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Well, surely there are plenty of amazing things you can do in life. However, the kind of stunts you are about to watch in the video below is likely not included as one of those amazing things. While there are some pretty mind-boggling stunts you can do with a motorcycle, this guy is really pushing the limit, yet in a bad way. Every single motorcyclist is supposed to know that putting on a helmet is one really basic rule to obey when it comes to riding a motorcycle. However, I think some people are just ignorant, if not stupid enough, to take this rule for granted. Then, when things happen as opposed to their expectations, only then will they start to regret, which is hopeless, useless and, obviously, too late. However, the guy, whose video you are about to watch, doesn't seem to care about these rules. He tries to show off some motorcycling stunts without any helmet protecting his head despite the basic rule I just talked about earlier. Well, maybe he doesn't really care about his head anyway. He's kind of stupid, after all. Not wearing a helmet and yet, the guy is still daring enough to perform wheelies on a pretty busy, I repeat - pretty busy, road as you can see from the traffic density in the video. As you can tell, he may fail his stunt and fall onto the road at any given time and, when that happens, he will crash his head hard on to the asphalt! And, to make things even worse, chances are really high that one or more cars may run over him right after he falls. However, it's a good thing and quite a relief, too, that he didn't fail his stunt this time, at least that's how it seems to me. Still, this is not something you are encouraged to try, not even at the tiniest bit! Try to keep that in mind, will ya?
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Nissan Leaf EV winning the hearts and wallets of cab drivers in the U.K.
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Taxi operators across cities in Europe are going through a quiet revolution as they start to shift from conventional diesel powered cabs to zero-emission - and near silent Nissan Leaf taxis. Two years after the EV went on sale in Europe, Nissan Leaf taxis are now operating in European cities like Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Spain and the U.K. The world's best-selling electric vehicle (EV) is fast becoming a favourite among taxi drivers too, thanks to lower running costs and fueled by a desire to reduce airborne pollution in city centres. These road warriors are fast-becoming EV advocates showing colleagues the benefits of making the switch from diesel to electric. One of the strongest advocates is Amsterdam-based Taxi-E company. With a fleet of 13 Nissan LEAF's, the firms' drivers have covered over 700,000km - further than the distance between earth and the moon. The cars are quick-charged two or three times daily using 100 percent green energy, meaning they're always ready for passengers. The city of Zurich in Switzerland, will soon obtain ten Nissan Leaf supported by a network of city-wide fast chargers as part of the city's plans to make 15 percent of its taxi fleet electric by 2015. Capable of restoring the battery life by up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes, many customers arrive with partially full batteries, thus making the average stay - just 15 minutes. In Portugal, the first European country to sell the Leaf, Lisbon based owner-driver Jose Ferreira replaced his diesel powered taxi with a Leaf and has since driven more than 15,000km so far. Interestingly he reveals 70 percent of his customers liked the experience - and they would actively choose to ride in an electric taxi. Fuel and running costs are the biggest factors for taxi owner-drivers. Owner-driver Roberto San Jose from Valladolid, Spain, would have to spend more than -
If you're a car fan, chances are you're somehow familiar with the 'Transformers' franchise. Now, within around a year to come, you may be waiting in line at the cinema to get your ticket for 'Transformers 4'. Yes, you heard it right. The latest sequel to the robot-transforming car movies is expected to arrive by June 2014. While most people are talking about Mark Wahlberg (remember him in 'Ted' or 'Broken City'?) replacing Shia LaBeouf as the main protagonist, what's more interesting to me is the addition of some new cars. It seems that director Michael Bay does have some quite serious taste for cars indeed. For Transformers 4, he'll be bringing a special edition Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse with a W16 quad-turbo engine. It's capable of spitting out 1,200bhp of power and 1,500Nm of torque in total. Well, that's not the only excitement, though. In addition to the Vitesse, the director will be bringing the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray as well. However, I suggest that you avoid trying to compare the Vitesse and Stingray side by side, especially in terms of price. It's out of the question that the Stingray's pricing is nowhere near the Vitesse. While you can get your hands on the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray with US$50,000 (approximately S$63,000), you need at least US$2.4 million (approximately S$3 million) to drive home the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. However, this 'Transformer' (the Stingray, supposedly an Autobot) does win when it comes to playing an American hero. The Vitesse that will be starring in the latest Transformers sequel to come is a special edition painted in brown-blue two-tone colour combination. As for the Stingray, it will come in bright green. Besides the two cars mentioned above, it
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Ferrari 458 Italia wrecked thanks to mobile car cleaner
