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[extract] SEAT will lead its presence at this year
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[extract] Most of us think lottery tickets are only good as long as the ticket bought by us wins a prize. Well, I suggest you think again. It turns out that used lottery tickets aren
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The Seat Leon has won Car of the Year at the Auto Express awards
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The Seat Leon has won the prestigious Car of the Year 2013 prize at the annual Auto Express New Car Awards in London earlier this week. The award was handed over to new Seat Chairman Jurgen Stackmann during a ceremony in London by Auto Express Editor-in-Chief Steve Fowler. The Leon also scooped up the Best Compact Family Car award. Explaining why the Leon was crowned the year's best car by the U.K.'s best selling motoring weekly, Steve Fowler said, "We love its style, the way it drives, the quality and the kit. Best of all, you get all that at a bargain price, while running costs will be ultra low, too. The SEAT Leon has beaten some superb cars to be crowned Car of the Year - it's that good," Jurgen Stackmann thanked the Auto Express jury for choosing the Leon as Car of the Year. "The new Leon is the best vehicle in Seat's history. It is a perfect embodiment of Seat's transformation and shows the direction we will be taking over the next few years. We are very pleased with the reception customers have given the Leon," said the Seat Chairman. The new Seat Leon was unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show and hit U.K. showrooms in March 2013. Priced from just -
It seems that neither is there a perfect automaker or a perfect car. As the saying goes, "Nobody is perfect". You see, even such a huge and highly reputable automaker as Toyota can sometime overlook things while manufacturing its cars. The Japanese automaker has made an announcement in which it states its plan to recall 185,000 cars in total globally. Yes, that means that some of the Toyota cars on our shores will be affected by the recall as well. The recall is said to involve the Toyota Yaris (also known as the Vitz in some regions) from the 2010 to 2012 model years. In addition to those, the Ractis and Verso-S from the 2010 to 2011 model years will also be recalled. It is said that this global recall is due to a power steering failure. Toyota mentions that in case water happens to reach the inside of the power steering module, a short circuit could take place and the power steering will fail, forcing the driver to give more efforts while trying to turn the steering wheel. The Japanese automaker also mentions that when the failure emerges, the cars in question will switch on the Electronic Power Steering warning indicator as well as give out a buzzing sound. The recall affects 130,000 Toyota cars in Japan itself, 22,450 cars in Europe, 74 cars in the U.S., and the remaining 32476 cars in other parts of the world. So, if you own a Toyota, prepare yourself for the recall as the Japanese automaker will mail you (besides other Toyota owners, of course) and your dealer will be more than happy (well, they should, anyway) to replace your power steering module. While most automakers will normally recall their cars due to some safety issues, it's nice to see that Toyota recalls its cars due to some issues that are more likely comfort-oriented, as a power steering system is not absolutely needed to drive a car. You see, in the old days, cars didn't have this particular feature at all. But of course, most of us will feel like something's missing if we drive a car without a power steering feature these days.
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Italian firm Icona will make its U.K. debut at Salon Prive
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Here is a new supercar maker to take note of - Icona from Italy. Well they are not exactly new, having been around since 2010, with the launch of the electric concept car - the Fuselage. The Fuselage was a finalist at the 27th Festival Automobile International in Paris in the World's Most Beautiful Concept Car competition. The Italian firm was founded by Italian members and is led by an Italian director. The headquarters for the automaker is in Shanghai while the car is made in Italy. Icona has recently developed their second car - the pretty wicked looking Vulcano - which will make its U.K. debut in September at Salon Prive. The Vulcano coupe seats two and was unveiled in Shanghai earlier this year. The one-off is powered by a V12 Hybrid reaching up to 950bhp, capable of a top speed of 350km/h and a quick century sprint timing of nine seconds. The Vulcano was engineered by world famous former Scuderia Ferrari technical director Claudio Lombardi. Sales Director, David Bagley commented, "Icona is a very exciting new brand and we are delighted that it has chosen Salon Priv -
If you are planning to buy a car, I recommend that you also plan to buy a car insurance policy that you see fit. Just don't take the car insurance policy for granted. As you know, in Singapore, it is compulsory that every car is covered by a car insurance policy. In addition to that, you need to make sure that you renew it every year as the policy will only be valid for one single year. The same also applies in the U.K., it seems. Just recently, London police officers managed to seize a customised Lamborghini Aventador. As it turned out, the car belongs to Nasser Al Thani, a member of the Qatar Royal Family. For your information, this guy is well known for his fondness of showing his supercars to the public in London, the capital city of the Great Britain. The tuned Aventador got impounded because Al Thani didn't have a proper insurance to cover his Italian supercar. While impounding the car, though, the officers seemed to get a little problem at first, due to the limited headroom and low ground clearance that comes as a result of installing aftermarket carbon fibre splitters. So, after all being said, if you love your car and don't want it to get seized by the police, you better start thinking about a suitable and proper car insurance policy.
