Autotrivia Quiz
What Italian GT car, built by a motorcycle manufacturer
commencing in 1962, had the following engines: Chev V8 (up to 7.4 liters in
1970), Ford V8 (5.7 liters in 1973) and ceased production in 1974? (Answer on
page 17)
Good luck!
New BMW 6 Series coupe in
Paris
BMW is giving the world a sneak preview of the forthcoming
BMW 6 Series by exhibiting the coupe version at the Paris motor show which
starts tomorrow (Oct 2).
The new 6 Series Coupe, which is due on sale globally by
mid-2011 will be joined by a convertible version before the end of next year.
New BMW 6
Series
This new 6 Series Coupe has returned to more traditional BMW
styling, getting away from the unlovely and unloved Bangle-inspired design.
New BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk, who designed the
stunning 1999 Z9 Gran Turismo concept that eventually became the current 6
Series, has been reported as saying the Paris show car is almost identical to
the production car that will be released next year.
The show 6 Series Coupe has all the electronic bells and
whistles and high-tech gadgetry including adaptive all-LED headlights, which
appear for the first time on a BMW.
The LED rings incorporate daytime running lights, and the
full-LED headlights are said to produce “a strikingly bright white light that
makes for particularly intensive and precise illumination of the road.”
BMW says the all-new 6 Series interior features a
cockpit-style driving position and an all-new centre console dominated by a
free-standing 10.2-inch iDrive control display. You have to hand it to BMW, no
matter how much it is hated, they have continued with the iDrive concept. “You
vill learn to love it,” seems to be the rationale.
The new 6 Series should have a range of engine options, with
most from the 5 Series. These will include the twin-turbo 4.4 litre V8 from the
upcoming M5 to power a replacement for the V10-powered M6, which is no longer in
production.
Pencils out, here is the
2011 F1 calendar
13 March - Bahrain Grand Prix
27 March - Australian Grand Prix
10 April - Malaysian Grand Prix
17 April - Chinese Grand Prix
8 May - Turkish Grand Prix
22 May - Spanish Grand Prix
29 May - Monaco Grand Prix
12 June - Canadian Grand Prix
26 June - European Grand Prix
10 July - British Grand Prix
24 July - German Grand Prix
31 July - Hungarian Grand Prix
28 August - Belgian Grand Prix
11 September - Italian Grand Prix
25 September - Singapore
9 October - Japanese Grand Prix
16 October - Korean Grand Prix
30 October - Indian Grand Prix
13 November - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
27 November - Brazilian Grand Prix
The new circuit is the Indian GP, which is on the list
subject to passing FIA inspection, just as the Korean GP this year, whose
readiness is still in doubt, despite Karun Chandhok running a Red Bull there a
couple of weeks ago. The photos show that the track surface is far from being
finished. But if Bernie says it is fine, then guess what? It will be fine!
Chevy Volt passes battery
testing
If electric power is to be viable, the big question mark
remains battery life and performance, as well as battery costs. General Motors
are staking their hopes on the Chevrolet Volt to be launched in November this
year, and have been very forthcoming with the development of their electric car
for the future.
Hybrid power technology development is ramping up globally in
today’s ultra competitive automotive industry - and these technologies of the
future demand vibration test solutions that can efficiently perform accelerated
lifetime tests even on large and fully operational assemblies.
Chev Volt
General Motors’ 3000 m2 battery test laboratory at The
Alternate Energy Center, Warren Technical Center, Warren, Michigan, USA tests
battery cells and packs for the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle - and an LDS
Vibration Test System is used for electric vehicle pre-production qualification
and functional test of a complete T-shaped battery assembly designed to be
mounted underneath the car. The weight of the battery unit can exceed 190 kg.
Anthony (Tony) Cullen has worked for GM for 20 years, mainly
for the Milford Proving Ground Group. He says, “The main purpose of the
vibration lab is to test the battery’s durability by simulating its lifecycle.
The targeted lifetime of the battery is ten years. In addition to vibration,
various other tests such as thermal and mechanical fatigue are carried out. The
random vibration test lasts for 48 hours, that is, 48 hours of random vibration
input and shock pulses. The data to power the shaker is acquired from a Volt on
the GM proving ground. They test the battery in the x, y and z axes - one at a
time - and each axis test takes 16 hours.”
