Livina, Versi Pendek Grand Livina

PT Nissan Motor Indonesia akan meluncurkan Livina, yang merupakan versi pendek dari Grand Livina. Sedianya, Livina, yang termasuk kategori hatchback, akan diluncurkan pada bulan Juli lalu, tiga bulan setelah Grand Livina, yang termasuk kategori multi-purpose vehicle, diluncurkan.

Namun, setelah Grand Livina diluncurkan pada tanggal 5 April 2007, sambutan yang diberikan oleh masyarakat di luar perkiraan semula sehingga pembeli Grand Livina terpaksa harus menunggu dua sampai tiga bulan untuk memperoleh mobil yang dipesannya.

Persoalannya, kapasitas produksi Grand Livina 1.500 unit per bulan, padahal pemesanan Grand Livina mencapai 8.000-an unit. Akibatnya, pembeli harus bersabar menunggu, yakni dari tiga sampai tujuh bulan, tergantung varian yang dipesan. Walaupun PT Nissan Motor Indonesia sudah melakukan shift (menambah jam produksi), tetapi hal itu pada awalnya tidak banyak membantu.

Itu sebabnya, PT Nissan Motor Indonesia tidak mempunyai pilihan lain kecuali menunda peluncuran Livina sampai bulan Januari tahun 2008. Sulit dibayangkan apa yang terjadi jika pembeli Livina juga harus menunggu selama pembeli Grand Livina.

Meskipun baru akan diluncurkan pada bulan Januari 2008, tetapi sesungguhnya Livina sudah dua kali muncul di depan umum. Yang pertama adalah pada peluncuran Grand Livina di atrium pusat perbelanjaan Senayan City (5 April 2007) selama beberapa menit, dan yang kedua dipajang di stan Nissan pada Indonesian International Motor Show (IIMS) 2007 pada bulan Juli lalu. Dan, perhatian yang diberikan kepada Livina pun cukup banyak.

Namun, mengingat segmen yang disasar oleh Livina itu sudah sangat sesak, maka Livina pun mengadakan persiapan khusus sebelum menerjunkan diri. Bagaimana tidak, di segmen hatchback kompak yang didominasi oleh Honda Jazz itu ada Toyota Yaris, Suzuki Swift, KIA Pride, Chevrolet Kalos, Hyundai Getz, dan Daihatsu Sirion. Dan, di dekatnya juga masih ada Daihatsu Xenia dan Toyota Avanza.

Dalam kaitan itulah, PT Nissan Motor Indonesia pada tanggal 1 November lalu mengadakan lomba modifikasi Livina yang melibatkan sekitar 20 rumah modifikasi di kawasan Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, dan Bekasi (Jabodetabek). Dan, pada tanggal 16 November lalu telah dipilih lima finalis.

Lomba modifikasi itu dianggap perlu mengingat Livina akan memasuki segmen yang didominasi oleh kalangan muda, yang gemar tampil beda. Dengan adanya lomba modifikasi tersebut, PT Nissan Motor Indonesia membantu kaum muda dengan memberikan pilihan modifikasi yang tetap memerhatikan faktor keamanan (safety).

Belum diketahui berapa harga jual Livina yang memiliki panjang 4,400 meter, lebar 1,690 meter, dan tinggi 1,595 meter. Dari segi sosok, yang berbeda dengan Grand Livina, hanyalah panjangnya (Livina 20 sentimeter lebih pendek), sedangkan jarak antara as roda depan dan as roda belakang (wheelbase) 2,600 meter serta ketinggian bagian bawah mobil dari permukaan tanah (ground clearance) 18,5 sentimeter sama dengan Grand Livina. Dan, dari segi mesin, Livina hanya ditawarkan dengan mesin berkapasitas 1.5 Liter

(releated from www.kompas.com)

VW

Volkswagen is a German manufacturing brand/marque of motor car/automobile, based in Wolfsburg, Germany. It forms the major component (in volume of sales) of the much larger Volkswagen Group ("Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft", or "Volkswagen AG"), which is the world's fourth largest car producer after Toyota, Ford, and General Motors respectively.
The Volkswagen name means "people's car" in German, in which it is pronounced [ˈfolksvagən]. Its current tagline or slogan is Das Auto (in English The Car).

How to Drive

Drifting is a driving technique and a motor sport where a car slides at an angle, with its side moving in the direction of the turn.
Things to do Before You Begin Drifting

Drifting with Rear Wheel Drive and Manual Transmission
1. Find a car with both rear-wheel-drive and a manual transmission. Ideally it should be a sports car with as close to a 50/50 ratio as possible, and enough power to keep the tires spinning is ideal.
1. Head to an open area (i.e. an empty parking lot) safely free of pedestrians and motorists and police!
Hand brake technique:
1. Accelerate and shift into a gear with room to rev. Second gear is generally used because it allows the widest variance of speed and is best for harnessing the engine's torque.
2. Push in the clutch.
3. Flick the steering wheel to the inside of the turn as if you were going to turn around it. While simultaneously pulling the hand brake.
4. Immediately out some pressure on the gas pedal, let out the clutch, and steer the car in the direction of the slide, using throttle to control the angle of the drift.

More Throttle will make the car turn more, and also move the car away from the turn center. Less throttle will reduce angle, and allow the car to move towards the inside of the turn more freely. You're drifting!

(releated from wikohow.com)

Worsham Plans to...Go Racing

Worsham's Blue Max

Del Worsham is a racer. It's what he does, it's what he loves, and it defines him. So, faced with a string of 12 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events in 18 weeks, what did Worsham choose to do on the first of only six off-weekends between now and Labor Day? He chose to pull his popular Blue Max Nostalgia Funny Car out of the shop to take it racing, of course.