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Land Rover bags three awards at Auto Express editorial awards
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] Land Rover vehicles have scooped up three top prizes at the annual Auto Express Awards. The all new Range Rover was voted 'Best Luxury Car' by the judging panel, which consists of the magazine -
'Best time' to cross the road is when Sebastien Loeb is coming!
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
It seems that ignorant - or, more appropriately, dumb - people are just everywhere in this world, even at the recent Pikes Peak motorsport event. Some people just figured that it was best for them to cross the road while racer Sebastien Loeb was approaching when they were actually supposed to be standing calmly on the sides of the road. Well, taking a look at the image, what comes to your mind? An image represents a thousand words, they say. However, to me, there's only one possible word to come to my mind, which is, dumb, and it echoes, like, a thousand times. You see, Loeb was cruising in a Peugeot bearing an engine with a total power output of 875bhp and the people in question just thought it was okay to cross the Pikes Peak International Highway when such a super powered car was coming. Moreover, they were crossing the road at a turn and Loeb couldn't have possibly seen them at such an angle. Oh geez, how dumber can they be? Nonetheless, I believe those people must have been blessed as they got away unharmed. Fortunately, Loeb was unharmed, too, as he didn't seem to have to avoid those people and he could continue with his quest for victory. -
You know, paying careful attention for oncoming vehicles while crossing the street is actually a pretty obvious thing to do. However, it seems that there will always be some people who are just ignorant enough that they tend to jaywalk. The woman in the accompanying video is a good yet unfortunate example. You see, when you jaywalk, not only are you putting your life in danger but also that of other people's. If a vehicle happens to be approaching while you are jaywalking, the driver of the vehicle will be forced to slam the brakes all of a sudden. As a result, other vehicles behind the vehicle approaching you may happen to hit it if the drivers fail to stop their cars at the right time. With that being said, do you actually realise how dangerous you are becoming by simply crossing the street without paying attention? Well, I won't lie to you, though. Most of us probably do jaywalk every once in a while. However, after watching the video, I shall always keep in mind to refrain from doing so as I value my life. I don't know what the woman was thinking when she started walking towards the middle of the street. Nonetheless, while she was crossing it halfway, she seemed to finally realise that she shouldn't have actually started crossing in the first place as it was nearly certain she would get trapped on the centre double line. Unfortunately, she decided to take the worst option, to turn back! Let me remind you, when you cross the street, especially if you're already halfway, you'll probably be better off going forward or halt when necessary rather than turning back. Turning back is very dangerous! Moreover, the woman in the video didn't watch out for any oncoming traffic prior to turning back. Well, I'll have to be honest with you. It didn't really come as a surprise seeing the woman get hit by the scooter. The scooter rider, however, didn't seem like he was paying attention, either. Had he paid more attention on the road ahead, he should, at least, have been able to decelerate. Furthermore, jaywalkers often have erratic behaviour that they may turn back or even jump when motorists least expect it.
