New Mahora 21-inch Wheel
Wald’s M11C Mahora casted wheel was simply released the outside of December in 19-inch size for distinct BMW, Lexus and Mercedes fitments. However, due to patron requirement Wald has only released a 21-inch version. According to Wald’s International Marketing Director, Shuichi Miwa, “Custom
ers generally bet this 22 inch is too big, but 20 inch is too small,” so Wald was so brand to put a set onto one of the Lexus LS 460s for the studio and share them among us. The 21-inch Mahora wheel comes in both a staggered fittment and staggered contour or have to handle depths for the further aggressive look. The M11C is Mercedes cap compatible and takes Tire Pressure Monitoring System sensors. With delivery little bit in the center of that month, authorized Wald dealers are making orders now.
Source: www.wald.co.jp
Another bloody Veyron: Presenting the Sang Noir
A darker, evil-er Bugatti Veyron has been born to run alongside the Pur Sang: the Sang Noir. Word is the newest variant has been created to be a tip of the hat — that would be “chapeau!” in French — to the Bugatti Atlantique 57S. It gets a slightly different front grille with matching side mirrors, black headlight surrounds, exclusive wheels, and an interior dressed in what looks like electric orange. All in all, the car appears to share nothing with the Atlantique other than the name Bugatti and choice of exterior color. But it’s not like that would keep you from buying it, would it?
[Source: 4WheelsBlog via AutoSpies]
Spied? BMW M1 Prototype caught undisguised (maybe)
We’ve been debating whether or not this is a real photo or an expert rendering, but if it is a photoshopped image of a BMW M1 prototype, then it is very convincing. According to FreshTarmac.com, this photo was taken in a hangar in Spain. It shows a sleek two-door, probably mid-engined coupe with attributes of the new M3 incorporated into its design, especially the front fenders and hood. With BMW introducing the M1 Hommage Concept at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este last week, we hope this means that is already considering a production version. Come on BMW, build it! Thanks for the tip, John!
[Source: FreshTarmac.com]
Proposed CAFE rules hurt Porsche, small powerful vehicles
Under proposed new fuel economy rules set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), automakers with powerful short-wheelbase models are going to feel some pain. The agency is considering a plan to create two sliding scales of efficiency for cars and trucks of different sizes. Automakers will be assigned fuel economy standards based on the “footprint” (short wheelbase = small footprint) of their vehicles, and the number of vehicles they sell. Companies like Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, independent luxury brands with high-performance models, will be hit the hardest. Interestingly enough, Toyota, Chrysler, and General Motors, big players with diverse model lineups, won’t feel as much pressure.
Conforming to the tough new proposed rules may be very expensive. As a result, some industry executives expect some automakers, such as Porsche, just to pay the fines–it’s less costly than changing a model lineup. Regulators are under the gun to adopt a policy by April 1, 2009. In the meantime, the NHTSA will be taking public comments over the next two months. Time to send ‘em a letter…
[Source: Autoweek]
University of Michigan to test crash-avoidance system
Lane departure sensors and adaptive cruise control have helped to prevent accidents and save lives, and new technology from the University of Michigan hopes to take the those ideas to the next level. U of M’s Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety System warns drivers if they’re about to hit another vehicle while changing lanes; if they’re about to leave the road; and if they’re going to rear-end another vehicle. The system improves on existing technology by integrating data from video, radio sensors and GPS to warn drivers of dangerous situations and give them the path of least possible harm.
The university secured over $32M in funding from state and local governments plus several corporations, which will pay for the testing of 16 passenger cars and 10 commercial trucks equipped with the system. IIHS predicts that tens of thousands of lives will be saved each year if lane departure and forward crash systems are improved, so here’s to hoping the Wolverines have a smash hit on their hands. No pun intended.
[Source: Detroit News]
Project Track Slut, Part One: Pick a weapon on the cheap
As regular listeners to the podcast know, Project MR-S met its untimely demise when a truck driver clipped the rear end of our 2ZZ-powered daily-driver, spinning it into the center divider with my fiancée behind the wheel.
Fortunately, Melissa made it out okay. Unfortunately, said truck driver sped off and has yet to be found. Karma’s a bitch, so we sleep soundly with the knowledge that what goes around comes around.
