world. Economists have not yet established simple and easy ways of measuring such “positive externalities” that will flow from an all-electric fleet in Singapore. Yet, there is no doubt that the environment will improve massively. Singaporeans will become a happier nation and Singapore will become an ever more attractive destination for the best global talent. (Oops, maybe I shouldn’t say this!) Second, Singapore would be positioning itself for the day when a global carbon tax or emissions trading system is introduced. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just released its latest climate change report. The evidence is now irrefutable. Human activity, especially in the form of greenhouse gas emissions, is warming the planet. Many countries will suffer the negative effects of rising sea levels and bouts of extreme weather. Singapore will be one of the biggest losers if the worst-case scenario unfolds. While Singapore is too small to make a large difference to climate change mitigation efforts, an all-electric fleet would help us deal with a global carbon tax, thus boosting national competitiveness. Delay climate change By creating an all-electric transportation system, Singapore can help to delay climate change. How? Singapore’s behaviour alone will not make a massive difference. But bear in mind that the Asian middle-class population is about to explode, from about 500 million now to 1.75 billion by 2020. If these new middle-class citizens begin buying petrol-burning cars, the planet will be literally, not metaphorically, fried. Clearly, some powerful examples will be needed to demonstrate that the world would be better off not buying petrol-burning cars. By going all-electric, Singapore will act as a key catalytic agent to help to prevent global warming. The manufacture of electric cars emits more carbon than that of traditional vehicles because of the energy-intensive methods used to mine, smelt and process the iron, lithium and rare earth elements that go into the batteries and other components of electric cars. But studies have shown that electric vehicles make up for this by having much lower carbon emissions when they are in use. Most of Singapore’s electricity is generated from natural gas, a relatively clean fossil fuel. Using electric cars will result in an effective 66 percent reduction of carbon emissions in comparison with petrol- and diesel-powered cars. Cars as status symbols The third benefit of creating an all-electric fleet is that it will help to reduce the obsession with cars as a status symbol, as electric cars will simply be seen as functional vehicles to get from point A to point B. For the few Singaporeans who insist on having status symbols like Maseratis, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, I would like to strongly recommend the Tesla, the environmentally friendly status symbol. By moving to an all-electric fleet, we shift the status competition in Singapore away from having the most powerful and fastest cars to having the most environmentally friendly ones. So who should lead the charge to convert Singapore’s car fleet into an all-electric one? I think I know what is going on in the mind of any Singaporean who is reading this sentence. Every Singaporean will expect the Government to take the lead. Unfortunately, this is the wrong answer. If the Government tries a top-down strategy, there will be a lot of resistance. The only way such a massive change can take place smoothly is for it to be a bottom-up initiative. New developmental approach Indeed, as Singapore approaches the 50th anniversary of its independence and Singaporeans ponder on the next 50 years, the country should consider a major change of approach to the future development of the country. Singapore has been extraordinarily successful in our first 50 years because of a remarkable number of government-initiated policies. Let me just cite Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport, PSA, and the Singapore Newater story as a few examples. None of these were citizen initiatives. However, for the next 50 years, we will need a balance of government-led and citizen-led initiatives. Making Singapore the first electric vehicle nation should be the first citizen-led initiative in the nation’s history. Anyone who thinks that a single citizen cannot make a significant difference should look at the record of Tesla Motors and its chief executive Elon Musk. Mr Musk is giving a personal guarantee (including with his personal money) that the Tesla will retain as much second-hand value as the equivalent Mercedes. Even more astoundingly, he has begun building charging stations so that you can drive from Los Angeles to New York in a Tesla. If you can drive across a large country like the United States in an electric vehicle, it is surely possible to do so in Singapore. No charging station in Singapore will be more than a few kilometres away. In fact, charging stations could even be installed in private parking lots and driveways. The Government can help by creating an infrastructure that supports electric vehicles. It could also provide tax and other benefits. Currently, because of the high cost of electric vehicle batteries, such cars cost more, thus placing the vehicle in a higher tax bracket than cheaper but less environmentally friendly cars. Even the recently introduced Carbon Emissions-Based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS) does not offset the higher costs. Sadly, Tesla had to close its dealership in Singapore without selling a single fully electric car after less than a year because it was not able to receive “green tax benefits” from the Government. But the benefits that would flow from the creation of an all-electric fleet would be far greater than the tax revenues that the Government stands to lose in giving out tax benefits. In short, it is a “no-brainer” for Singapore to become the first country in the world with an all-electric vehicle fleet. No other country can do it as easily as Singapore. The benefits in all dimensions - environmental, health, social - will far outweigh any costs. Indeed, I cannot think of any real cost to making the change. So the big question is: Which citizen of Singapore will stand up and take the lead? If the movement succeeds, it will “electrify” both Singapore and the world. The hour has come. Let the right man or woman stand up and lead the movement. -- ST ILLUSTRATION : Miel by Kishore Mahbubani for The Straits Times