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VW introduces 'Side Assist' technology in a rather strange way
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
If driving a car is one of your daily routines, I suppose that you know how it feels to be surprised by a vehicle that just comes out of nowhere every now and then. The vehicle seems to have come out of nowhere because each and every single car out there has a blind spot. In fact, due to the blind spot, automakers are now equipping their cars with technologies that can help drivers with the blind spot issue. One automaker to do this is Volkswagen (VW). The German automaker is now equipping its cars with what it calls 'Side Assist' technology. Taking advantage of two rear radars, this technology is capable of scanning the areas behind the car for as far as 50 metres and also in the blind spots at the sides of the car. This technology will light an indicator at the side mirrors when a vehicle is in the blind spot. So, if there's a vehicle in the blind spot of the left side, VW's side assist technology will light the indicator at the left side mirror. To introduce its side assist feature, Volkswagen has come up with something that may turn out quite strange, or somehow amusing. The German automaker creates a video advertisement showing a man cleaning himself up in front of the mirror when, all of a sudden, a rather chunky, bearded man stares at him from behind the back. Afterwards, a message is displayed saying, "Beware of the biker that comes from nowhere." -
It seems that Asian automakers somehow have the ability to manufacture pretty interesting super-mini cars. Take a look at the Mitsubishi Mirage, for example. It seems like Mitsubishi tried to shrink the car so that it can just fit into the A-segment. However, with Honda, things seem to change a little bit as the Japanese automaker seems to be lean towards practicality. You see, instead of competing in the A-segment as well just like the Mirage does, the Honda Fit (also known as the Jazz here) plays in the B-segment and it's quite big too. Carrying a chunky boot capacity of 335 litres, I think the Fit is a leader in its class. However, if you are satisfied with the boot capacity of the current generation Honda Fit, you may feel happier to know that Honda is already preparing the next generation Honda Fit that carries a total of 400 litres when it comes to bringing along your stuffs. Yes, you heard it right, it's the 2014 all new Honda Fit that's in the works! The car will make its first bow to the public of its home country by the end of 2013, after which it will also go global. But thanks to these accompanying Japanese scans, we're not going to have to wait that long just to know how the car will possibly look like. These scans manage to show us some parts of the car, including the interior and possible colour choices - two of which seem to be very bright neon colours - that Honda will be offering for its latest Fit. While the car is supposed to play in the B-segment still, it has grown a little, by 60mm (that's around a little above 2 inches). So, the car now measures 3,960mm. Well, don't be disappointed if you're keen on practicality that comes from a smaller size. The smaller the size of the car is, the easier it is for you to manoeuver through traffic, right? But, the good news is that passengers will have more spacious legroom, thanks to the wheelbase that now has a length of 80mm. This growth in size is probably partially due to the new architecture the car is being built upon. I believe it is this new architecture that Honda will also use in order to produce its very first SUV/crossover in the B-segment. Well, honestly, the car looks modern and is also prettier than the previous generation Honda Fit, although it does look kind of boxy in a few spots. The car also borrows a transparent nose that we've come to know from the Honda Civic hatchback of the previous generation. Now, let's get to the most important part of a car - under the hood. With the 2014 Honda Fit, we'll have the privilege to choose between a 1.2-litre and a 1.4-litre VTEC petrol engines. And, if we choose the latter, we'll also be able to choose a six-speed automatic transmission. Yet, for those who live in the European continents of this world, a 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine that produces 120bhp is also an available option. Actually, I would say that there's still one engine that Honda will probably offer with its 2014 all new Fit. That would be the hybrid engine with a total capacity of 1,500cc in addition to a power output of 110bhp. This engine is previously used by the Civic as well. However, this engine will only see the light of day provided that the seemingly hybrid car pictured in the scans is actually a hybrid car indeed. Despite a bigger size than its older brother, the car maintains a light weight. This is possible thanks to the fact that the head and block utilises aluminium alloy. So, with its bigger size that makes for more spacious legrooms, do you think that the 2014 All New Honda Fit is still practical enough for you to be interested in? If you feel like sharing your thoughts, the comment section below may be your best friend.
