Automotive News

Filed under: Spy Photos, Videos, Mitsubishi

Before the folks over at Mitsubishi drop their crown jewel Evo X on an eager public, many road-hours of testing have to be logged in the souped-up Lancer. Besides the fact that the Evo X is arguably Mitsubishi’s most recognizable car, there is plenty of new technology that needs to be perfected before buyers can purchase this rocketship. Edmunds Inside Line has video of the Evo X taking it to the ‘Ring, and Mitsubishi’s 4WD, 300+hp beast looks ready to be unleashed. A new paddle-shift twin-clutch supersport automatic joins the more traditional six-speed manual, and more powerful means of forced induction are rumored to lie under the hood. From its aggressive stance and sharp looks, to the increased performance potential, Mitsubishi looks like a lock to continue the Evo tradition. Hit the jump to view the Evo X in action from Germany’s most famous car playground.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Spy Video: Mitsubishi Evo X in motion

 

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Filed under: Etc.

It was probably the shortest parade I’ve ever attended, including a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Mississippi that made its wat ’round the block three times so the lone marching band could finish its song. No, this one was shorter, and didn’t have a marching band to accommodate, and therefore couldn’t justify a repeat of the quarter-mile route.

Mayberry comes to Graysville is a big event in this small, central-Alabama town, and its residents lined the street, clustering in spots of storefront-awning shade to escape the muggy heat.

Continue reading after the jump.

Continue reading 3rd Annual Mayberry Comes to Graysville

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, GM, Pontiac

As expected, Rhys Millen and his Pontiac Solstice GXP dominated not only the inaugural 2WD Time Attack class, but when the dust settled, he was four-seconds faster than Nathan Conley in an ‘03 Subaru WRX Wagon competing in the 4WD division. Millen made it up the mountain in 12:45.153, while his nearest competitor in the 2WD class, Colin J. McCleery in an ‘89 Ford Sierra, was a full minute and 50 seconds behind.

Millen was pleased with both his driving and the GXP, but was less enthused with the course conditions, citing poor traction on parts of the gravel-strewn stages.

You can read Millen’s full account of the race in the press release after the jump, while the overall standings of all the competitors can be viewed here.

[Sources: GM, PPHIC]

Continue reading Pikes Peak: Millen dominates RWD Time Attack class

 

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Filed under: Tech, Mazda

Recently we blogged about vehicles getting heavier and the general consensus was that they were better off with the added safety and improved features of a new car. Now we have Mazda, who has managed to remove 100kg from its new Mazda2 supermini over the previous model. With the weight loss the 1.3L and 1.5L models come in at 955kg and 960kg respectively.

Mazda has now released information on how they achieved these savings with better engineering techniques and a smaller overall car. Reducing the size of the new model - another trend bucked - resulted in a 20kg loss, while the removal of some features also contributed another 20kg. The other 60kg was done by reducing the weight of the front seats (2.5kg), suspension (13kg), front speakers (1kg), and the electrical system at 2.9kg.

Reducing weight has resulted in the car achieving better than expected MPG ratings (53MPG on the combined cycle) and also helped improve agility. Now if only someone could implement the same types of programs on, say, a Cadillac Escalade…

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading How the new Mazda2 shed the pounds

 

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Filed under: Etc., Safety, Driving

Many have observed the recent uptick in teenage drivers having accidents while text messaging, often with tragic consequences. Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions have recently carried out research that shows texting to be the list-topping distraction among the more than 900 teens they polled. SADD and Liberty Mutual have been collecting data for seven years about teen behavior, attitudes and decision making while driving. They’ve amassed a treasure trove of information about what kids do while they should be driving, and how effective their parental units are at laying out and enforcing rules.

Rather than merely yell about the sky falling while burying their heads in the sand, Liberty Mutual and SADD have developed a set of recommendations for parents when it comes to teen drivers. The suggestions are all good, and mostly common sense; things such as being familiar with your state’s graduated licensing laws, following through with consequences for flouting rules, you know, all the stuff we used to be worried about our parents doing. We hope the effort has some effect - even without the distraction of electronic toys while driving, teenagers are the least experienced drivers on the road, and thus need to be the most vigilant about having all their facilities concentrated on the task of keeping a 3,000 pound potential weapon in control.

follow the jump to see what other top distractions affect teen drivers

[Source: SADD]