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With its sights set on the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Jaguar could be planning a full range of models for its upcoming entry-level car - possibly called the XS. The XS will replace the X-Type, finally giving Jaguar a product in the highly competitive luxury compact sedan segment. According to sources, the car will also be available with coupe and wagon bodystyles (rendered images below). Jaguar's upcoming 3 Series and C-Class fighter seen testing and wearing a modified XF body is also poised to be clad in an all-aluminum monocoque body structure, similar to the XJ, to save weight. According to Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar's Global Brand Director, an aluminium monocoque is a first for this market and on this sort of scale, by the time they go on sale, the new saloon, coupe and estate will be the most efficient, refined and advanced cars in their class. Plus, the car is expected to be offered initially with Jaguar's small capacity turbocharged four and supercharged six-cylinder petrol and diesel engine. This will also mean that entry-level cars are able to emit less than 100g/km of CO2 without the need for hybrid technology. The baby Jaguar is scheduled to be due in 2015 and it sure is one exciting cat. Purr.
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Will technology hamper the ultimate driving experience?
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
We are at the last quarter of 2013, and in a flash another year will soon be upon us. I did not realise it is the end of September until I saw Vivocity preparing for Christmas. The movies I used to watch as a kid are being remade. Cartoons nowadays lack the entertainment feel, air travel has become more affordable, with more tourist arrivals recorded. There was no Terminal 3, kinetic rain or Project Jewel when I was a kid. Things were simple, mechanical and, if I may add, fun. Cars have, over the years, shed the typical boxy designs and are adapting more fluid, dynamic aesthetics complemented by exotic materials like Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) or composite aluminium or light reinforced steel. Automobiles have become faster, safer and in most cases prettier. On one end of the scale we have the likes of Koenigsegg, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Pagani who are pushing the boundaries of automotive engineering by producing cars that accelerate faster, setting new records and giving fans like myself a sense of excitement. On the other end, we have cars that are greener. Hybrids, turbocharging, range extending EVs - automobiles that are trying to rectify the problem of global warming, pollution and climate change. The way I see it, there is another group - cars that are loaded with so much driver enhancement technologies that they become...boring. Nothing but just machines with wheels and an engine. These group of cars are usually loaded with more advanced cameras, radars and sensors than a F-22 Raptor and are usually decorated with features and novelties like Adaptive Cruise, Lane Departure Warnings, Cyclist Detection Systems, Full Braking and in the near future Autonomous driving and parking. So in future, what is my role as the driver ? Over the past two decades technology has evolved faster than ever with land lines almost disappearing, public phones becoming endangered, hand phones that have reduced from military grade walkie-talkies to handsome machines fashioned from a single piece of aluminium, glass and sapphire crystal. Phones have evolved from the basic purpose of communication and networking to pocket diaries, 24-hour assistants, credible portable entertainment hubs and most importantly - has shrunk the knowledge of the world to the palm of your hand. But I don't want cars of the future to do the same. There is a reason cars like the Porsche 911, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce or even BMW have been marketed with specific terms. Ultimate driving machines, carpet ride, greatest/ultimate Gran Tourers. And when the machines take over (slowly but surely they will), what will cars be called? Called me old fashioned but cars are meant to be driven and not driven in - or in this case driven by a robot. With technology replacing almost everything, including humans and their jobs, where is the novelty of living? -
Infiniti caused quite a bit of hullabaloo late last year when it announced it would be changing its vehicle names so that all of its cars start with Q and all of its crossovers and SUVs start with QX (not the ones on the number plates seen locally). Now, the luxury division of Nissan has posted a video that explains the historically relevant reason for the new Q badge. Well, Infiniti is returning to the Q name to pay homage to its very first model, the Q45, and it's starting with the all new Q50 sedan. Now, however, while most of Infiniti's 2014 models will get the new Q badge, the G37 Sedan will keep its nameplate through model year 2015 (despite the fact that Infiniti already changed the G37 Coupe and G37 Convertible models to the name Q60). Are you getting confused? Watch the video below to understand better.