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If you're one of those people out there who happened to buy the KIA Rio last decade, you may no longer recognise KIA cars of today. The thing is the South Korean automaker is picturing itself as 90 percent of an European brand. With that being said, the company has been decorating its cars with everything European, from LEDs to leather interiors and electronically retractable side mirrors. In addition to that, the South Korean brand is also seemingly pursuing the ST, RS, and GTI lineups from its rivals. All of these lineups are pretty legendary as they tend to make it to the cover of most car magazines every year. For KIA, on the other hand, it has already prepared the pro_cee'd GT to kick off with. KIA cee'd GT Launched just recently in Great Britain, the three-door sporty hatchback (or Sportback, as Audi would say) runs on a 1.6-litre turbo engine that promises a total power output of 201bhp. The good thing is, the pro_cee'd GT may not be KIA's only GT lineup as the company has confirmed that the Rio GT is a possibility. A KIA insider confirmed with Auto Express that if everything went well and that the KIA pro_cee'd GT was received warmly, the GT lineups could be seen expanded, possibly including the Rio GT. However, there may still be one other problem. It is said that KIA will also see how its five-door procee'd GT fares in the global automotive market before continuing with the Rio GT. But then again, the model won't be launched until 2014 and by then, the Rio would have been three years old. Well, if only KIA would 'pro_cee'd' with the Rio GT sooner..
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This Honda rider really knows how to rock through floods
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
You see, if you're living in a place where floods have become some sort of a daily sighting, you may want to consider building a DIY flood kit. Who knows, you may even make a handsome fortune out of it. Don't believe it? Well, what about watching the accompanying video? The guy riding the Honda motorcycle shown in the video makes good use of duct tape and some plastic tubes. With those, he makes some sort of dual snorkelling air intake and ensures that no water gets into his exhaust pipe. So, the next thing he has to focus on is to keep on throttling and make sure that the bike goes in a straight direction. It's pretty creative. Using this method, he successfully managed to go through the flood despite its three-feet depth. What an engineering mind he had for such an unfriendly condition. Imagine how many people you could possibly help with such a DIY flood kit. -
[extract] A classic among fuel economy drives is conquering all U.S. States
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Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today, we're gathered here to watch a lesson carefully by Audi regarding the magic hidden atop the powerful engine of our cars. Right, it's the bonnet and it's very kind of Audi to teach us how to open it! Well, as a matter of fact, the German automaker is even more kind to also teach us how to close the bonnet again properly. This is to enable us to keep our cars in excellent condition, at least that's what the company claims. Well, it seems that we can go through an awful lot of pages just to figure out the proper ways of opening and closing the bonnet but no, don't worry, we aren't going to do that. However, I have to admit that sometimes automakers place bonnet releasing switches at pretty strange and unexpected places, especially when it comes to super cars. Thanks to that, some drivers end up making a fool of themselves for not knowing where to find the right switch for popping up the hood, especially when their car is still brand new. Well, for now, I guess we're better off watching this video carefully, especially if any of us owns an Audi and let's not make a fool of ourselves as well, shall we?
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Radical will be attending the Salon Prive this September and for the first time, they will display the new Radical RXC. The RXC is Radical's first ever enclosed car and marks an exciting new step in the development of the marque, by bringing genuine Le Mans engineering and aerodynamics to the road in a package that delivers incredible performance whilst remaining easy to own. The V6 engine and seven-speed gearbox configuration has been developed specifically for the RXC under the guidance of Radical's Managing Director Phil Abbott as well as Chief Designer Nick Walford and his development team. The Ford Mustang sourced engine is a 3.7-litre 24-valve V6 unit with twin-independent variable cam timing and sequential multi-port electronic injection, controlled by a bespoke Radical/AER Life engine management system as employed successfully on the SR3 SL roadster. The six-cylinder develops 380bhp and 434Nm of torque. Since the RXC only weighs 900kg, the power-to-weight ratio of the car is 422bhp/ton, which will provide a century sprint of 2.8 seconds before climbing to a top speed of 281km/h. The car's striking design elements include gullwing doors, with Radical saying the RXC has the most complex body it has ever produced, as it includes both composite and carbon fibre sections. "It's the car we've always wanted to make, and by applying our extensive knowledge and understanding we have produced a GT car that - just like our other products - will outperform machinery costing many times more. But more important than that it's going to be incredibly thrilling to drive," said Radical's Managing Director Phil Abbott.
