Perhaps it's just me, but I find that, in general, the design of Le Mans cars is just plain weird. I'm sure they look they way they do due to aero dynamics and all that sort of thing, but they don't strike me as visually appealing.

Case in point, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Hybrid Race Car. There's no doubt that the technology behind it is impressive, but it looks alien, in a bad way.

The 908 HDi FAP’s “HY” technology enables a proportion of the kinetic energy produced under braking to be either recovered or stored. In the case of a non-hybrid car, this energy is lost and simply dissipated in the form of heat via the brakes. However, when harnessed, it enables the vehicle’s efficiency to be improved either by reduced fuel consumption for the same level of performance, or enhanced performance with no increase in the amount of energy consumed, thanks to the combination of the stored mechanical energy and the energy produced by the internal combustion engine. Continue Reading »

Popularity: 22% [?]

Mitsubishi’s the Lancer sedan has received a series of updates across all model variants, including the entry level ES, mid-range VR and sporty VRX sedan, as part of the company’s 2009 model year line-up. Most importantly, Mitsubishi have announced a major upgrade to the Lancer range's top range, with the announcement of the Aspire, an all new 2.4 litre premium Lancer variant.

Clearly aimed at the 'aspirational' market, the Mitsubishi Lancer Aspire includes a range of internal and external upgrades, with Mitsubishi targeting those customers looking to down size from larger passenger cars without losing any of the performance or 'prestige' that they've grown accustomed to.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Aspire's 2.4 litre MIVEC four cylinder engine generates 125 kW @ 6,000 rpm and 226 Nm @ 4,100 rpm. For those after improved fuel economy the most important statistic is the fuel consumption figures, with the Aspire returning a frugal 8.5-litres per 100km. Continue Reading »

Popularity: 19% [?]

BMW's first ever V8 twin turbo production engine will be available from showrooms in December, under the bonnet of the X6 xDrive50i Sports Activity Coupé.

The 4.4 litre V8 engine boasts 300kW and 600 Nm of torque but is said to be relatively fuel efficient in comparison to its competition. BMW are a big rap for the X6 xDrive50i Sports Activity Coupé, suggesting that its output is close to that of a V12 powered unit, with the X6 capable of going from 0-100km/h in 5.4 seconds.

The X6 features a high level of standard specification that include special 20-inch light alloy wheels, Adaptive Drive, Self-levelling Pneumatic Suspension, Comfort Access, electrically adjustable front Comfort Seats, Head-Up Display, four-zone Automatic Climate Control, 16-speaker Hi-Fi system, gear-shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel for the six-speed automatic gearbox and interior and exterior mirrors with automatic anti-dazzle function.

The new twin turbo V8 engine X6 xDrive50i’s is priced from $145,000 plus dealer delivery and on road costs, and will be available from December 2008 from BMW dealers Australia wide.
Continue Reading »

Popularity: 9% [?]

The petrol FG Falcon sedan range was awarded the maximum five-star safety rating with a total score of 34.6 points (out of a possible 37 points), giving it the highest score ever recorded by a locally-produced car in Australia by a significant margin.

The FG Falcon's five-star score places it in the top seven per cent of all published ANCAP results, as well as in the top 24 per cent of published ANCAP five-star results.

ANCAP Chair, Lauchlan McIntosh, congratulated Ford and said that this is a significant milestone for an Australian made car.

"The Ford Falcon now leads the pack in safety for the large Australian made family car."

"ANCAP has high expectations that this achievement will encourage other manufacturers to
build 5 star cars."

The vehicle tested was a base model Falcon XT which has dual front airbags and front-seat head-protecting side airbags and electronic stability control (ESC) as standard. ESC is a requirement for a 5 star rating.

With this result fresh in the minds of other Australian manufacturers, you can be sure that the race will be on to match Ford's result.

Genuine Ford console lid to suit FG XR-6 XR-8 GT FPV.

6 Bids

US $19.98

3d 11h 34m

FORD FALCON BA XR 8 1:43 BLOOD ORANGE Scale Diecast Car

US $26.80

4d 3h 50m

Popularity: 11% [?]

Surprisingly, the newly launched Lotus Evora is the first all new Lotus to be released since the Elise made its debut back in 1995.

Lotus have released a vehicle that a lot of other big name manufacturers will struggle to match. The Lotus Evora is unique in that not only is it capable of blistering performance, but it's also relatively fuel efficient.

The Lotus Evora is capable of producing 206kW with the modest fuel consumption figures of 7.8l/100km. The Evora is powered by a Lotus-tuned 3.5-litre V6 engine.

The Evora's engine is a modified Toyota all-alloy 2GR-FE 3.5-litre V6 DOHC, with dual VVT-i (‘intelligent’ variable valve timing). Lotus have developed their own T6e engine management software for this engine to optimise its compatibility with the unique requirements of the Evora to give a peak power output to 206kW at 6400 rpm, while boosting maximum torque to 342Nm at 4700rpm (prototype figures).

