tagged w/ Car Culture
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--Buyers report the fewest defects in these new car models.
Porsche is having a bang-up year. Last week it earned the highest rating of any carmaker in J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Survey--and that's the fourth time they've done so in five years. Earlier this spring Porsche also won top honors in JD Power's prestigious vehicle dependability study.
But that doesn't mean the Stuttgart, Germany-based manufacturer is resting on its laurels. Instead, it's deliberately calculating every move and hoping to uphold standards when it launches the new 911 Carrera Turbo S, Cayenne Hybrid, V6 Panamera and Boxster Spyder in the next year.
"I think everybody's a bit tentative and, especially in the luxury market, you have to be very tentative, you have to be very competitive," says Tony Fouladpour, a spokesman for Porsche. "You have to basically not slip up."
It's no big surprise that Porsche is receiving accolades for its high quality. But it may be shocking to hear that in 2010 the world's most reliable cars don't come from Europe: They're straight out of Detroit, Mich. For the first time ever, domestic brands as a whole earned higher initial quality scores than imports in JD Power's 2010 vehicle dependability study.
J.D. Power compiled its 2010 Initial Quality Study by surveying 82,000 buyers and lessees of new, 2010 model-year vehicles, asking them what problems they've had with their cars. The study was conducted from February to May of this year, and cars were scored based on how many problems were reported per 100 vehicles. The industry average score this year is 109, up slightly from 108 last year.
In our list of highest-quality cars we include only those cars that earned the very highest marks for quality.
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http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1468/highest-quality-cars-of-2010/--Buyers report the fewest defects in these new car models.
Porsche is having a... more
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Oil, oil, everywhere, but not a drop for fuel.
This is the stark view of Gulf Coast residents who see a 24,500 square mile oil slick menacing their shores. The devastating BP oil disaster has clearly increased the urgency to dramatically reduce America’s oil consumption; and cutting our consumption would save consumers money, reduce foreign oil imports, help our economy, increase national security, and reduce global warming pollution.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has indicated that oil use reduction (or “oil savings”) provisions would be a central element of the clean energy legislation he plans to bring to the Senate floor in mid July. And a number of other senators have introduced legislation that would either reduce oil use from many sources or focus on a specific sector. By selecting the best provisions from each bill it’s possible to craft a program that would reduce oil use by one-third or more by 2030.
There are three primary ways to reduce oil use: make cars much more fuel efficient, launch cleaner alternative fuels such as electricity for cars and natural gas for trucks, and invest in public transportation. CAP evaluated the major oil savings proposals in senators’ bills that address all three of these needs and chose the provisions with the most oil savings in each category.
Proposed oil savings provisions that will make a difference:
Establish an oil savings goal: Sen. Jeff Merkley’s (D-Ore.) National Oil Independence Program is in discussion draft form. It would establish a goal of reducing oil use by eight million barrels-per-day in 2030, which equals current imports from every major nation except Canada.
Improve fuel economy for cars and light trucks: Sen. Merkley’s plan would increase fuel economy requirements by 6 percent annually from 2017 to 2030. This would increase fuel economy standards to 44.8 miles per gallon for model year 2020, and to 60 MPG for model year 2025. These fuel economy standards are realistic. Sen. Merkley noted that “China will be requiring its vehicles to achieve 42.2 MPG by 2015."
President Barack Obama also ordered the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation to develop new fuel economy and greenhouse pollution standards for model years 2017 to 2021.
Begin fuel economy standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks: Fuel economy standards have never existed for these size trucks even though they’re gas guzzlers. Medium trucks get an average of 9.7 miles per gallon, while heavy trucks get 6.5 miles per gallon. Sen. Merkley’s plan would set the first standard for these vehicles of 15.8 MPG and 10.4 MPG, respectively, by 2030. This would save an estimated 400,000 barrels of oil per day. The Obama administration is also developing the first-ever fuel economy standards for these vehicles.
Establish a “fee bate” program to encourage the purchase of fuel-efficient cars: A “fee bate” program encourages drivers to buy more efficient vehicles by providing cash back for buying cars that are more fuel efficient than the average vehicle in that class. This program is paid for by levying a surcharge on vehicles that are below average in fuel economy in a particular class.
Two bills would establish a fee bate system to boost the purchase of high-efficiency cars, the Efficient Vehicle Leadership Act, S. 1620, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), and the Practical Energy and Climate Plan, S. 3464.
Charge up the electric car industry: One way to dramatically reduce oil use is by developing, producing, and using cars completely or primarily powered by electric batteries rather than gasoline. These cars also produce less global warming and other pollution compared to conventional gasoline vehicles, and are cheaper to operate too. The Chevrolet Volt, which is the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or PHEV, should be available later this year, and it could get 230 MPG.
President Obama set a goal of 1 million PHEVs by 2015. Incentives for purchasing electric vehicles and creation of the infrastructure to recharge them are essential to meeting this goal. The Electric Vehicle Deployment Act would provide incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles and it would also provide $800 million to five as yet unselected communities to deploy 700,000 electric vehicles by 2016.