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Car chases or pursuits have always been something of my favourite, whether they involve the police or not. As a matter of fact, that's one reason why I love movies like 'Transporter' (starring famous actor Jason Statham) and 'The Fast and The Furious'. With that being said, if you're like me, then the following video should be of your interest, too, somehow. I found it quite interesting, at least while waiting for the 'Fast and Furious 7' - which will also star Jason Statham - to be released in theatres in July 2014. The video was shot by - a pretty creative Japanese guy, I would say - someone known as LUXE37 on YouTube. While car chases will normally endanger human life, this one puts no harm on anyone at all. It's because the video was shot in a miniature retro Japanese city. Not only is the city retro, even all the automobiles involved seem retro as well. It seems like the automobiles used were those that came from the 80s, if not the 70s. However, being shot in a miniature city doesn't necessarily mean that this video isn't interesting at all. In fact, I think it's worth watching. It's also quite humourous and features plenty of crashes, even an explosion! And, despite the fact that the automobiles were all retro, they somehow produced V8 sounds, too! You bet, the sounds are fake, of course. One thing that caught my attention was the guy driving the blue muscle car. He must have been like a really skilled driver if he existed in real life. He seemed to know every inch of the city and where he can escape the chasing police officers through narrow alleyways, well, until the car finally exploded, of course. LUXE37, I wonder if the ambulances actually managed to rescue that driver in the end? He was burning, you see.
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The first works Jaguar D-Type, OKV 1, which finished second at the 1954 Le Mans, returned to the circuit for the 90th anniversary of Le Mans last weekend in a bid to pay homage to all Jaguars that have competed in the famous event. OKV 1 was invited by the Automobile Club de l
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Three nights stay at Conrad Tokyo comes with Lamborghini
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] This year seems to be a really special one for the Conrad Hotel in Tokyo - which is currently commemorating its 50th anniversary. However, it seems that the executives and staff of the hotel don -
Caterham delighted by completing maiden Le Mans entry despite few hiccups
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Caterham Motorsport celebrated the completion of its maiden Le Mans 24 Hours at the La Sarthe circuit by finishing 11th place (out of 22 entries in its class) in the LMP2 category. The team came in 24th in the overall standings. Drivers Alexander Rossi, Tom Kimber-Smith and Eric Lux delivered behind the wheel of the Caterham Motorsport Zytek Z11SN-Nissan despite suspension failure and a puncture. From the lights, Kimber-Smith took the Caterham LMP2 as high as fifth place in class, before handing over to Caterham F1 reserve driver, Alexander Rossi, in his first ever Le Mans race. The American driver -
Making Formula One accessible to the general population
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The Formula One circus will be back to outwit and outlast each other this weekend at the British Grand Prix - to take place at the iconic Silverstone circuit. But just seven days after - certain teams will return to lend their support to the Motor Sports Association's inaugural Go Motorsport Live! on the July 7th - which also happens to be the German Grand Prix. With free public access, Go Motorsport Live! has been introduced as part of National Motorsport Week (U.K.) to encourage more people to get involved in all areas of motorsport. A wide range of enthusiast motor clubs, championships, teams and other organisations will provide displays and offer advice to help newcomers get started in the sport, whether as a competitor, volunteer or spectator. So essentially it sounds like one of those open houses we have here by the Air Force or Home Team only this time its all about high octane and two pairs of wheels. Visitors to Go Motorsport Live! will not only be able to see one of the Marussia F1 Team's cars up close but they will also have the chance to win factory visits to both the Sahara Force India and Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One teams. Sahara Force India is situated opposite the entrance to Silverstone and will be offering 50 lucky visitors a unique opportunity to visit the F1 team's headquarters. There will also be a chance for four Go Motorsport Live! visitors to win a factory tour at Mercedes AMG F1 at a later date. As a further attraction to Formula One fans, Silverstone will be offering hot laps on the southern section of its Grand Prix circuit as well as tours of its imposing new Wing pits. Visitors will even be offered the chance to stand on the F1 podium. -
