Last Cars Reviews Blog: июля 2009

Man falls in love with his Xingyue enclosed scooter

Автор: RaymondLilly | пятница, 31 июля 2009 г.

A Michigan man has found his own personal solution to high gas prices in an interesting three-wheeled enclosed scooter which leans into turns from a Chinese company known as Xingyue. Before this story, we were not at all familiar with the company, though a Google search does turn up a little information. Powered by a 150cc single cylinder four stroke engine, the scooter is capable of traveling on any road that is not a major highway and is fully street legal. The new owner estimates that he is getting fuel mileage of around 120 miles per gallon when he keeps it under forty miles per hour and 80-90 miles per gallon when he's really wringing it out.

This machine appears to be some sort of copy of the Honda Gyro. Though we tend to shy away from unknown Chinese scooters, reputable brands like Piaggio, Vespa and Yamaha have appeared on these pages in the past. The enclosure of the Xingyue allows a slightly longer riding season for those who live in areas with poor weather much of the year. See a video of the machine in action here.

[Source: ABC 12 News]

No, really: Toyota won't create seperate Prius brand

Автор: RaymondLilly |

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Toyota

The idea of a separate brand for the Toyota Prius has gone from "seriously considering" to "not a 'go'" to, now, "Um, no." That's the word from Miguel Fonseca, Toyota's managing director in the UK, who says that there won't be a Prius sub-brand.

However, Fonseca did say that the stork would be visiting the Prius factory to drop off other body styles, making a Prius family of vehicles. He wouldn't say what the body types were, but AutoCar speculation centers on an estate and an MPV to be unveiled in 2010, along with a coupe debuting the following year. As reported before, when the larger, frugal-er next gen Prius sedan arrives in about a year, it won't be packing lithium-ion batteries -- Toyota engineers say they're still not yet ready for prime-time.

[Source: AutoCar]

No, really: Toyota won't create seperate Prius brand originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | | |

What a mess: Lebanon Valley Dragway flooded

Автор: RaymondLilly |

Lebanon Valley Dragway

We had some heavy rains come through here the other day, but nothing compared to those experienced in West Lebanon, where our home track of Lebanon Valley is located. About eight inches of rain overflowed the creek next to the track, leading to as much as eight feet of water pouring over both the dragstrip and the dirt track, causing widespread damage to the facilities and to the trailers and campers parked on the grounds. In the above picture – those white lines? Those are the Jersey barriers that mark the dragstrip. As of now, we know there’s damage to the shutdown area as well as to the area around the fuel depot. More pics and info at the classracer.com forums, and the local TV news covered the damage.

2010 Honda CR-Z Hybrid

Автор: RaymondLilly |

2010 Honda CR Z Hybrid Car Walls

The Japanese company has confirmed that the Honda CR-Z hybrid will enter production. The Honda CR-Z hybrid will go on sale in Japan in February 2010. The launch date of the new hybrid coupe on other markets will be announced towards the end of 2009.

The Honda CR-Z hybrid will be powered by the company's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system which will also go in the Honda Jazz in a few years.

[Source: Honda]

GM Engineer Explains the Making of the ZR-1 LS9

Автор: RaymondLilly |

GM’s objective of the ZR-1 Project was to achieve 100 hp per litres using the 6.2L small block V8.

The new ZR-1 supercharged 6.2L small block V8 packs at least 620 hp and nearly 600 lb-ft of torque, and its should finally catapult the Corvette into supercar status. Autoblog was lucky enough to spend some time with Ron Meegan, the small block assistant chief engineer of GM’s small block engine program, who gave them an engineer’s explanation of the supercharged LS9 engine.

Watch the video below to learn why GM didn’t use the 7.0L V8 from the Z06 and why the Eaton’s next generation TVS supercharger is so special.

See 45 more: Chevrolet Corvette LS9 ZR-1 Photos

[Source: Photos: WhipDaddy via MadWhips.com]
[Source: Video: Autoblog.com’s Chris Shunk via Streetfire.com]

No pricing has been announced on the Malibu Hybrid, but the Aura Green ...

2008 Hennessey Dodge Challenger Turbo: Smooth

Автор: RaymondLilly |

2008 Hennessey Dodge Challenger Turbo: Smooth
What happens when you mix Hennessey and a fast car? Most people would say some sort of drunk driving accident, but this is a different sort of Hennessey all together. This one has gotten the Hennessey treatment and turbo charged so that it can reach 60 mph 0.9 seconds faster than the original. Just remember, don’t drink and drive. $90,000.

Volkswagen Amarok: Wolf-Inspired

Автор: RaymondLilly | среда, 29 июля 2009 г.