Worsham has entered his Blue Max in the "Funny Car Fever II" event, set for this Saturday (May 10) at Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz., where he will compete with other dedicated nostalgia competitors in search of low E.T.'s, bragging rights, trophies, and purse money. Though strictly a Worsham side-project, the carefully restored version of Raymond Beadle's 1977 Mustang II Blue Max has impressed crowds and racers alike, while either making exhibition runs at NHRA National Events or competing at a select few sanctioned nostalgia events and match races. Worsham's first full lap in the car, an exhibition pass at the '05 NHRA Dallas race with Beadle in attendance, resulted in a 5.97-second time slip, making his Blue Max the first Nostalgia Funny Car to dip into the 5-second range.

"We just love racing the car, and when I heard about this event in Tucson I knew we wanted to go have some fun, if the weather didn't mess up our NHRA schedule," Worsham said. "We've had some iffy weather at the last two NHRA races, in Atlanta and St. Louis, so I was keeping my fingers crossed and I couldn't commit to this deal until I knew for sure we could go. I don't know if the fingers being crossed helped or not, but we dodged the rain drops enough at both races to get them in on time, and now we have the chance to go nostalgia racing this weekend.

"We've been to the track in Tucson a lot of times, and it's a really nice facility with a great racing surface. We used to test our Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Funny Car there, so we've made quite a few laps at S.I.R., and the fans in the area have always been great. Even in pre-season testing, they'd come out in big numbers and it felt like a real event, not just a test session. I'm sure they'll pack the place for this nostalgia race, because these cars are so popular and people love to come out and watch the teams run them."

A great part of drag racing's allure is its open pit area, where fans can take in the behind-the-scenes action while just a few feet away from the working crews. That benefit is even more personal at nostalgia racing events, as the massive 18-wheel transporters and plush hospitality areas are replaced by more era-specific equipment, including the 45-foot trailer Worsham will haul to the track behind a heavy duty pick-up. While he loves his full-time job, racing as a pro on the NHRA tour, he sees these events as a chance to relive the early days of Funny Car racing, and just have fun.

"That's what it's all about, and it's why we built this car and take it out whenever we can," Worsham said. "I guess it was about four years ago, when my dad was helping out Nathan Bugg and his nostalgia team, and he really got into that because it was so much like the old days. I was just a little kid in the 70s, but my dad was racing by then so you know it really hit home with him. When we started talking about messing around with this ourselves, I knew I wanted to build a Blue Max replica. It was my favorite car as a kid, and I'm sure more than a few grade-school teachers could verify that, considering how many pictures of it I drew in my notebooks.

"It's great to go to these events, get our hands dirty, work out of a small trailer, meet the fans and the other nostalgia racers, and just go back in time for a couple of days. The only pressure I feel is just to make sure we don't hurt the car, and make sure we have enough fun. And let me tell you, driving this thing is serious business, but it's a ton of fun."

Worsham will be assisted by his father Chuck, as well as Marc Denner, Grant Downing, John Fink, and Robin "Silky" Silk.

The race, Funny Car Fever II, will feature a Chicago-style format, in which each Funny Car will make two laps during the event and the quickest two cars will be brought back for the final round, and it will also feature plenty of memorable machinery. In addition to Worsham and his Blue Max, the event promoters are expecting Terry Capp in his Bubble Up Firebird, Jim Adolph in the Nitro Charger, Bucky Austin in his Northwest Hitter, James Day in the Holy Toledo Jeep, and many others.

(releated from www.dragracecentral.com)

Mercedes-Benz History

The origins of the Daimler-Benz company founded through a merger in 1926 date back to the mid-1880s, when Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900) working with Wilhelm Maybach (1846–1929), and Karl Benz (1844–1929) independently invented the internal combustion engine-powered automobile, in southwestern Germany. Although they were only sixty miles apart, these pioneers were unaware of each other's early work.

Karl Benz had his workshop in Mannheim where he invented "the world's first true automobile powered by an internal combustion engine" in 1885. It had three wheels. He was granted a patent for his vehicle dated January 29, 1886, for what he called the "Benz Patent Motorwagen." Among many inventions, Benz patented his first engine in 1879, a high-speed single-cylinder four-stroke engine of his own design which he included in his "integral" design for the Motorwagen patent application.

In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler and design partner Wilhelm Maybach, working in Cannstatt, Stuttgart, were granted a patent dated August 29, 1885 for what is generally recognized as the prototype of the modern gas engine, that they named the "grandfather clock engine."

On March 8, 1886, Daimler purchased a stagecoach made by Wilhelm Wimpff & Sohn and he and Maybach adapted it to hold this engine, thereby creating a four-wheeled carriage propelled by an engine. The only distinction about this carriage was that it carried an internal combustion engine. None of many similar attempts to adapt carts, boats, or carriages, in many countries, were propelled by this type of engine. On the official history pages of the Mercedes-Benz Internet site it is referred to as "a carriage — without a drawbar but with the conventional drawbar steering. A carriage without horses..." Daimler and Maybach later purposely built, from scratch, the first four-stroke engine powered automobile with four wheels in 1889. They founded Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, DMG, in 1890 and sold their first automobile in 1892.

Stationary engines were his major business and he invented many improvements to them and their application, but Karl Benz continued to refine his Motorwagen through several models and sold his first automobile in 1888. He built his first four-wheeled model in 1891. Benz & Cie, the company started by the inventor, became not only the world's first, but also largest manufacturer of automobiles by 1900.

In 1898, DMG automobiles built at Untertürkheim (a city district of Stuttgart) were raced successfully by Emil Jellinek (1853-1918), an automobile enthusiast and dealer. He had the name of his daughter, Mercedes, painted on the automobiles for good luck. Wanting faster race cars, it was Jellinek who spurred the development of the seminal 1902 DMG model that would be the first of the DMG Mercedes series, bearing the name of his daughter.