The garage or workshop as we know it, is usually run by men. It's a different case if you pay a visit to the garage 'Caroline's Car'. Situated in Norwich, England, this is an all-women garage (probably the first in the world, too!) that is owned and run by women. It was established a decade ago and has now received hundreds of loyal female customers. Yet, what attracts me more is how this garage started in the first place. Well, after performing some research, I figured out that the owner, Caroline Lake, 42, used to work as an intern at a common garage. She worked at the garage for four sad years during which she didn't get paid. Can you imagine it, four straight years without being paid? That sucks! However, her hard work eventually paid off as she became the first British woman to receive a legitimate tester certificate from the U.K.'s Ministry of Transport. It was the increasing number of women who complained about their experiences at the garage she was working at that inspired Lake to start her own garage. According to her, most of the time, women were deceived by men who were supposedly more knowledgeable when it comes to cars. She said that it was common for women to be told that their cars needed huge fees in order to get it repaired. Heck, even worse, male mechanics at some automotive garage even tend to try and buy longer, yet unnecessary, time in repairing a woman's car just so that they can discuss about - not the car but the woman instead - sorry, my apology in advance if what I said may have offended you. While it's discouraging, it's the truth that Lake found out. With that being said, Lake was determined to start her own garage where women will no longer be deceived and that they can have real and convenient car service experiences. Thanks to her determination and guarantee that there'll be no female customers deceived, plenty of women in her area preferred to have their car serviced at Lake's. Quite amusingly, Lake's garage, Caroline's Car, has one typical characteristic. It is mandatory that every single employee wears a pink uniform. I'll tell you what, Lake has also recruited a male mechanic who is meant to help with heavy-duty tasks that women are unlikely to carry out themselves and this male mechanic has to wear a pink uniform too. Having seen quite a huge success with her garage, Caroline Lake is now considering the possibility of offering her business as a franchise. She claims to be interested in expanding her business, at least in her home country. In fact, she has even started offering special courses and opening mechanical test centres to attract more women into the odds and ends of the automotive world.
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Not so long ago, Japanese automaker Honda introduced the new 9th generation Honda Accord. However, it seems that Honda has yet to be satisfied as the company has introduced another variant of its luxury sedan, the Honda Accord Hybrid. The launch took place on 21st June 2013 in Japan. On this occasion, Honda took the privilege to launch two versions at the same time. The first version is the pure hybrid version which makes use of the so-called Sport Hybrid i-MMD (intelligent Multi-Mode Drive) drivetrain. Another version is the plug-in hybrid version. The Japanese automaker claims that the pure hybrid version will reach 30km/L in terms of fuel efficiency. As for the plug-in hybrid version, Honda claims it has what it takes to reach 70.4km/L. I believe what plays an important role in this case is the fact that the driver can choose to max out the electrical power with the plug-in hybrid version. It also seems likely that Honda will apply the Sport Hybrid i-MMD drivetrain to its upcoming models. And, with the launch of the Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda is offering no less than three driving modes. If the driver chooses the first driving mode, only electrical power will be used when the car is standing still, moving slowly, or when it is running at an average speed. It is only when the speed starts to climb higher that the car will switch to its gasoline engine. With the second mode, the gasoline engine will directly start using the generator provided in order to supply energy to the electrical motor so that the car can move. This will also give the car maximum acceleration. Then, with the last driving mode, the car will count on its gasoline engine to help the car run at its maximum reachable speed. Conveniently, the driver can also choose to turn on all of the driving modes. This seems more suitable to new drivers, I believe. Choosing this option will give a fuel efficiency of 30km/L in average. The Honda Accord Hybrid uses a lithium-ion battery which, if fully filled, will ease the driver's mind in terms of refueling or recharging up to 37.6km! It's quite a far distance to enjoy driving a luxury Japanese sedan and forget about juice, isn't it? However, unfortunately, Honda seems determined to only rent the plug-in hybrid version of the Honda Accord Hybrid while it is offering the pure hybrid version for sale already.