Fill up more trucks and buses with natural gas: Electricity is an excellent alternative fuel for passenger vehicles, but unfortunately it won’t work for heavier trucks and buses. The large amounts of energy needed to power these weightier vehicles would require too many batteries that would add too much weight and take up too much space. Instead, natural gas -- in the form of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, or compressed natural gas, or CNG -- is an ideal alternative fuel for these vehicles. Because many of these vehicles are short haul, centrally fueled vehicles, only a limited number of natural gas refueling stations are necessary.
LNG or CNG produces one-quarter of the global warming pollution compared to oil-based fuels. And CAP analysis shows that by 2035 natural gas heavy trucks could reduce oil use by 1.2 million barrels per day, or 45 percent of the projected oil consumption of heavy trucks by 2035. These fuels are cheaper per mile compared to diesel fuel as well (if oil is more than $31 per barrel).
The NAT GAS Act, S. 1408, sponsored by Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Harry Reid (D-Nev.), and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), would create incentives for trucking companies and bus fleets to purchase trucks and buses powered by natural gas.
Implement fuel-efficiency measures for off-road vehicles and other transportation: Off-road and construction vehicles, planes, trains, and boats all use oil-based fuels. Airplanes, for instance, consume about 15 percent of all finished petroleum products.
Invest in more efficient transportation infrastructure: Investments in public transit, high-speed rail, and other low-oil infrastructure are essential to reducing oil use after tackling vehicles and fuels.
The American Power Act, or APA, would invest $6 billion annually in “transportation infrastructure to increase efficiency and decrease oil consumption … [including] almost $2 billion for state and local projects that reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gases.”
Boost renewable fuel use: The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 includes a renewable fuel standard that requires the production of 22 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2022, which would save over half a million barrels of oil daily.
Paying for reduction programs:
Only the American Power Act’s provisions come with their own revenue-generating mechanism: the funds from auctioning pollution allowances to the largest carbon emitters under a carbon limitation program. CAP estimates that the funds from APA’s limit on carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants alone could generate $80 billion annually for investment in these and other clean energy technologies. Eliminating $45 billion worth of tax loopholes for big oil companies could also provide revenue to fund oil savings programs. These taxpayer handouts are unnecessary in an industry where the five largest companies made nearly a trillion dollars in profits in the past decade.
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) noted that, “In all of the climate bills, there are significant revenues generated, so that is a possibility. But if we did an energy-only bill, we’re going to be struggling about how to provide revenues.” This means that setting a shrinking limit on global warming pollution, closing tax loopholes, or creating some other reliable revenue stream is essential for funding the programs to significantly reduce our oil use.
Full article at: http://www.grist.org/article/2010-06-29-senate-oil-savings-greatest-hits/Oil, oil, everywhere, but not a drop for fuel.
This is the stark view of Gulf... more
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Last year Lotus announced a new engine designed specifically as an onboard generator for electric vehicles, giving them range beyond what batteries can provide. That engine was more than a concept, as the Fagor Ederlan Group, a European-based supplier of powertrain and chassis equipment to the automotive industry, announced an agreement with Lotus for production and sales of the engine.
Lotus' three cylinder 1.2-liter engine combines block, head, and exhaust manifold in a single piece for efficient construction and low maintenance. The company showed it off as a component of the Evora 414E Hybrid at this year's Geneva auto show.
Fagor Ederlan has a large number of automotive clients, and has supplied everything from aluminum knuckles for Mercedes-Benz suspensions to engine components for Honda. Although Fagor Ederlan did not announce a specific client interested in Lotus' generator engine, Honda could use it to replace the fuel cells in its Clarity vehicle, which already has an electric vehicle architecture. Likewise, Mercedes-Benz has in the past suggested its experimental fuel cell vehicles could use a different generator source for electricity.
Interest in Lotus' engine will probably depend on the success of GM's upcoming Chevrolet Volt, which uses just the kind of extended range electric vehicle architecture the engine was built for, as other automakers develop a competitor. GM itself is probably not a potential buyer, as it has already developed the Volt's engine in-house.
Originally posted at The Car Tech blogLast year Lotus announced a new engine designed specifically as an onboard generator... more
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If you've never seen professional drift racing, you're in for an action-packed treat. It's a ballet on wheels: loud, smokey, beautiful, and remarkably fuel-efficient.