After suggesting some design specifications, he promised to purchase thirty-six of the new DMG model if Maybach would name the new 35 hp (26 kW) engine contained in it, the Daimler-Mercedes engine. A contract of five hundred and fifty thousand marks was made for these new models. Within weeks he contracted for thirty-six of another DMG model with 8 hp (6.0 kW) engines. He was granted an exclusive concession to sell the new DMG automobiles in Austria-Hungary, France, Belgium, and USA.

That new model later would be named "Mercedes 35 hp" (in 1902) and it was a very important advance in automobile design. The contract called for delivery of the first automobile to Jellinek in the Fall (Autumn), but it did not reach him until December 22, 1900. He became obsessed with the name Mercedes and even had his name changed to Jellinek-Mercedes. Jellinek was invited to sit on the DMG board of directors, which he did from 1901 until 1909, when he retired from automotive activities in favour of diplomatic appointments.

The name change also prevented legal issues as after the death of Daimler, DMG sold exclusive rights to the marque; "Daimler", and some technical concepts to overseas 3rd parties. As a result, vehicles branded Daimler continued production. Although trucks and a range of bespoke vehicles were made, Daimlers are still built in England but as re-branded Jaguars.

A fire that gutted the old Steinway piano factory in New York, which had been converted to produce the new Mercedes models, stopped American production.

The first logo of Mercedes-Benz from the 1926 merger of the companies of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler

1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK "Count Trossi" in the Ralph Lauren collection

The rival companies of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) and Benz & Cie. started to cooperate in 1924, due to necessity arising from a troubled German economy after World War I, and finally merged in 1926 to become Daimler-Benz AG, which produced Mercedes-Benz automobiles and trucks. The merger agreement established that the two companies were required to remain together until 2000. While focusing on land vehicles, Mercedes-Benz also built engines to power boats and airplanes (military and civil), and even Zeppelins.

Karl Benz died in 1929.

Hitler's Personal Armored 1943 Mercedes Limousine

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe from the Ralph Lauren collection

Throughout the companies' history a number of notable sports cars have also been produced; e.g., the early supercharged S to SSK range developed by Ferdinand Porsche, and the iconic 300SL Gullwing of 1954.

The prototypes of the Volkswagen were built and tested in Stuttgart, in cooperation with Porsche. Before that, Mercedes-Benz had a similar but unsuccessful rear-engined small car, the 130 H.

[edit] Purchasing

Mercedes-Benz automobiles are available at dealerships in over 130 countries and their work fleet (trucks and commercial vehicles) are available from a group of dealers worldwide as well as the factory-direct. As with several European brand automobiles, Mercedes has offered a European delivery option for purchasing of a Mercedes-Benz automobile for American customers.

(releated from www.wikipedia.com)

Suzuki GSX1000

Fast. A great word, and one used rather regularly when talking about bikes like this. Frequently, it’s preceded by another word to emphasise just how fast it is, but we’ll not be using that here. In fact, this is a great time to blow some of the nonsense that is being peddled by some alleged experts about this bike. The GSX-R 1000 is not past it. It isn’t over the hill, baggy, overweight or gutless. It is about as far from those things as you can imagine while remaining a usable road bike. It isn’t new for 2004, it’s true. And it’s no longer the lightest and most powerful in the class. But it’s more powerful than some and lighter than some. And at the end of the day, any litre class sports bike is far faster and more capable than you or I will ever be. If you’re a professional superbike or GP racer then please ignore that last comment – it’s aimed at the mere mortals reading…

We’ve had this bike on test for the best part of three weeks now, and it’s opened my eyes to the reality of litre bike ownership. I’m going to do something a little different here. I’m going to lead with the conclusions of the test and then justify them. Why? Because it feels the right thing to do. And because that’s the over-riding impression that remains after an enthusiastic ride on a GSX-R1000. The sensation of arriving at the end of your journey just a little before you actually left.

The GSX-R 1000 is an incredibly capable road bike. It is comfortable and usable with decent mirrors, excellent lights and plenty of points to strap your luggage on. It handles wonderfully, managing to be stable while not being too much hard work to get turning. And it goes quite well too. Acceleration is positively brutal. Overtakes take no more than a brief thought and a slight twist and they are clear and done. When we had the chance to test top speed it turned out to be simply ridiculous. And yet the whole thing is as happy bimbling along at the national speed limit as it is at warp factor 21. In a nutshell, I really liked this bike and didn’t want to give it back.

Of course, every silver lining has a cloud. And though it is difficult to find any real criticism to level at the GSX-R 1000, the test period wasn’t entirely without trauma. First of all, there’s something about having a bike that is king of the production racing scene that will be familiar to anyone who ever owned a Yamaha LC. Racers are, on the whole, pretty decent people. But some of the folk around racing aren’t. If you have a GSX-R 1000 then get a decent alarm, a decent lock and a decent garage to keep it in. Because even parking ours in front of a CCTV camera and illuminated by spotlights didn’t stop it from going walkies. We only got it back because the opportunist toe-rags who nicked it didn’t have the brains to figure out how to get it rolling and didn’t have a van with them to take it away. They left it hidden in some bushes a few hundred yards from the hotel. I found it, took it back in and left it in the corridor outside my room for the rest of the night. But you might not be so lucky, so take lots of precautions.

The other thing you will need to be careful of is yourself. This bike is very fast. I think I may have mentioned that before. And overtakes are very easy. I probably mentioned that as well. Add the two together and you soon find yourself doing devastatingly effective overtakes on cars that are already exceeding the national speed limit by some way. And that makes you very vulnerable when it comes to losing your licence and, possibly, your liberty as well.

But enough waffle. During the time we had this bike it was used in town, in the countryside and on motorways, A roads and back roads. It was used in the rain, in the dry, at night and… well, you get the picture I’m sure. We did everything with this bike that we possibly could. And what did we find? We found that it was far better than we are at everything we asked it to do, of course.