Continue Reading »

Popularity: 12% [?]

I've noticed a gradual shift in the way vehicle manufacturers are marketing their products of late. There is without a doubt a greater emphasis being place upon vehicle safety and crash worthiness of vehicles. It would seem that safety may actually be selling cars, and the car companies are catching on. Car makers such as Subaru and Renault are using ANCAP and EuroNCAP in their advertisements, which also gives their products greater credibility in the marketplace.

Take this statement from Renault:

At Renault, we tend to ignore safety regulations. Not because they go too far, but because they don’t go far enough. It’s long been our philosophy to exceed our legislated safety obligations, and each year we spend over $150 million in research and testing doing just that.

Source: Renault Website

Following the release of the 2008 Used Car Safety Ratings in Australia last week, there has been some discussion about the differences between new and used safety ratings as well as the protection provided by larger vehicles. This coincided with the release of the footage below, featuring a collision between a Fiat 500 and Audi Q7.
Continue Reading »

Popularity: 12% [?]

Volkswagen have released their first images of their vision of the automotive world 20 years from now.

“Our designers and developers have created three innovative vehicle concepts exclusively for this web special in order to illustrate the automotive world of tomorrow. We have called them ‘one’, ‘ego’, and ‘room.’ They give an idea of the shape that our visions of the future could take. They demonstrate how the cars of the future can communicate with traffic lights, how holographic displays in the cockpit can assist the driver and how we can generate even more driving pleasure and still keep our cars emission-free,” Jochen Sengpiehl, Head of Marketing, Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, explained.

If the Volkswagen 'Room' is a window to the future, someone better warm up the Delorean because I'm thinking I'd rather step back in time rather than forward.

Continue Reading »

Popularity: 13% [?]

You may be familiar with the RTA NSW's anti-speeding advertising campaign, otherwise known as the "pinkie ad".

The basic premise of the ad being that "no one thinks big of someone that speeds". If you break the message down it's suggesting that if you speed you must also have a small appendage.

If nothing else, the ad is entertaining.

If you get a kick out of the RTA ad, then perhaps you'll also appreciate the not so subtle twist of the Top Gear version.

Popularity: 13% [?]

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. So to celebrate the release of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in Australia, here's a a few pictures and quotable quotes from Mitsubishi's Hideyuki Iwata.

Hideyuki Iwata (Project Manager / C-seg Product Development Projects / Product Development Group Headquarters), speaks about the planning and design of the Lancer Evolution X.

“Lancer Evolution just keeps on evolving. The latest Evolution is the tenth iteration in the series and I would like to briefly describe the evolutionary steps it has taken. Firstly, while the major advances made by previous Evolutions were mostly of a technological and engineering nature, Evolution X has leapt forward in the design field too.

“Working in close cooperation with the designers who created a final shape that has aerodynamic technology built in. There is a purpose to every shape and I believe that Evolution X’s functionally appealing design makes those reasons plain to see.

“Secondly, we have the advances seen in Evolution X in terms of automotive technology. We gave much thought to what was necessary to realise further advances in Evolution’s road performance qualities: speed and acceleration, cornering, handling and braking. The answer: go back to the basics. Our focus in this process was not on absolute speed or acceleration but rather on-demand, feel-good acceleration. As a result Evolution X allows seamless acceleration with the flat torque generated from low engine speeds transmitted through, a new automated manual transmission, the Twin Clutch SST.

“In terms of cornering and handling, our focus was on achieving safe directional performance where the vehicle turns precisely in the direction it is steered regardless of the road surface and without relying solely on the degree of lateral acceleration.

“After improving cornering performance, we beefed up the performance of the AYC system, which helps to alleviate tyre scrub, and also developed a new Active Stability Control (ASC) system that constantly monitors and operates to stabilise vehicle body attitude. Operation of the AYC and ASC components is integrally managed with that of the well-proven ACD and ABS components to realise a significant and evolutionary leap forward in vehicle behaviour control. Also, both body and suspension specifications have been upgraded to provide the greater stiffness needed to maintain maximum tyre-surface contact under all circumstances.

“Our last thrust in this area was directed at improving the car’s stopping ability. We focused on ensuring that the brakes provide even more consistent and predictable stopping power under all circumstances. Using technology and know-how fed back from our motorsport activities, we have produced a braking system that provides highly consistent and predictable stopping power.”

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution EVO VIII IX 4G63-T Oil Pump

US $119.62

1h 46m

LED LIGHTS FOG DAYTIME MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO EVOLUTION

US $19.99

2h 4m

Mitsubishi : Evolution GSR 2008 Lancer Evolution X GSR

US $26,500.00

2h 23m

Popularity: 13% [?]

If you're from Victoria and wanting to get your drivers licence in the near future, things have changed. There's been countless ads as well as stories in the paper, so I really can't be bothered going into the details.

What I do like is this little video taking you through what you need to do to get your licence. Good to see someone has a sense of humour!

Popularity: 13% [?]