Continue reading Misguided youth: Teen driving distractions

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

Many of the same principles for making cars go fast work the same when applied to motorcycles. However, there are fundamental differences which need to be taken into account when the highest performance is required. Take chassis design, for instance. With an automotive chassis, race cars generally want to be as stiff as possible. This is not always the case when there are only two contact patches on the ground. This is because lateral flex allows some “give” when the bike is leaned over. Some also believe that some extra steering input is given by the rear tire when the chassis flexes, allowing the motorcycle to handle better when leaned over. Another area where motorcycles differ from cars is aerodynamics. Because of the basic riderbike relationship, width is crucial when it comes to motorcycle racing aerodynamics. The height is almost preset by the rider; you can only crouch so much! But, the width of the bike allows designers the ability to shorten the bike by shortening the distance between the riders knees. Motoczysz has taken this idea and run with it. They believe that by halving the engine width by arranging the four cylinders in a staggered “V” pattern that they can make up the lower output they will achieve by adding a coupling set of gears on the crankshaft with the increase in aerodynamic efficiency that the design will allow. They are also building in adjustable lateral suspension movement in their innovative front fork arrangement.

Follow us past the break for more on the design of the Motocsysz and the Ecosse Spirit ES1 plus a video of the Ecosse Spirit ES1 just before its official unveiling!

[Source: Ecosse Spirit, Motoczysz and Motorcycle News]

Continue reading Ecosse Spirit ES1 and Motoczysz C1 push the boundaries of motorcycle design

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, Time Warp, Scion, Toyota

Monterey is fast approaching and we’re getting geared up to cover all of the excitement for you. The combination of classic cars and legendary drivers at such a scenic venue makes the Monterey Historics like nothing else in the world. Visitors to this year’s 34th installment of the (deep breath here) Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races will get to take in an all-new attraction. The inaugural Race of Legends will take place on Saturday, August 18 at Laguna Seca Raceway. The race will be presented by Toyota, and will feature nine legendary drivers in an eight-lap charity competition. While we’d love to see the drivers using something a little older, in the interest of fairness, the supercharged Scion tCs will probably do.

Something like the Pro/Celebrity race at Long Beach each year, this race has a twist. Rather than using celebrities plucked from the entertainment field, the Race of Legends will feature some of racing’s greatest names. The drivers are former winners from Formula One, CART, the Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Take a look at this roster: Bobby Unser, Al Unser Sr., Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Rahal, Parnelli Jones, Emerson Fittipaldi, Vic Elford, Derek Bell and Ove Andersson. While we know this is a charity event, most of these guys are still quite competitive and should make it inetersting. A top prize of $25,000 for the winner’s favorite charity is being put up by Toyota, which is celebrating 50 years of motorsports heritage this year. We’ll try to get some photos to you as soon as the checkered flag falls.

Full press release with driver bios after the jump.

[Source: Monterey Historic]

Continue reading Racing legends to compete for charity at Monterey Historics

 

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Here’s something we never thought about. All those license plates in movies and TV shows are fake! OK, most are fake. Some apparently are actually legit.

Not only are most of them fake, but someone’s gotta make em. That somebody has been CR8APL8, and they have amassed an impressive portfolio of famous Hollywood plates.

Check out this site for some of the more famous, or click here for a PDF of more.

CR8APL8 will even make a custom plate for your car. Yes, they say it’s legal to display on the front of cars in states not requiring a front plate, and even then there are loopholes. The key, their FAQ says, is that these plates are not made of metal, which is a federal offense. Instead they’re fabricated of federally-favored fiberglass.

Before we get our “AB KICKS S” tag, we’re hoping some of you will try it out first. And, sure, we’ll take collect calls from whatever county slammer you might find yourself in.

[Source: Hemming’s ]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Euro, Hirings/Firings, Porsche

Were I still in high school, I’d be saving up for plane tickets to Zuffenhausen. In a lot of ways, apprenticeships pwn the hell out of college degrees. Instead of spending a lot of time reading about how things are done, you jump right in and get to stand at the elbow of a master and see the how and why for yourself. That’s the stuff that really drives retention. Porsche offers training for 14 different career paths, and they’ve got 100 openings for apprenticeships starting in September 2008. Porsche is craving industrial mechanics, who gain a deep knowledge of automotive engineering during their apprenticeship, where they’re also schooled in the practice of Porsche construction.

Not a nuts and bolts type? Porsche is also looking for electron jockeys to fill electro-mechanical engineering slots. Rather than constantly complain about modern ICE setups, electro-mechanical automotive engineers have the power to change it. They specialize in the technology that’s poured into Porsche automobiles. If you’re looking to see the world, Porsche is especially interested, as they’re looking to set service centers in the emerging markets of Russia and China. The best part? Porsche is less concerned with your marks than it is with the octane rating of your bloodstream. Apparently passion trumps grades in the right person. Do endless 911-shaped doodles count as extra credit?

Hit the jump for the press release

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche opens the door to 100 apprentices

 

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