Let’s start with practicality. Not normally the strong suit of a supersports 1000, and perhaps a pointer that the GSX-R has gone a bit soft. Except, of course, that it was always practical. Luggage hooks on the rear pegs and moulded in either side of the number plate mean that you can actually strap a bag on the back and be reasonably sure that it will stay put. Especially if you use the pillion seat instead of the cover – not an option we had but it would have made a good thing even better. Add to that a seat that actually offers some real comfort, a screen and fairing that are reasonably protective and an engine that finds sensible cruising speeds so easy that fuel consumption becomes laughable and suddenly you consider going a whole lot further that you normally would on a sports bike and wondering why the hell anyone would buy one of the lardy sports tourers when this does such a good job.

Then you need to do a decisive overtake. Maybe you need to get past before some white lines or a bend, maybe you’ve misjudged the closing speed of that truck coming the other way or maybe the subject of your overtake just needs to be shown what you and your bike can do. None of these are good reasons but they all happen. Or maybe you’re just being cautious and spending the least possible time on the wrong side of the road, officer. Either way, you close on your target and take a decent fistful of throttle. And Jeez – you know why people go for lardy tourers. If someone had been on the back the wheelie you just pulled would have been a little more exciting than you needed. And if you’d had luggage on elastics then it would be catching you up and smacking you in the back just about…now.

(related from www.motorbikestoday.com)

MotoGP rostrum riders review Estoril race

The champagne freshly sprayed on their leathers, the MotoGP podium finishers faced the cameras to give their views on an incredible race in Portugal. Taking centre stage was, of course, rookie race winner Jorge Lorenzo.

The champagne freshly sprayed on their leathers, the MotoGP podium finishers faced the cameras to give their views on an incredible race in Portugal. Taking centre stage was, of course, rookie race winner Jorge Lorenzo.

Jorge Lorenzo – Race Winner

`First of all I have to thank Yamaha and all my sponsors for the trust that they placed in me. It is unbelievable to be here in MotoGP, to win in Estoril.

`The start of the race was crazy! I took a big risk passing Valentino, but luckily I got past him OK and was able to break away. Tomorrow I will undergo an operation on my arm pump, but for now I will celebrate as if it was the last day on earth!´

Dani Pedrosa – Second Placed

`I am happy with this second place. At the beginning of the race things were difficult; the pace wasn´t so fast to start with, but it picked up later. Thanks to everybody.´

Valentino Rossi – Third Placed

`At the end of the day, it´s not a bad result for us, because Portugal isn´t the best track for Bridgestone. I made a good start, and tried to set the pace early, but then the tyres started to slide a bit and I had to let Pedrosa past. It´s my second podium in a row, so I can be happy with that.´

suzuki swift modification

this is good modification for your suzuki swift...
I think it is good performce for swift

Champion Stoner looking for solution to pace problems

After Casey Stoner qualified on the third row for the second Grand Prix in succession on Saturday the World Champion told motogp.com that his Ducati Marlboro team are struggling to understand why he is off the pace in Portugal.

After Casey Stoner qualified on the third row for the second Grand Prix in succession on Saturday the World Champion told motogp.com that his Ducati Marlboro team are struggling to understand why he is off the pace in Portugal.

Having qualified seventh and finished the race 11th in Jerez, his worst result for Ducati, Stoner finished with a ninth place grid spot at Estoril on Saturday and has been unable to match even his own pace from the 2007 visit to the Portuguese circuit in September - when he took third place in the race.

`We expected to be a bit more competitive,´ said Stoner, `especially since sixth months ago here we were a lot faster, so we can´t figure out why we are struggling. We´re a second and a half off the pace so we really need to pick something up before the race.´

On the final opportunity to make improvements on Sunday morning and Ducati´s wider problems which have seen all their riders aside from Stoner qualify close to the back of the grid, `The warm-up will be our last chance. We found three tenths of a second this afternoon but it is still nowhere near enough. It´s not just me, the other Ducati riders are having the same issues,

so we have to figure it out for all of us.´

(releated from www.motogp.com)

Launcher Progressive Nitrous Controller with LCD touch screen

Any racer will tell you it''''s easy to make horsepower…getting it to ground is the hard part. Since making runs on the knife–edge of traction is essential to get the win light, serious Nitrous racers utilize methods to soften the "hit" when they squeeze the juice. If it''''s too violent, the run goes up in tire smoke; too soft and E.T. is left on the table. Until now, taming a Nitrous system involved a dizzying array of dials, switches and relays. Those days are gone

Nitrous Oxide Systems is proud to present the Launcher. It combines all the functions a Nitrous racer could ever want into a single, easy–to–use controller. This handy device can be programmed to independently control up to 4 stages of Nitrous from a laptop computer or via an available full color 3.5” LCD touch–screen. Easy to use graphical software makes the Launcher a breeze to program. The launcher is available in 3 basic configurations. It is available as the launcher controller only; the Launcher controller with 3.5” color LCD touch–screen (Includes stylus and mini SD card for data–logging); or the Launcher controller with the handheld tuner for data–logging and quick changes in the staging lanes.

Nitrous control has just been taken to the next level

Kawasaki still hopeful for Roger Lee Hayden summer dates

A heavy crash for Roger Lee Hayden in qualifying at the second round of the AMA Superbike Championship left him requiring surgery this week, but the American rider is expected to recover in time to test and race for Kawasaki in MotoGP later this year.

A younger brother of 2006 MotoGP World Champion, Nicky Hayden, Roger Lee suffered an accident last weekend at Barber Motorsports Park riding for Kawasaki in the US domestic series, and had two operations during the week to assist his recovery.