Volkswagen Amarok: Wolf Inspired
Volkswagen’s new pickup truck finally gets a moniker. Amarok, meaning “Wolf” in Inuit, was announced as the truck’s official name during Volkswagen’s press conference. The Amarok will be launched as a 4WD pickup and will include both Diesel and Gas. If all goes well, a cab version will also be released.

Will Toyota Cut Prius’ Price or Let Honda Insight Be Cheapest Hybrid?

Автор: RaymondLilly |

2010 Honda Insight

Looks like Honda is changing the dynamics of the hybrid wars.

The new Honda Insight, priced in the States at just over $19K, comes in well below the Toyota Prius’ starting price of nearly $23K.

Rumors are beginning to circulate that Toyota will cut the price on the current Prius to match the Insight’s, but there has been no confirmation of that from the bigwigs at Toyota.

Is a lower price on the way for Prius?

A price reduction sure makes sense to me, as the Prius’ reign as king of the hybrids is being challenged by the Insight and the new Ford Fusion hybrid. The other option Toyota has is to stuff all the technology it can into the Prius and hope buyers see the value and fork over more money for it.

That’s a tactic we know will happen, as the third-generation Prius is expected to offer, among other things, a solar panel on the roof that will power fans to keep the car cool when parked in the sun. I’m guessing that’ll be a popular feature among celebs in Los Angeles! (You can check out the third-generation Prius here.)

It’s also possible that Toyota will offer the Prius in two versions: one that is essentially the current model with a lower price that matches the Insight’s, and one with technology and safety upgrades priced at a premium.

One thing is for sure: Selling hybrids is going to become more difficult as competition stiffens and more diesels enter the market.

What do you think: Buy a hybrid or skip the hype?

-tgriffith

Benefits of a Car Alarm

Автор: RaymondLilly |

Whether our car is new or it’s old, we want to take care of it. We look after it, and invest money into it so we can make sure it takes us where we’re looking to go. We rely so much on our cars, and without them this world would be very different. It is important to take good care of it, and a way you can do that is by getting a car alarm. Car alarms should be in every car because they have several benefits! If you’re looking into getting one, check out how they can help you, and your car.

Worry free – First of all, you want to make sure that you don’t have to worry about your car, especially if it’s a newer or expensive car. We want to be able to walk away from our car with our belongings in it, and not have to worry about them. So, when you have a car alarm you will feel much better, and almost worry free.

Safety – We also want to make sure our vehicle is safe. You don’t want to have worry about it, especially if it’s a lease. So, if you’re looking for more safety, be sure to consider a car alarm.

Stolen – There are always cases on how vehicles are stolen. If you want enhanced protection, and you want to make sure this doesn’t happen to you, definitely consider one. By the time someone tried to break into your vehicle, your alarm would sound and they would most likely run away trying to avoid getting caught.

Scare – Once again, if you leave your car alone, and it’s a nice car your chances of getting your car broken into are raised. People want expensive things, and they want them for free. Certain things like GPS’, iPods, etc are getting stolen everyday out of cars. If you can an alarm, you will be able to scare those people away instantly.

Car alarms are great, and can be more helpful that you’d imagine. They will help protect your car, the valuables you may have in your car, and your chances of getting your vehicle stolen are much lower! There are several great car alarms on the market, check them out by clicking here.

Carmakers struggle to keep up with demand for small cars

Автор: RaymondLilly |

In a particularly bleak sales month in June, there were some surprising numbers hidden deep in the sales reports. A month ago, sales of small cars like the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla all had record sales. All three of those cars had major drops in June, even though gas prices continued to rise above $4 a gallon. The main reason sales of those and other cars - including hybrids - dropped is that there simply aren't enough available. In general, car dealers try to keep about a 60-day supply of each model they sell in stock. That gives a buffer against supply interruptions and moderate increases in sales as well as providing a reasonable selection of option and color combinations for consumers.

Through April and May, sales of small cars were so strong that inventories of small cars were almost completely depleted. By the end of June, Toyota only had a 15-day supply of Corollas and 7-days worth of Yaris models. On the hybrid front, Toyota had essentially no Priuses or Camry hybrids in stock anywhere. At the beginning of June, (end of June figures aren't yet available) Ford had only a 24-day supply of Focuses while Honda had a 20-day supply of Civics. Automakers are scrambling right now to shift production capacity with Ford adding a third shift to the current Focus assembly plant while working on shifting the Explorer plant to Focus production. Toyota is also adding capacity for Camrys at its Princeton, Indiana plant and Honda is surely looking for more Civics as well.

[Source: Reuters]

Video: 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged is one fast kitty

Автор: RaymondLilly | вторник, 28 июля 2009 г.

We’ve started seeing the 2009 Jaguar XF on the roads and we can say without a doubt that it is definitely a head-turner. InsideLine recently got behind the $62,975 Jaguar XF Supercharged and...