Vibration testing also takes place in a climatic chamber
where temperature and humidity are strictly and closely controlled. The
environment in the climatic chamber can range from - 30ºC to +78ºC, and each
16-hour axis test is carried out under controlled temperature and humidity
conditions. To meet GM’s testing demands, the system used had to be
high-performing and versatile and easily adaptable to several test demands on
large heavy payloads in multiple axes.
The LDS Vibration Test System fulfils GM’s requirements for a
heavy-duty system, able to perform accelerated durability test simulating the
lifetime of the car. This includes several days of continuous testing at very
high vibration levels and extreme temperatures.
That rigorous testing should mean that the Volt can be safely
used in most parts of the world. Will we get it in tropical Thailand? I would
hope so, but I doubt if we will.
How much does your car really
cost to run?
How does your car stack up? Or the next car you’re thinking
of buying? Here is a list of operating costs for some vehicles on the Australian
market. In Aussie dollars per week, but you will get some idea.
Proton Savvy BT 5D hatch 1.2L 5-SP man. $98.89
Toyota Yaris YRNCP90R ’08 3D hatch 1.3L 5-SP man. $101.40
Ford Focus CL LV 5d hatch 2l 5-sp man. $124.32
Toyota Camry Altise ACV40R ’09 4d sedan 2.4l 5-sp auto.
$166.61
Hyundai Sonata SLV NF MY09 4d sedan 2.4l 5-sp man. $167.13
Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 JT MY08 2d wagon 2.4l 5-sp man.
$152.88
Holden Captiva SX CG MY10 4d wagon Dt4 2l 5-sp man. $175.93
Nissan Patrol ST 4x4 GU VI 4d wagon DT4 3l 5-sp man. $227.01
The survey was based on private vehicle ownership in New
South Wales, Australia on an assumption of 15,000 kilometers travelled annually
over an ownership period of 5 years.
Cost per week includes depreciation and opportunity cost, a
calculated estimation of registration, CTP and membership fees, fuel, tyres and
general maintenance.
An even more powerful
Porsche - as if it were needed!
Porsche has unveiled its new, and more powerful version of
the 911 Carrera at the Paris show.
The new car, called the Carrera GTS is also more expensive
than the current Carrera S. It has the wide body from the AWD Carreras, but is
only RWD. The 3.8 litre flat six-cylinder boxer engine develops 300 kW, 17 kW
more than the Carrera S and comes with the Porsche 6-speed transmission, giving
it slightly better acceleration with the zero-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds, making it
01 seconds faster than the S Carrera.
Porsche state that the extra power comes from a specially
tuned intake manifold that also delivers peak torque lower in the rev range than
the Carrera S. Porsche has also tweaked the Carrera’s exhaust system.
There are some styling cues, such as black wheels (19") and a
black-tipped front spoiler, but do we need this? The “standard” S does zero to
100 km/h in 4.3. You would really have to be a speed snob to order a Carrera GTS,
but there are people out there who will!
The Ford Fiesta publicity
The long-awaited Ford Fiesta has been released. Ford took out
a full page advertisement in the Bangkok Post, and perhaps in others I haven’t
seen. Great. And what did the local Ford dealership do in Pattaya? As far as I
could see - nothing. There was a lone Fiesta parked outside the showroom during
the day. No banner, nothing. Just a car sitting on its own.
Ford Fiesta
With Mazda enjoying around 10 percent of new car sales, and
Ford around one tenth of that, just what are Ford doing? And doing wrong! I
would have expected the local Ford dealer to have a huge banner proclaiming
“It’s here now! The new Ford Fiesta! It has been worth waiting for!” At night
have spotlights on the cars on the forecourt.
But what did they do? Nothing. No wonder Ford does not do as
well, as a brand, as they should. Ford makes cars that people want. Their cars
are reliable. Financially the company is strong - remember it was the only one
of the Big Three in the US that did not need a government bail-out.
Sales come through marketing. It is time that Ford realized
that ‘marketing’ is much more than having cars in the showroom and an advert in
a newspaper.