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Like Porsche and Lamborghini, Ferrari has the habit of releasing stripped out, track focused models based on their mid-engined supercars. Following the lineage of the F360 Challenge Stradale and the F430 Scuderia, the Prancing Horse has gone all 'Superleggera' on the 458 Italia. Sporting a different front facia, rear end body work, fins protruding before the rear axle and a more flush and slippery body to accommodate the active aerodynamic systems, the V8 equipped 458 Italia that has been given a power bump in a trimmer package of almost 1.3 tonnes. More power, lighter weight, active aerodynamics and a mid-engined V8
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With a long standing tradition of building compact, open top sports cars that started with the S600 and ending with the S2000, Honda seems intent to get back into the game. After seeing the success Toyota/Subaru has had with the 86/BRZ, Honda is primed to one-up its rivals. According to a source within Honda, a new affordable sports car is being seriously considered, but don't expect something as high-end as the S2000 - think small, quick and light. The car would be small, probably even smaller than the Mazda MX-5, and come equipped with either a 1.3-litre or 1.5-litre in-line four with i-VTEC. Keep your expectations low on its power output, but thanks to its light weight which is rumored to sit around 900kg, the car should have adequate acceleration along with good handling and an overall agile driving experience. There's even talk that the "S1500" may come with a mid-engine layout, in the style of the Honda Beat. As for the car's design direction, Honda would either use the Japan-only N-ONE or make it look more like the current Civic. We reckon the N-ONE's styling would do justice because it pays homage to the iconic S600. Rumours of a new Honda roadster have appeared and disappeared with tide-like regularity since the moment the S2000 died, and none of them have come to pass. The NSX revival was followed by nearly a decade of will-they, won't-they rumours and telephone-game whispers before Honda actually buckled down and built something. It seems like the same thing could be happening here. Either way, let's wait for Honda to come up with this answer to the Toyota 86 and the Mazda MX-5 in 2015 or 2016.
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Jay Leno becomes the first person outside McLaren to drive the McLaren P1
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Let me get one thing straight. Personally I am not a fan of McLaren. I have nothing against the team, its Formula One drivers or the firm's awkward behaviour of naming its cars after fax machines. It's just like Manchester United vs Liverpool or Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer or Tiger Woods vs well whoever he competes with. However there are one or two things I admire about McLaren. Firstly, its futuristic, yin-yang inspired factory at Woking, U.K. Secondly, the automaker's approach to cars and the firm's obsession with implementing technology. I have mentioned a countless number of times in the blog, as much as I like cars and the science, art and engineering behind it - I like technology, gadgets and gizmos. As such I cannot think of any other automaker in this era (perhaps besides Audi) that harnesses science, technology and cars as well as McLaren. Ferrari is a front to sell road legal Formula One cars to fund their F1 programme while Lamborghini is a German engineered Italian on steroids and performance enhancing drugs. Pagani is a new kid on the block that is all about theatricality, flamboyance and art. McLaren celebrated - with pride - their 50th anniversary as a racing team. 50 years is a long time, but the British firm has only created five road going cars thus far, and all five have been blockbusters in their own right. We have the iconic and legendary McLaren F1, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the MP4-12 and 12C and now we have the long awaited and alien looking McLaren 'Designed by Air' P1. The McLaren P1, together with the Porsche 918 and LaFerrari, welcome the next generation of hypercars and motoring in general. They are from three different countries in one continent but they share a similarity - they are all hybrids. Unlike its predecessors, the McLaren F1, Porsche Carrera GT and Enzo Ferrari, they are not purely naturally aspirated. Each feature an electric motor of some sort to boost performance to an already capable internal combustion engine. http://dai.ly/x14g7to In the case of the P1, the futuristic looking vehicle is unlike anything I have ever seen. The aesthetics have time travelled 10-15 years from the future, combined with the technical limitations of today. It is powered by a substantially revised 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, coupled to a single electric motor, for a combined power output of 903bhp. Top speed is electronically limited to 350km/h, with the 0-100km/h standing start acceleration taking less than three seconds. The McLaren P1 will power from rest to 200km/h in less than seven seconds, and on to 300km/h in less than 17 seconds - a full five seconds quicker than the McLaren F1. Despite this, the P1 is also efficient with CO2 emissions less than 200g/km, and the ability to cover more than 10km in emissions free electric mode. Undergoing the final stages of testing before commencing on first customer deliveries soon, fellow self-confessed automotive and collector, Jay Leno, became the first man outside the development team at Woking, and Jenson Button, to drive the McLaren P1. The 12 minute video is pretty much split into two sections, a tour of the McLaren engineering centre that looks nothing short of a cathedral while the second part is Leno thrashing the all new hypercar on what I think is the Top Gear test track - who was gleaming with excitement every single minute of course. As mentioned at the start, I am not a fan of McLaren, but does that mean I should not be jealous? -