But life goes on. So with summer fast approaching, we set out to find a sui
table replacement that would serve double-duty as daily driver and part-time track tool. The criteria was simple: something rear-wheel-drive, with a manual transmission, a small displacement engine and a blogger-friendly price tag. After a few weeks of research, we narrowed the list down to an NA Mazda Miata (MX-5) or something of the BMW variety. Having to install a roll bar (required for some track events) in the Miata quickly knocked it out of the running, so an E30 or E36 Bimmer became the focus of our late night, highly-caffeinated searches through Craigslist. And then, as if guided by the all-knowing entity upstairs, our friends at Modacar found a 1992 BMW 318is at an auction. It met all the criteria and had a price we couldn’t pass up. Two days later, we drove it home and Project Track Slut was born.The goal of our newest entrant into the Project Garage is pretty straightforward (for now): take care of some basic maintenance to ensure that the 1.8-liter four doesn’t go ‘pop’ while hammering through turn 7 at Laguna, and swap out the stock suspension and rollers so we’re not scraping door handles while snaking through Thunderhill.
A few days after our purchase, we did a thorough inspection of anything that could wear — from belts to bushings – and came away content that the 16-year-old Bimmer was up to snuff and for the planned day-long lapping sessions.
Our first order of business was to get rid of the stock pizza-cutter wheels that were wrapped with tire technology developed during the Carter administration. After spending some time scouring a few forums, we came across a set of E38 7-series wheels, sized 16×8 (with a 23mm offset) and wrapped in Falken ZE512 tires, sized 225/45R16 at all four corners. Rubbing isn’t an issue, since the swap is somewhat common on E36s, but a small dent in the right-rear fender (inflicted by the previous owner, ahem) caused some occasional scraping. It wasn’t common, but if we ransacked Safeway or someone over 200 pounds was forced into the back seat, we would cringe every time we hit a bump or expansion joint.
But it was a small price to pay. The new hoops and grippy rubber with stiff sidewalls proved the old edict that tires and wheels make the car. It’s the most cost-effective upgrade, adding ease and confidence to everything from sweeping on-ramps to twisting coastal roads. Naturally, we’re far from done.
In the next installment, we’ll be swapping out the tired stock suspension with something that balances rigidity with civility, and rolling the rear fenders to make sure that when things get low, our rubbing issue isn’t exacerbated. From there, it’s all about a tune-up, new brakes, pads and lines, and some lightweight wheels wrapped in sticky summer rubber. We might even hit the junkyard to find an LSD. In early July, we’ll be hitting up our first scheduled track event to see how the car and our mods are fairing, providing continuous updates and technical tidbits throughout. Stay tuned. Fast, cheap fun is on the way.
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Vanishing Point Challenger meets tire wall at Road America
The Chrysler employees who entered the prototype Dodge Challenger in this year’s One Lap of America may have taken the car’s Vanishing Point theme a bit too seriously. Just like in the classic film, the stark white Challenger came face to face with a solid object. The car met its demise in Round 2’s time trial event at Road America after getting loose through turn 1. It then left the track and came to a stop perched atop a tire-wall. This course of events departs slightly from the original movie plot, where the Challenger did not meet its destructive fate until the final frames. The film version also somehow managed to survive its own slew of off road adventures without much harm, proving that Hollywood doesn’t necessarily mimic real life. Fortunately the Challenger driver, Erich Heuschele, came away from his off track excursion unscathed. The crew has reported that the car will be out for the remainder of events, though it was spotted leaving the track under its own power so a return might be a slim possibility. Check out the source link below for more images of the carnage.