However, according to Kawasaki´s MotoGP competition manager Michael Bartholemy, Hayden should still be ready for some important MotoGP summer commitments, having finished 10th at Laguna Seca last year in a wildcard appearance.

`We had talked to his management in Estoril about the opportunity to have wildcards for Indianapolis and Laguna Seca, and also to do the test in Indianapolis,´ said Bartholemy. `The latest I heard from them is that yes he had the accident but they are thinking that he will be fit in the next two months.´

`So that means he could participate in the test and both races and that is the latest information we had from his management.´

Emphasising just why his team are so keen for Hayden to be involved in their summer schedule, Bartholemy continued, `The American market is very important for Kawasaki. That is why we had three bikes last year (at Laguna). This year we have one of the best American riders with Kawasaki already (John Hopkins) but our intention is to have three bikes again at these two events at Indianapolis and Laguna Seca.´

Meanwhile, Bartholemy previewed the shorter term task of tackling round four of the 2008 season, saying, `I´m looking forward to China because we have done quite well there recently. We have always struggled a little bit at Estoril and John (Hopkins) had a very good result there, so I think the next few tracks such as China, Le Mans, Mugello and Catalunya will be ok for us.´

In terms of the approach to assisting Anthony West to get over his poor start to the year so far, Bartholemy explained, `Anthony has been in the States with John for 15 days of training. He has also moved from Austria to Belgium so he now lives around 500 metres from my house so this will change his life a bit. We can train more, with the motocross bikes here and he can have a bit of fun in between the races.´

`We will do everything we can to make Anthony happy, so that he can get back to performing well in the championship.´

from moto gp.com

Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS)

Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS) showed the world how to effectively harness the power of nitrous oxide for automotive use in the 1970's. Since then, NOS has powered more racers than any other brand of nitrous. When you're looking to go fast, rely on NOS to deliver the most power per dollar available. From stock engines to race vehicles, jet skis to trucks, NOS has a kit for you.

los angeles auto show

mitshubishi lancer evolution X- in los angeles auto show

mitshubishi lancaer evolution X

What is like's
The Evolution X is based on the Lancer, and doesn't hide its genesis like the previous Evo did. The Evolution is of course more aggressive, with bigger wheels, a deeper air dam, and other styling cues that leave no room for doubt as to this car's intent. Look closely at the air intake below the bumper, filled with an intercooler. Or how about those massive wheels and aggressive tires? It's a cleaner shape than before, and one that we're betting that Subaru enthusiasts will be the only ones who won't like seeing it.

What's Inside
The interior is sporty interpretation of the Lancer's, which is good for the most part. There's still lots of hard plastic, but the design is good and the seats are designed to be the ultimate in support for hard driving. The MR package will feature an extra 11 pounds of sound deadening to improve the day-to-day livability of the Evo, which has always been one of the sticking points with the car.

What Mitsubishi Says
In a weird way, this is Mitsubishi's flagship car, so the company is understandably effervescent about it: "Noted as the pinnacle of Mitsubishi's rally-inspired technology and engineering, Mitsubishi introduces the 2008 Lancer Evolution, the newest and most sophisticated version of the legendary high-performance model series that began in Japan 16 years ago. Lancer Evolution goes on sale in early winter. While remaining true to the core values that have made the Lancer Evolution synonymous with thrilling performance, the next-generation model offers all-around capability and user technology that distinguish the world's best performance models."

What We Think
The Evo's poised to retain the crown of the best rally-inspired all-wheel drive relatively-inexpensive Japanese sedan with this car. We'll find out soon enough if the car lives up to the hype, but we have yet to see any reason why our hopes shouldn't be high.

By Keith Buglewicz
The Evolution X is based on the Lancer, and doesn't hide its genesis like the previous Evo did. The Evolution is of course more aggressive, with bigger wheels, a deeper air dam, and other styling cues that leave no room for doubt as to this car's intent. Look closely at the air intake below the bumper, filled with an intercooler. Or how about those massive wheels and aggressive tires? It's a cleaner shape than before, and one that we're betting that Subaru enthusiasts will be the only ones who won't like seeing it.

What's Inside
The interior is sporty interpretation of the Lancer's, which is good for the most part. There's still lots of hard plastic, but the design is good and the seats are designed to be the ultimate in support for hard driving. The MR package will feature an extra 11 pounds of sound deadening to improve the day-to-day livability of the Evo, which has always been one of the sticking points with the car.

What Mitsubishi Says
In a weird way, this is Mitsubishi's flagship car, so the company is understandably effervescent about it: "Noted as the pinnacle of Mitsubishi's rally-inspired technology and engineering, Mitsubishi introduces the 2008 Lancer Evolution, the newest and most sophisticated version of the legendary high-performance model series that began in Japan 16 years ago. Lancer Evolution goes on sale in early winter. While remaining true to the core values that have made the Lancer Evolution synonymous with thrilling performance, the next-generation model offers all-around capability and user technology that distinguish the world's best performance models."

What We Think
The Evo's poised to retain the crown of the best rally-inspired all-wheel drive relatively-inexpensive Japanese sedan with this car. We'll find out soon enough if the car lives up to the hype, but we have yet to see any reason why our hopes shouldn't be high.

By Keith Buglewicz

Honda Love Affair With Turbo And VTEC Heir

Anybody who likes Honda, can spell VTEC right and knows what VTEC stands for, knows that Honda is faithful for the longest time to naturally aspirated engine. Every known popular Honda cars are naturally aspirated, it can even be said that nowadays Honda is the purveyor and champion of naturally aspirated car engine maker. Honda S2000 F20 engine is considered to be the best 2.0L engine available in the world, producing 250ps (246hp) on the high spec Japanese Domestic Market. Honda newest K24 displacing 2.4L in America even produce 190 horsepower in the 8th generation Accord, using regular gas, the most powerful engine of its class. Moreover, Honda Fit RS produces 120ps from a 1.5L, and it is just a simple SOHC engine, wonder what number it can churn if the car uses DOHC type engine.