The racing is nearly non-stop, with just two cars on the track at a time ... there's no checkered flag and the judges honor the crowd's request to run "one more time!"
http://MPGomatic.com caught up with a handful of top-notch drifters ( Samuel Hubinette, Vaughn Gittin Jr., Rhys Millen, Kyle Mohan, Andrew Comrie-Picard, and Charles Ng ) at round three of Formula Drift at the historic Wall Stadium, in Wall, New Jersey.If you've never seen professional drift racing, you're in for an... more
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A mixture of extreme sports, adventure and goofiness that can be hazardous to a competitor's health or self-esteem. In this segment, we'll ride sideways with one of the founders of the Drifting Pretty team, Nadine Toyoda.A mixture of extreme sports, adventure and goofiness that can be hazardous to a... more
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Going through some sort of third-life crisis, 30 year old British plumber Colin Fruze did what every road-rager dreams of, but dares not do: attached a flame-thrower to his moped. Take that, Ford Mondeo men!
http://gizmodo.com/5501706/good-morning-britainGoing through some sort of third-life crisis, 30 year old British plumber Colin Fruze... more
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The Volo Auto Museum outside of Chicago is putting the greatest Detroit P.D. car ever to roam the streets of Dallas, Texas (where most of the externals were shot) up for auction. When the producers of Robocop wanted to look to the future they chose the most forward-looking sedan to come out of Michigan in a generation: the 1986 Ford Taurus.
http://jalopnik.com/5500019/buy-the-robocop-cop-car-for-19000The Volo Auto Museum outside of Chicago is putting the greatest Detroit P.D. car ever... more
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Sky Mall is seemingly here to save us all from life’s minor annoyances. One annoyance that can quickly turn to panic is the age-old “where did we park?” dilemma. Your aggravation could soon disappear with some help from Auto-Finder Deluxe. This device helps find your car when you’ve lost it in a sea of minivans.
Read more: http://www.whitespace.bz/ws/web/forms/pulse/PulseMainArticle.aspx?id=396Sky Mall is seemingly here to save us all from life’s minor annoyances. One... more
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The gang at RoAb approaches automotive news from a more light-hearted, entertaining angle, so when we were asked to appear on this week’s episode speaking about the “unique” (read: bad) automotive design at the recent Geneva Motor Show we couldn’t say no.The gang at RoAb approaches automotive news from a more light-hearted, entertaining... more
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MPGomatic.com gets the skinny on SSI Racing's electrifying Type 65 Coupe at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit Michigan.MPGomatic.com gets the skinny on SSI Racing's electrifying Type 65 Coupe at the... more
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The coupon codes on their order form page gives you up to a 40% discount if you order 3 or more!The coupon codes on their order form page gives you up to a 40% discount if you order... more
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The Local Motors Rally Fighter is a milestone for the automotive industry. It's fuel-efficient, wicked cool, crowd-sourced, and designed to be built in micro-factories with owners taking part in the construction of each vehicle. A fuel-efficient BMW clean diesel sits under the hood, along with parts sourced from throughout the automotive industry.The Local Motors Rally Fighter is a milestone for the automotive industry. It's... more
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If you think cellphones have become overbearingly complex, look away now. A partnership of tech companies and content providers, known as the ng Connect Program, has revealed a prototype "LTE Connected Car," which, as you might surmise, combines 4G mobile broadband connectivity with a bunch of cloud-sourced facilities, such as video on demand, audio libraries, and multiplayer gaming. It can also serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot, connect directly to home automation or monitoring systems, and probably cook you scrambled eggs if you ask nicely. A Toyota Prius serves as the guinea pig for this new concept.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/06/lte-connected-car-redefines-the-mobile-in-mobile-broadband-vi/If you think cellphones have become overbearingly complex, look away now. A... more
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The reality in 2009 is not the future people envisioned in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Where’s our colony on Mars?! Where’s our talking robots that will do all our household chores? Where’s our flying cars?!
We’re still far off from building a city on another planet. The closest we’ve coming to affordable chore-performing robots are the Looj and Rumba. But the flying car is no longer science fiction.
Terrafugia, a start up in Massachusetts, U.S.A., is currently road and air testing the Transition. Billed as a “roadable aircraft,” the Transition is close to becoming the first vehicle to be both street legal and receive certification as a light sport airplane.
As a car, the Transition is a front wheel drive, has been tested at speeds up to 90 mph (145 km/h) and gets about 30 miles per gallon. Once the wings have been electronically folded up the Transition can fit into most standard household garages. Making a shopping run or hitting the slopes? The Transition’s storage area is long enough for a pair of skis and roomy enough for dozens of grocery bags.
As an aircraft, the Transition cruises at 115 mph (185 km/h) and can fly as slow as 50 mph before stalling out. It needs a mere 50 feet of runway space to take off, has a range of nearly 500 miles and, in case something goes horribly wrong, there’s a full vehicle parachute.The reality in 2009 is not the future people envisioned in the 50s, 60s and 70s.... more
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We all know the Stig as Top Gear’s racing team driver and normally he doesn’t leave the circuit or any closed road. However, yesterday he was driving around in a Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85 through the city centre of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.We all know the Stig as Top Gear’s racing team driver and normally he... more
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If you thought that the french were all about fine wines and frogs legs - you'd be wrong. They do build some decent motors from time to time, but the Citroen CV2 was never one that would be classed as ground-breaking.If you thought that the french were all about fine wines and frogs legs - you'd... more
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Remember how extreme the fins on the 1959 Cadillac are? Outrageous, right? Japanese minivan customizers have taken fins to a new level. In fact, they've taken just about everything to a new level.Remember how extreme the fins on the 1959 Cadillac are? Outrageous, right? Japanese... more
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