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Motorcyclists can finally have a navigation system too!
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
A comprehensive navigation system has become a standard for most, if not all, of today's cars. However, the same can't be said of motorcycles, at least not yet. With that being said, a motorcyclist will have to go through all the difficulties in reading a paper map if he wants to get the right direction to where he's heading. But now, things are about to change, thanks to a Russian company. This company is planning to come up with a solution known as the LiveMap. Featuring an earphone, a microphone, a light sensor, and - the best part - a micro display, this navigation system will project directions in the form of a heads-up display, just like what we can find featured in today's fighter jets. How cool does that sound? Unlike Google Glass - which projects images on the upper right hand side, the LiveMap will project directions right on the centre of the visor of the helmet the motorcyclist is wearing. And, thanks to the light sensor, the directions on the visor will remain transparent regardless of whether it is in the day or night. I would say that this is absolutely important as it ensures safety. A digital compass and an integrated gyroscope are also in place to make sure that the motorcyclist gets the correct orientation of the projection displayed on his visor, even if he's leaning the bike or tilting his head. Wow, this is yet another cool feature to anticipate, isn't it? But then, there's another problem, what about the power supply the helmet is going to need? Well, counting on a couple of lithium-ion batteries, the Russian company behind the solution claims that the helmet is likely to last a day. However, a USB charge plug will also come in handy should the motorcyclist require extra juice. How does this augmented-reality helmet sound? Well, if you're interested, you may want to help make it become a reality as the company is currently trying to raise US$150,000 (S$191,235) via Indiegogo. That amount is required to build a prototype that should work as expected. Then, if everything goes well, one of this LiveMap helmets may demand around US$2,000 (S$2,550) from any motorcyclist interested in it. Of course, there're always chances that prices may go down, even if we may have to wait for another decade. -
Outlander and Evo X perform safety car duties at Pikes Peak Hill Climb
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has announced that the completely redesigned 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander crossover will be the 'Official Safety Vehicle' for this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) to be held on June 30th. With advanced safety features including Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM), the seven seater 2014 Outlander will represent Mitsubishi in serving as the Official Safety Vehicle for this annual event. In addition to its safety technology, the Outlander is available with the company's Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive system that provides superior stability, traction and control - perfect for negotiating not only the numeral twists and turns of the Pikes Peak course but also the instantaneously changing harsh weather and road conditions along this high elevation route. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution will also join the Outlander as a supplemental safety vehicle. These vehicles were built specifically for the race with support coming from a number of firms including BBS USA, Cobb Tuning, Kenwood USA Corporation, and Muellerized Suspension Tuning. In Mitsubishi Motors' debut in last year's running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, its innovative i-MiEV Evolution all-electric prototype racing car scored an impressive second place finish in the Electric Vehicle Division in 2013. For the 91st hill climb, Mitsubishi Motors returns with an all new, more powerful electric powered prototype racing car dubbed the MiEV Evolution II in a two-car assault, in the very capable hands of two-time Dakar Rally winner Hiroshi Masuoka and six-time Pikes Peak overall motorcycle champion and 2002 SCORE International off-road series champion Greg Tracy. Held in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the challenging Pikes Peak International Hill Climb features a unique road course that is 20km in length with 156 corners, commencing at an elevation of 9,390 feet and finishing at 14,110 feet. First run in 1916, this annual event is the second oldest motor race in America after the Indianapolis 500. Mitsubishi Motors will also serve as the Presenting Sponsor at the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.