All Honda venerable Type R cars even have a trademark of using only naturally aspirated engine, from Integra, to Civic, to Accord Euro, and the everlasting NSX. None has ever needed a force induction to make the car go fast around the tracks. Sure sure people will mock Type R cars for having no torque and pit it with a forced induction engine cars and the Type Rs will go bye bye. But what naturally aspirated engine cars with displacement below 2 Liters can go toe to toe with the Type Rs? Answer… Only a few and most often than not they uses bigger displacement engine to win (hints: Nissan and BMW).

With all of this naturally aspirated engine affection, do you know that in the 80s Honda had a brief affair with turbo?

After the advent of CVCC engine that put Honda in the long road to fame, Soichiro Honda’s son Hirotoshi Honda decided that Honda needs a proper “enthusiast” car, one that can go fast but still showcase the spirit of Honda. Then, he took the unjustified tame looking Honda City and installed a turbo in it. So who is this snobby son of Soichiro who can decide what Honda needs? Well, he is after all the founder of Mugen, the-not-so-affiliated-but-actually-is Honda tuning division.

So after the turbo installation, Hirotoshi named the City appropriately as City Turbo, and the car was an instant classic. The engine now produce 100ps up from the measly 70ps, it seems small but consider this… The City Turbo only weighs around 700 Kilogram!! That gives it a power to weight ratio as good as today’s Civic Type R, and that car is fast. When Honda facelift the car, giving it the designation of City Turbo II, the power was upped a little to 110ps. However, according to many various resources, the boost pressure for the engine is limited to preserve engine life, and the car can be boosted easy to more than 150ps (I’m guessing, but being conservative). That’s just insane!

When VTEC was integrated into Honda product lineup starting from Integra back in 1990, suddenly turbo development was put into stasis, and nobody ever talk about it anymore. Like turbo, VTEC allows for a surge of extra power when the engine is forced to its limit however unlike turbo, VTEC allows daily driving to be efficient. This is because Honda introduce a cam profile changing system that allows “soft” cam to be used for slow driving and “hot” cam to be used for full throttle condition. Furthermore, unlike turbo, the engine is not forced to operate beyond its limit, giving that longevity trait of naturally aspirated engine compared to force induction engine. Now, Honda has this miracle engine that can be driven efficiently but can produce power at high RPMs and have a long life time. It’s a no brainer, turbo is dead! Until recently…

When Acura (Honda lux division) RDX, Acura answer to BMW X3 was launched, enthusiast and media gasps with what type of engine the car used. It is a factory spec turbo, a first for Honda after nearly 20 years! The K23 as it is called produces 240hp and 260 lbs-ft, the torquiest engine Honda ever made. As it code sign gives away, it is a K series engine, the engine that can be found anywhere in the Honda product line, ranging from Accord, Odyssey (JDM), Accord Euro, Civic, Civic Euro, Edix, Element, and others. However Honda engineers strengthened the engine block and added the turbo unit, a variable geometry turbo… The past has return, with a vengeance!

With this in mind, speculations about another engine used by Acura TSX replacement (Honda Accord Euro outside US), is a turbo engine producing at least 260hp are running rampant throughout the web. With Honda proprietary torque vectoring all wheel drive system (Super Handling All Wheel Drive, SH-AWD for short) will be adopted by every Acura cars, they need high power high torque engine, and what could give that kind of power except for turbo or large displacement engine? There is something else though, and it is called the A-VTEC.

In the late 80’s Honda ditch turbo for the favor of VTEC. From the looks of it, turbo seems to be a short answer to the long awaited completion of VTEC mechanism. Now does history is repeating itself? Honda new variable geometry turbo engine is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr from complete. It doesn’t feature direct injection like many advanced engine featured in the Lexus (expensive Toyota) line. Therefore its performance can still be increased with the addition of this simple mechanism. However, 20 years and Honda only took an existing engine, lower its compression, strengthen its structural integrity and adding turbo… Skipping the important direct injection technology? I smell something fishy. I smell Honda is going to repeat history again, introducing stop gap turbo technology before the real “true” advanced engine to be introduced.

A-VTEC or Advanced Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control, is a more advanced version of I-VTEC (Intelligent VTEC), which itself is a more advanced version of VTEC. I won’t try to be a smart guy, you can check how VTEC works by clicking the links I provides at the end of the article.

Anywho, that’s that for now. Will Honda introduce direct injection or not is up to them, but one thing for sure, the existing K23 turbo engine is far from complete. Will Honda repeat history and introduce next generation of their venerable VTEC, or will they soldier on with turbo is still up in the air.

(releated from michaeladhi.wordpress.com)

fierce battle among Japanese automakers is likely to be staged during the Group of Eight summit in Japan this July, with carmakers using the session

Afierce battle among Japanese automakers is likely to be staged during the Group of Eight summit in Japan this July, with carmakers using the session as a showcase for their fuel-efficient cars, including hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles.

Toyota, Mitsubishi and other automakers will provide about 100 fuel-efficient cars to transport participants at the summit meeting, The Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, reports in Tuesday's edition.

Toyota will provide about 80 hybrid cars, including luxury Lexus models, minivans and compact cars for participants making short trips around the venue. The company also is planning to provide plug-in hybrid electric cars for participants' use.

Mitsubishi will be holding test rides of its iMIEV battery-powered city car. Mazda reportedly will make a hydrogen-fueled sports car available for use. Honda is considering providing hybrid and fuel-cell cars for participants' use.

Environmental problems will be one of the major topics at this year's summit. The G8 countries consist of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

Water! This is very easy to do

Our conversion guide will show you how to use electricity from your car's battery to seperate water into a gas known as HHO. HHO, also known as Hydroxy burns effectively and supplies significant energy, whilst the end product is just Water. HHO has the atomic power of Hydrogen and maintains the stability of Water! This is very easy to do, we will show you exactly how!