Hot Rod Mars Landers

Автор: RaymondLilly |

So, in the evenings before dinner, I like to check and update my Netflix. Jostle things around, delete, add, wonder why I picked certain things at all. And most of it is just lame. I must have been on drugs when I picked them. (Caffeine mostly…)

But sometimes I like to randomly snag movies that I never had a chance to see or even remember coming out. And this is one of them. A great IMAX film about 2 Hot Rod Landers (Spirit and Opportunity) that headed to Mars. Unbelievable CG work makes you wonder why anything in film should be bad) Created by Frank Marshall, the film depicts two of the most incredibly designed JPL Rovers that truly feature the strength of the human spirit.

Continue reading after the jump!

It’s short, like most IMAX films, but there’s a good “Behind the Scenes,” too. (Maybe a Hot Rod version could be cool to build and tool around town? “Although, it would have to be at least a four seater and sporting 22’s.)

I recommend it because it’s something that all of us should see, simply in order to get a real perspective on how small we are. We struggle every day to make ends meet and face new challenges when to realize the sheer scope of the universe makes those things seem a little less daunting. So in between Friday the 13th, Transformers and Fired Up, put this one in your queue. Cool.

Bailiegh Bail Out - WINNER!

Автор: RaymondLilly |

Man… That was one hell of a contest that came right down to the wire. Around 1000 folks voted and the winner took the goods by the slimmest of margins. In all honesty, all of the participants are winners. I know, cliche… But we really had some great entries this time around and I’m awful proud of all of the incredible content we got from the contest. A special thanks to Bailiegh for making it all happen.

Enough stalling, here’s your winner:

Congrats Pins&Needles!

You can see the winning entry here and his acceptance here.

Thanks again everyone!!

SIA Flashback – Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent

FD Vegas: From Zero to Hero and Vice Versa

Автор: RaymondLilly |

The fourth round of the 2009 Formula Drift Championship is in the books and what a scorcher it was. I think I’m supposed to write some sort of witty quip about the triple digit temps here, but truth be told my brain is still somewhat melty. And not from the heat, but rather the stunning points shakeup that went down in Vegas. Coming into Sin City Darren McNamara was leading in points but a mechanical with his Falken Tire Sears Auto Center Sky finished his weekend before it even started. Another shocking DNQ was that of 2005 champion, Rhys Millen. Just when we thought the points chase couldn’t be flipped any more Tanner Foust goes in it to win it after a rare DNQ at round three. Hit the video to see it all. And no matter what Tanner and Stephan may say, I am not a pussy, their NASCAR V-8 just happens to scare me a little bit, that’s all.

SIA Flashback – Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent

Автор: RaymondLilly |

1948 Holden

It’s been a while since we featured a driveReport in SIA Flashback, so let’s pull one from SIA #49, February 1979, of the 1948 Holden. Here we find the first successful and entirely Australian production car, though not the first vehicle that Holden built. We also find a vehicle that was somewhat advanced compared to its American contemporaries, though, ironically, was only narrowly saved from the dustbin of history.

Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent, page 1

Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent, page 2

Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent, page 3

Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent, page 4

Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent, page 5

Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent, page 6

Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent, page 7

Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent, page 8

Stovebolt Six with an Aussie Accent, page 9

AEV Brute Jeep Conversion: Utilitarian Style

Автор: RaymondLilly | воскресенье, 26 июля 2009 г.

AEV Brute Jeep Conversion: Utilitarian Style
American Expedition Vehicles give the venerable Jeep a utilitarian makeover. The new Brute Jeep Conversion turns your TJ Jeep Wrangler into a pickup. Why the need for such mods? Well, for people who need a bigger space or a different look for their Jeeps, that’s why. The complete Brute kit includes the mid and rear frame extensions with winch mounts, a cab closeout so your Jeep’s now a hardtop, tailgate, fuel and brake lines, body mounts, and of course, the instructions for the truck transformation. Total conversion can take up to 60 hours, depending on the skill level of the mechanic of course. $9000.

From the Hemmings Forum: the Cylons’ Jeep

Video: China opens the world’s longest cross-sea bridge

Автор: RaymondLilly |

Kicking off May with a bang, China will open the world’s longest cross-sea bridge today linking Shanghai with the industrial city of Ningbo. The $1.7 billion bridge opened up to traffic on a...

GTbyCITROËN Concept Sounds Meaner than Possible

Автор: RaymondLilly |

Seeing the insane GTbyCITROËN concept rolling on the streets of London was pretty wild. But it that clip, you can’t hear how absolutely evil this thing sounds. Since the company hasn’t even decided who will provide the motivation for the 20 cars that will make it production, there’s no word on what’s providing the soundtrack here, but damn.

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