Malaysia has raised the retail price of diesel and RON95 petrol by RM0.20 a litre (S$0.08) each. But what has that got to do with Singaporeans since they are only entitled to pump RON97 petrol and above? The price hike, effective from 3rd September 2013, is in line with the government's initiative to cut costly subsidies. "Currently, the government bears an RM0.83 (S$0.32) subsidy for a litre of RON95 petrol and RM1.00 (S$0.38) for a litre of diesel. The RM0.20 subsidy reduction means the government still provides a RM0.63 (S$0.24) subsidy for a litre of RON95 and RM0.80 (S$0.31) for a litre of diesel," said Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is also the Finance Minister. "The subsidy cut will save the government an estimated RM1.1 billion (S$422,682,700) this year and another RM3.3 billion (S$1,268,048,100) in 2014," he added. RON95 petrol is now priced at RM2.10 (S$0.81) per litre and diesel at RM2.00 (S$0.77) after the hike, up from RM1.90 (S$0.73) and RM1.80 (S$0.69) respectively. Well, for Singaporeans who travel frequently up North to fill up, here's the not-so-good news. The price per litre of RON97 petrol has also been increased by RM0.15 starting 4th September 2013, bringing its price to RM2.85 (S$1.10), up from RM2.70 (S$1.04) previously. On the other hand, the good news is that the increase in Malaysian fuel prices is still incomparable to the skyrocketing prices at local pumps - diesel retailing at $1.71 per litre, RON92 at $2.20 per litre, RON95 at $2.24 per litre and RON98 at $2.38 per litre.
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Audi unveils its entry level hairdryer through the A3 Cabriolet
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Based on the all new Audi A3 sedan, the Audi A3 Cabriolet makes its public debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car has grown from the preceding model, from 4,240mm to 4,420mm in length, with the wheelbase increased to 2,600mm. It also sits wider at 1,790mm, but stands shorter at 1,410mm. Additionally cargo load has increased by 60 litres to 287 litres. The A3 Cabriolet is around 50kg lighter than the previous model with a kerb weight of just over 1.3 tonnes. Like the saloon, the face of the Audi A3 Cabriolet is characterised by the single frame radiator grille, which is flanked by flat headlamp housings with either halogen or xenon bulbs. The headlamp clusters are highlighted by the signature monolithic daytime running lights -
Law enforcement teams, firefighters and medics across Europe are adopting the all electric Nissan Leaf as a key frontline emergency support vehicle. Emergency services in Portugal, France, U.K. and Switzerland have deployed Leafs as community support vehicles, with a number of other countries considering making the switch to battery power. The first force in the world to go electric was Portugal's PSP (Pol
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A night of partying may be all in good fun, until it's time to go home that it. All too often, late night revelers get behind the wheel after a one drink too many. Accidents caused by drunk driving is a major problem all around the world, and the city state of Singapore is no exception. But one nightclub is taking an unconventional approach to prevent drunk driving. The solution - a 'Pee Analyser'. Working with marketing agency DDB Group Singapore, popular nightspot Zouk came up with the charmingly named Pee Analyser, a urinal-based system that detects the amount of alcohol in a punter's pee before issuing a warning if they're over the legal limit. And here's how it works. When a driver arrives at the club, they hand over their keys in exchange for an RFID parking card. Once activated, the card is capable of identifying a driver and recording information regarding the driver's alcohol level. It does this by way of a urine testing device fitted in the urinal, a device that its maker says will instantly reset to accommodate consecutive readings, thereby avoiding any mix-ups with the pee of previous urinal visitors. The urinal-based testing device is paired with an RFID reader that detects, tags and reads information from the cards, so if a patron's pee contains too much alcohol, a message will flash up on a screen directly in front saying - "Maybe you've had one too many to drive. Call a cab or use our drive home service." Of course, there's a chance the person peeing may be too drunk to focus on the words in front of them, or simply too wasted to compute the information, so when they hand in their card at the end of the night in exchange for their keys, an RFID reader at the exit will convey the information from the tagged card to the valet, who'll once again suggest the car-owning clubber to make alternative arrangements for getting home. The pee analyser may be the most technologically advanced approach, but some experts have called urine testing an unreliable method for determining alcohol impairment. And although the system is only installed in male toilets, we reckon it still does some magic in curbing the numbers of drink drivers. Good work there, Zouk. Check out the below video from DDB Group Singapore to learn more about the system.