This technology is proven. Only a small amount of water is needed as well, for example: one quart of water provides you with over 1800 gallons of HHO gas, which will last you for months as fuel, this will save you heaps of money at the same time as improving your vehicles fuel efficiency dramatically.

Did you know: Pound for pound, HHO gas is 3 times more potent than gasoline! HHO is a fast growing trend for boosting vehicle performance and gas mileage. The energy industries have been trying to keep this technology quiet for years, but we're here to show you exactly how to use water as fuel to save thousands of dollars on gas whilst dramatically boosting your vehicles performance.

Our conversion guide will make converting your car to run on water very simple and affordable. Thousands of customers have used this technology successfully and are now experiencing the benefits of our system. You can as well today!
(releated from www.drivewithwaterfuel.com)

jazz modif

This must be the only Jazz that has more holes than the fastest Ferrari on the planet. Will it do any good to speed, stability, and for God’s sake, aerodynamics?

September 11, 2007– Honda presented to the world the exciting Accord Tourer Concept and the new generation of Honda diesel engines, i-DTEC at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show.
The premiere of the Accord Tourer Concept provides a strong indication of the design direction of the all-new generation Accord Tourer set to debut in mid-2008. The wider, lower look signals a sportier, more emotional styling approach, and while the design of the current Accord Tourer maximises its load-carrying capability, the new model goes for smarter, sleeker proportions while retaining a strong degree of versatility and practicality. The Concept's greater width makes for a more spacious cabin and also allows an increased track for enhanced handling characteristics.

The all-new Accord range will boast one of the first all-Euro 5-compliant engine line-ups which will consist of two i-VTEC petrol engines of 2.0 and 2.4-litre capacities and a newly developed 2.2-litre i-DTEC next-generation diesel engine. Compared to the current Accord engine line-up, power output will be boosted and emissions and fuel economy significantly improved.

The latest engines will be complemented by innovative new chassis technology that will deliver exceptional handling, greater linear stability and a more involving driving experience without compromising ride comfort.

The all-new Accord will debut in Sedan and Tourer forms at the 2008 Geneva motor show.

The all-new i-DTEC is the 2nd diesel engine Honda has developed. By further improving the current award winning i-CTDi's superb performance, fuel economy and emission efficiencies, i-DTEC has achieved various stringent emission standards in the U.S., Japan and Europe (Honda test data).

The first phase of the programme - compliance with the Euro 5 legislation expected in 2009 - has already reached fruition, and an example of the new engine, which makes its first appearance in next year's Accord range, is being shown on the stand.

Honda continues to work on the second phase of development of its latest diesel engine and has already achieved compliance with the stringent US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier II/Bin 5 emissions requirements. This is of particular significance to the European market in that the Tier II standards are even more demanding than the Euro 6 requirements which remain at the proposal stage. An example of this engine is also on display at the stand.

Honda's Clarity Puts Fuel-Cell Technology in Limelight

t's a safe bet Sir William Robert Grove had nothing like this in mind when he successfully combined hydrogen gas and oxygen in 1939 to produce electricity in the world's first fuel cell—a device he called the gas battery.

In the hands of engineers and designers at Honda Motor Co., Grove's gas battery – albeit with a modicum of refinement – has become the heart and soul of an ultra-modern, clean, fuel-efficient green car: the FCX Clarity.

Honda introduced the production version of its newest hydrogen-powered, fuel-cell electric car at the Los Angeles auto show earlier this week and on Friday gave a few journalists the chance to delve a bit more deeply into the fourth-generation technology that makes this most advanced of the alternative fuel vehicles work.

The company will begin leasing the limited edition car to select customers in mid-2008. Lease terms will be three years, at $600 a month, and the car will only be available to Southern California residents who live near existing hydrogen fuel pump facilities in Irvine, Torrance and Santa Monica.

As more hydrogen fuel becomes available, additional vehicles could be leased in other regions of the country, Honda executives said.

(Honda won't sell the Clarity because, although technically a production model, it still is largely hand assembled and is crammed with expensive technology that likely would require Honda to charge close to $1 million a copy to break even on.)

(releated from blog.edmunds.com)

Honda Civic Hybrid - Road Test

Hybrids seem to be having the same impact the Volkswagen Beetle had on our society back in the '60s and '70s. Hybrids are seen as anti-establishment symbols, the anti-status status symbol. But there has been some discontent with these feel-good cars as owners have found they're not getting the advertised mileage. So if you're on the verge of being overcome by the environmentally correct need to get behind the wheel of a hybrid, be advised that they don't all work in the same way. You'll need to curb some of your speedy habits and learn some new driving skills to achieve their fuel-economy claims.

In a hybrid, the trick is to drive like a grandmother. You have to accelerate away from a stop slowly enough to minimize the role of the gasoline engine and maximize the role of the electric motor. Very simply, hybrids use an electric motor as a supporting source of power that doesn't require gasoline, and that's the whole point. Indeed, a Toyota Prius can pull away from a stop using only its electric motor, although the Civic hybrid shown here cannot.

There are two major reasons why the Civic can't do that. First, it has a weakling 20-hp electric motor, whereas the Prius's makes a robust 67 horses, so it's better able to move almost 3000 pounds off a dime. Second, the Honda's engine and electric motor are sandwiched together and then connected to the transmission, so if one is running, so is the other. The Prius's electric motor and gas engine, on the other hand, are hooked up at separate points to the transmission, and therefore, one power source can be driven while the other is shut off. The Toyota system makes electric-only driving easy and is the primary advantage of that configuration. Honda's hybrid system is more simple and compact and is more easily adaptable than the Toyota system to different vehicles.