[Source: Car Domain Blog]
One down, six to go for the VW Jetta TDI Cup
The first race of the first all-diesel, road racing series in America took place this past weekend at VIRginia International Raceway,
and we were there, or rather AutoblogGreen was there, to watch it go down. The gorgeous VIR long course proved to be a great setting for the opening round of Volkswagen’s new Jetta TDI Cup series. The new series is both a continuation of VW’s history of grassroots racing, as well as promotion for the new Jetta TDI that launches this summer. Volkswagen had an open casting call earlier this year for young amateur racing drivers and picked the 30 best to run in the promotional series. Prior to arriving at VIR for Friday’s first practice, the drivers had one day of actual running in the Jettas during the driver selection process at the beginning of April. Though the Jetta TDI race cars were slightly modified from their production counterpart for safety reasons, they still managed to retuFollowing two practice sessions on Friday and a 30-minute qualifying session on Saturday, 23-year-old Josh Hurley claimed the number one starting slot on the standing start grid for Sunday’s race. Yesterday afternoon, the field (ranging in age from three, 16-year-olds to one 26-year-old Gary Williams, Jr.) made a clean getaway for the 30-minute race. Although they were cautious at the start, it didn’t take long before cars were mixing it up. Anyone who remembers seeing first-generation (and later) Rabbits and Sciroccos on the track or autocross course would instantly recognize the three-wheel cornering stance of these Jettas during hard cornering. A few laps into the race, the first yellow flag flew bringing out the pace car for a couple of laps while the carnage was cleared. Once they were back under green, the Jettas were door-handle-to-door-handle through the corners as their tires howled. There was action aplenty with lots of lead changes, but ultimately, Mark Pombo crossed the line first with 1.63 seconds covering the first six cars. If you happen to be at one of the tracks where the Jetta TDI Cup is running this summer (check the schedule here), make sure you don’t wander off during this race. You won’t know any of these drivers names (yet), but the action is fun to watch and odds are at least some of these drivers may become household names in time.
Travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer
rn 25 mpg… while racing.
Audi gets official with TTS and TT TDI
Audi has gone ahead and released all it knows about the two newest versions of the TT. The first is the TTS, the most hotted-up version of Audi’s sports car brandishing a 2.0L TFSI (turbo, direct-inject) four-cylinder that produces 272 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It features a magnetic ride adaptive damping system on its suspension, and 0-62 mph takes 5.2 seconds in the just-over 3,000 lbs. coupe thanks to a structure made predominantly from aluminum. An S tronic dual-clutch transmission is optional for snicking through gears quickly without the aid of your left foot, and quattro all-wheel-drive is, of course, standard. For those in Europe, the TTS Coupe starts at €44,900 and the Roadster version will go for €47,750. For us in the U.S., November 2008 is the ETA.
The second iteration of the TT may not be as quick as the TTS, but it’s just as exciting. The TT TDI comes with the first application of a diesel engine in Audi’s attractive sportster. Said engine is Audi’s 2.0L four-cylinder diesel producing 170 hp that’s backed by 258 pound-feet of torque. That makes the oil burning Audi good for a 7.5-second run to 62 mph while returning 44.38 mpg on the combined European cycle. Both Coupe and Roadster versions are available, though the Roadster is heavier and less frugal with the fuel as a result. They are much cheaper than the TTS, however, with prices starting at €34,850 for the Coupe and €35,900 for the drop top. There are no official plans to bring the TT TDI to the U.S. yet, but man do we wish there were.
[Source: Audi]
Bentley goes green with Continental DC
We can’t imagine being an apprentice at Bentley leaves you a lot of spare time, what with your full class load on how to stitch the perfect steering wheel, match wood grains and build twin-turbo V8s with your bare hands. A team of nine apprentices comprising the Bentley Greenpower Team, however, have found the time over the past ten months to build an exceptional little electrical vehicle for the Greenpower Corporate Challenge that kicked off at the Goodwood race circuit yesterday.
Their car, dubbed the Continental DC, was developed using the same CAD software that Bentley uses for its own cars, and is powered by two 12-volt batteries and a 24-volt motor that’s required by competition rules. The body is also based on Bentley’s 2004 Goodwood soap box racer and is basically invisible to wind resistance. The use of carbon fiber to keep weight down is extensive, to say the least. The body, chassis, wheels and even a specially designed suspension with carbon fiber beams under tension are all made from the exotic weave. Despite being green as can be, the Continental DC still sports some flare from Crewe thanks to a single leather Bentley seat with a four-point harness, a custom Bentley-inspired steering wheel and Bentley “dashboard”.
[Source: Bentley]