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It is the 15th of June 2030, and for Sam and Sue of Ann Arbor, Michigan, it is going to be a busy day. Their daughter Sophia has a 9:00am karate match. At noon, her older sister Sally's high school graduation will begin. And, by 3:00pm, the house must be ready for Sally's graduation party. At 8:40am, Sam uses a smartphone app to order a ride from Maghicle, Ann Arbor's mobility service, which uses self-driving robotic vehicles. Within minutes, Sam, Sue, and Sophia are headed for the karate club. En route, Sophia studies videos of her opponent's past matches, while Sue catches up on e-mail and Sam orders appetisers and flowers for the party. They arrive at the club on time, and the robot proceeds to pick up someone else nearby. Sally, who must arrive at school by 10:30am, has already ordered a Maghicle ride. When she boards at 10:15am, she receives a text message from her best friend Amanda, who wants to ride with her. Sally enters Amanda's address in the Maghicle app, and the robot chooses the best route. At 11:30am, as a victorious Sophia trades her karate uniform for something better suited for her sister's graduation, Sam receives a text message confirming that a small temperature-controlled pod has delivered the appetisers for Sally's party in the secure, refrigerated drop-box at the house. When Sophia is ready, the family orders another Maghicle ride, this time to Sally's school. They take their seats and, as Sam waves to Sally sitting with her classmates, he is struck by how quickly 17 years have passed. In 2013, Sam's day would have been far more difficult, stressful, and expensive. He would have wasted far too much time in his petrol guzzling Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), stuck in traffic jams or searching for parking. Now, because he does not need to own a car, he spends far less on transportation and has more time to do as he pleases. With services like Maghicle enabling people to get around safely, affordably, conveniently and sustainably, Sam does not have to worry about his family getting into car accidents, as his parents worried about him. By contrast, today's road transportation system is inconvenient, unsustainable and dangerous. Of the nearly one billion motor vehicles worldwide - enough to circle the planet 100 times if parked end to end - some 95 percent depend on oil for energy, making car travel subject to resource geopolitics and price volatility. Furthermore, combustion engines account for more than one-fifth of the world's carbon emissions, contributing significantly to climate change. And, with more than 1.2 million people dying on the road each year, car travel remains a proven killer. Sam's world of 2030 is not mere fantasy. But achieving it will require a thorough overhaul of the existing road transportation system - and that means overcoming the complex combination of public and private elements, vested interests, ingrained business models and massive inertia that has so far impeded its development. Indeed, with certain institutions and industries benefiting when all of the system's components - vehicles, roads, fuel stations, traffic laws, regulations, vehicle standards and licensed drivers - work together, no transformational development has occurred in road transportation since Karl Benz invented the car and Henry Ford popularised it. A narrow focus on, say, developing better batteries, improving fuel efficiency or making car production more sustainable is inadequate to catalyse the needed transformation. A genuinely transformational solution is needed - one that meets the needs of consumers, businesses, and governments. An integrated network of driverless, electric vehicles that are connected, coordinated and shared should form the core of that solution. Such vehicles would be programmed to avoid crashes, leading to fewer deaths and injuries and less property damage. In order to minimise the excessive resource consumption associated with driving, the vehicles would be tailored to trip characteristics, such as the number of passengers. For example, lightweight, two passenger vehicles can be up to 10 times more energy efficient than a typical car. In the United States, where 90 percent of cars carry one or two people, reliance on such vehicles would result in a dramatic decline in carbon emissions, which would fall even further as a result of less road congestion and smoother traffic flows. Moreover, the land and infrastructure needed for parking would be significantly reduced. Under such a system, personal mobility could cost up to 80 percent less than owning and operating a car, with time efficiencies augmenting those savings further. For Americans earning a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour (S$9.25), time spent driving at a speed of 30 miles (48km) an hour costs $0.24 cents a mile (S$0.31 per 1.61km). At the U.S. median hourly wage of US$25 (S$31.89), each mile costs $0.83 (S$1.06). Given that Americans drive roughly three trillion miles