Interestingly, although the Civic can't move away from a stop using only the electric motor, Honda says there is one situation where its hybrid can run on just electricity—at about 15 to 20 mph when cruising on a flat surface at a steady speed with a fully charged, or nearly so, battery pack. Since the electric motor and the gas engine rotate inseparably, the Civic must cut off fuel to the engine and use its variable-valve-timing system to close the engine's valves and make it easier for the electric motor to do its job. The Civic's only giveaway that it's running on electricity alone is the digital bar graph that lights up suddenly when juice is being sent to the motor. So it might not have the beans to get the Civic going from a stop, but the 20-hp electric motor does have enough gusto to keep the car moving at low speeds—all by itself, if only briefly. However, it's such a short span of time under such specific and not-often-encountered conditions that the fuel savings are likely minuscule. Honda probably makes the claim to equal those of its major rival hybrid, the Prius.

(releated from carranddriver.com)

Honda electric motor

The IMA electric motor works in conjunction with the gasoline engine, and supplies additional torque in assist mode. The motor's ultra-thin design allows it to be mounted between the engine and the transmission. The motor also functions as the generator for the IMA system during deceleration, and as a starter, quickly spinning the engine up to idle speed.

yaris interior

The Yaris is a marvel of space efficiency with clever cockpit packaging. Its relatively long wheelbase (the longest in class) makes the Yaris cockpit feel quite spacious, especially in the liftback with its tall, extended roofline. Legroom isn't quite as generous as headroom, though six-footers can occupy every seat except the center rear without complaint.

The front seats have supportive, deeply dished backs, but the cushions are flat and short, which means the long-legged will not enjoy optimum comfort and lower-body support. However, the fabric upholstery is classy looking, durable and provides good grip in the corners. Our test car's black upholstery studded with blue dots was especially handsome. Though the seating position is nicely upright and allows excellent forward sightlines, it also feels awkward relative to the steering wheel. The wheel adjusts for rake but not for reach, so it's necessary to pull the seat fairly far forward to assume the proper 10 and 2 o'clock hand placement, and this results in a position that's more like sitting in a chair at the dining table, legs bent at 90 degrees, than in, say, a sports car. The sedan's front seats also feature a height adjustment feature, which helps the driver find a more comfortable position.

Access to the liftback's back seats is provided by a walk-in lever in the shoulder area of the passenger seat. There is no such lever on the driver's side. The rear seats in the sedan and liftback are adequate to the task of hauling passengers over short distances, but the liftback offers the advantage of a recline feature that increases the seatback angle from 10 degrees to 28 degrees. A 60/40 split seat with 5.9 inches of fore and aft adjustability is also available, greatly increasing the liftback's comfort and practicality. A pair of levers on the shoulder of the seatback make the operation a snap. The sedan's rear seating can also be ordered in a 60/40 split configuration, but there is no recline feature.

Cargo space in the Liftback with the seats upright is 12.8 cubic feet, 25.7 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The Sedan's cargo volume is 12.9 cubic feet with the seats in place, 13.7 cubic feet with the 60/40 rear seats folded down. That's less than what's available in the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Kia Rio5, but the wide rear openings, which extend down to bumper level, make the task of loading and unloading the Yaris easy.

Just as the two Yaris models differ in exterior styling, the instrument panels for the liftback and sedan are distinctive, but each features a center-mounted gauge cluster and an overall simplicity of design. The sedan's IP looks a bit more upscale with its dual-toned trim and Optitron illuminated gauge cluster, which includes a standard tachometer for 5-speed manual models along with a 120-mph speedometer, fuel gauge, odometer/trip meter and various warning graphics. Tachs are not available in liftbacks, but they do have three gloveboxes to the sedan's one. Outboard cupholders are standard on both models.

The center console differs in style between the two models, but the stereo and air conditioning functions are, in typical Toyota fashion, equally easy to view and use. Turn signals and lights are operated by the leftside steering column-mounted stalk; the right stalk is for the front wipers (plus a rear wiper in the liftback). Storage bins abound, on either side of the center stack and along the doors. For those cars equipped with the MP3 stereo, the center console includes an auxiliary input.

Overall, the Yaris controls are all very intuitive, the interior is comfy and the trim and upholstery appear classy. There would be no shame in taking the boss out to lunch or your mother-in-law to the opera in a Yaris.

new yaris

Toyota's second-generation Yaris compact car is set to go on sale in the U.S. in spring 2006 as a 2007 model. Serving as a replacement for the automaker's Echo, the Yaris will be available in two-door-hatchback or sedan form. It will be Toyota's most affordable car in the U.S. market, according to the automaker. Now in its second generation, the Yaris has been sold in Europe since 1999.

Exterior
The Yaris' hatchback design recalls the xA, a car built by Toyota's Scion brand. Styled in Europe, the Yaris has short overhangs, a forward-swept rear hatch and a snub nose. Body-colored mirrors and door handles are standard.

Measuring 150.6 inches long overall, the Yaris is more than 3 feet shorter than the Toyota Camry. However, at 60 inches in overall height, it's about an inch taller. The front suspension uses MacPherson struts, while a torsion beam setup is installed in back.

Interior
Like the Echo, the Yaris has a center-mounted instrument cluster. Three climate-control knobs are positioned vertically in the center control panel below the stereo, lending to the interior's interesting appearance.

A 60/40-split rear seat that can recline, slide fore and aft, and fold flat is optional. A stereo with MP3 playback capability and a mini-jack input, as well as power windows, mirrors and locks, are also available.

Under the Hood
A 1.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 106 horsepower and 103 pounds-feet of torque (preliminary specifications) powers the Yaris. Either a four-speed-automatic or five-speed-manual transmission can be installed.

Safety
Available safety features include antilock brakes, side-impact airbags and side curtain-type airbags.