annually, saving just one US cent a mile implies $30 billion (S$38 billion) in annual savings. The technology needed to advance such a scheme exists. The task now is to introduce prototype systems in representative communities, in order to prove what is possible, discover consumers' preferences, determine the most attractive business models and identify and avert unexpected consequences. Once the prototypes have proved effective and practical, they should scale quickly without public incentives. As with other innovations - such as mobile phones, e-books, digital photography and music, and flat-screen televisions - large-scale deployment will occur when the new technologies reach the market tipping point, when their value to consumers exceeds the costs to businesses of supplying them. Policy makers would be responsible only for guaranteeing the expanding system's safety. A cleaner, safer, more convenient road transportation system is possible - and closer to being realised than many believe. It needs only the chance to prove itself. Picture credit: Agence France-Presse
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I have a driving licence, but I'd rather take a cab than drive
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] Before I start griping about the problems that I have with driving in this country, I'll like to clarify certain facts first. I have been driving only for more than half a decade, and am only in my mid-twenties. So I guess on the experience scale I will probably rank myself in-between amateur and intermediate. But having been travelled in a family car since I was four, and as a frequent cab user, I may actually have an idea or two on what I am blabbering about -
Did Audi take two steps backwards just to go forward with the A8's design?
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Here is the 2014 Audi A8 facelift which, despite possessing some impressive technology, looks like an offering from the early 90s. It's sharp, boxy and bland. Compared to the all new S-Class or the 7 Series, the A8 looks really boring, although the MatrixBeam LED headlights are pretty impressive. The facelifted A8 comes from the same automaker that brought us sexy machines like the Quattro concept, the RSQ, R8, RS5 and so on. It actually looks like a rejected design piece from Bentley, to be honest. Or perhaps Audi had to tone down its design just so the Bentleys could look more 'exclusive'. Built around the lightweight aluminium Audi Space Frame, the A8 has been finessed by subtle resculpting of the bonnet, the single frame grille, the front bumper and the lower edge of the headlight units. At the rear, the design of the LED taillights have been revised and the bumpers in all models - except the S8 - incorporate two rhomboid tail pipes. New chrome elements, new high gloss black window surrounds and five new colours also mark out the updated car. Measuring 5,140mm in length, sitting 1,950mm wide and standing 1,460mm tall with a 2,990mm wheelbase - the A8 remains unchanged, while the 'stretched' model provides better rear leg room thanks to a 130mm extended wheelbase. The A8 can be powered by one of seven petrol and TDI engines, the majority of which have been revised to improve performance and efficiency. The supercharged 3.0-litre TFSI is boosted to 305bhp, while the twin-turbo 4.0-litre TFSI V8 has 429bhp. The 3.0-litre and 4.2-litre TDI oil burners, have 254bhp and 379bhp respectively. Paired with the renowned quattro all-wheel drive system, the 4.0-litre TFSI now throws the A8 from nought to 100km/h in a brisk 4.5 seconds. The power units in the facelifted A8 is not all about the Frank Martin pleasing performance though. When applicable, the Audi Cylinder-On-Demand (COD) system deactivates four of its eight cylinders to give priority to fuel economy. The most efficient diesel engine is the 3.0-litre TDI, which returns up to 20.36km/L, corresponding to 155g/km of CO2. The luxuriously equipped Audi A8 L W12 quattro is the range topper among the A8 lineup. The lightweight 6.3-litre power unit produces 493bhp. It boasts the best in-class combined fuel consumption of 10.2km/L, corresponding to 270g/km of CO2 emissions. The respectable efficiency rating is due in part to a newly adopted version of the COD system, which can deactivate the fuel injection and ignition for six cylinders. Meanwhile, the 512bhp capable S8 is powered by a 4.0-litre TFSI engine that propels the sports saloon from nought to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds. Equipped with the same COD technology, the S8 is capable of returning up to 11.9km/L and 235g/km of CO2 emissions. All A8 models are equipped with an eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission which transmits power to all four wheels via the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system in all six, eight and twelve-cylinder versions. The new Audi A8 is expected to reach customers here next year. Audi A8 Audi A8 L Audi S8
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