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Here in Singapore, we have plenty of automotive services such as valet parking and mobile car cleaning/detailing, among others. However, being convenient services as they may be, it seems that you really have to be very careful when using this kind of local services. Don't let yourself be caught off-guard because of the convenience. Well, you can't guarantee that your car will always be taken care of by someone experienced for example, when you feel like leaving the nuisance of finding a parking space to the valet guys or when you want your car to be cleaned/detailed. In fact, even if the guy at your service is experienced, there's still no guarantee that things won't go wrong. Recently, in Portsmouth, U.K., a customer's car was wrecked by a mobile car cleaner and, mind you, it was a Ferrari 458 Italia! Ironically, it wasn't the first time the customer used the cleaner's service. Well, the wet road on that day might be partially responsible for the crash. However, I wonder if the cleaner was trying to 'air dry' the car by going for a joyride around the corner and subsequently crashing it. Well, just so you know, it isn't a hard thing at all to lose traction of your car, especially if it's a supercar, coupled with the wet surface which is slippery. Perhaps the traction control of the red Ferrari was somehow switched off, too, at that time. Well, having had to suffer from such a super expensive incident, I'm not too sure if the customer will use the service of the mobile car cleaner in question ever again. And it seems that there are times when we need to use our own hands if we want something done right. -
Drayson Racing Technologies aims to break land speed record set in 1974
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Drayson Racing Technologies has announced to make an attempt for the FIA World Electric Land Speed Record on 25th June at RAF Elvington in Yorkshire, U.K. It's the latest challenge to be undertaken by the pioneering electric motorsport firm, which has been at the forefront of sustainable racing since 2007 and was first to sign up for the new FIA Formula E championship series. The attempt will be made in the sub-1000kg class to be piloted by entrepreneur, racing driver and former U.K. Science Minister Lord Drayson. He will drive a low-drag version of the Drayson B12 69EV electric Le-Mans Prototype flat-out along Elvington's 2.99km long runway. Lord Drayson will aim to better the current record of 281km/h set by Battery Box General Electric in the United States back in 1974. Lord Drayson, CEO and co-founder of Drayson Racing Technologies, commented, "It is not the outright speed that is impressive about this record attempt, but the engineering challenge of accelerating a 1,000kg electric vehicle to such a high speed and sustaining that speed, before stopping safely all within a relatively short distance then turning round and doing it again within an hour." With the electric land speed record it intends to showcase what is possible with an electric drivetrain and underscore Britain -
Race Driver: Grid is a video game by Codemasters - the same developers of the recent slew of F1 games and Dirt rally car racing series. The sequel, Grid 2, is an upcoming video game by the same developers to be released in a couple of days on PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows OS. Most video games like God of War, Halo and Call of Duty, among others, usually retail a limited, exclusive or collectors packaging. They often contain a few value add items like DLC, in game character skins, maps, weapons or in the case of Call of Duty - you get night vision goggles or remote controlled 'surveillance vehicle'. As part of the new game, the marketing team for Codemasters have unveiled a new Grid 2: Mono Edition and with it you get the game (obviously), a PlayStation 3 and an actual 273km/h capable BAC Mono car - in full Grid 2 livery and full driver race wear for the ultimate racing experience. By the way, did I mention it costs roughly 125,000 of the queens money (S$238,727) ?
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Ford celebrates 21 years of sponsoring UEFA with new Kuga and Fiesta ST
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Ford is celebrating 21 years as an official UEFA Champions League partner and this year marked the company's largest ever presence at the four-day UEFA Champions Festival. Ford made its presence felt with the new Kuga, Fiesta ST and special guest driver - Ken Block. The new Ford Kuga was featured heavily in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League Finals appearing on match-day hoardings in stadiums around Europe and leading Ford's 'Drive to Wembley' competition. Drive to Wembley was the largest ever ticket giveaway for a UEFA Champions League Final that saw 360 winners from 27 countries around Europe attending the match between FC Bayern Munich and BV Borussia Dortmund. Fans at festival experienced the new Ford Kuga with test drives that highlight Ford -
Need for Speed Rivals - a disguised Need for Speed Most Wanted?
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] Fans of virtual racing, behold -
A bird avoided a runover at the 2013 Monaco GP with a backflip
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
While there are birds practical enough to help people in life - think of pigeons as letter couriers, some birds out there just don't have any idea whatsoever on what they are doing. The dove in the video below is one example. Believe it or not, doves are not clever, not at all. Well, while it's true some birds may find their home after flying a pretty far distance, you still can't consider them clever. It's more like a natural autopilot routine hardwired into their brain, without them realising what they're actually doing. That said, you can't expect doves to do things they aren't exactly created for. As an example, the dove you can see in the video really has no idea that standing on an F1 track is horribly dangerous, especially when an F1 Grand Prix (GP) is taking place. As a result, it had to play chicken with an F1 racer who happened to be approaching its direction. The F1 racer was revealed to be Brazilian Luiz Felipe de Oliveira Nasr. He was piloting a Dallara-Renault F1 car, racing for Carlin Motorsport. However, being stupid for standing on the racetrack in the first place, I must admit the bird has some great maneuverability. You see, it avoided being flattened by the racecar with a somehow adorable backflip, reminding me of those Kung-Fu moves you see in the movies. Fortunately, the bird survived, which is a good thing - and a miracle, too. -
Well, I won't argue that there are plenty of sports cars out there with retractable roofs. However, among all those convertibles, the MX-5 (Miata) from Japanese automaker Mazda may be one in particular that you should put your eyes on. Not only does it offer hair winding fun, but there's actually more to it than you might possibly imagine. Well, here's some proof. Recently, Mazda U.K., in collaboration with some Frisbee freaks and pro stunt drivers, just made this video which I would say is pretty cool. Watch the video and I believe you will think playing Frisbee on a car is something you should try too. At a glance, what these people did in the video may seem impossible. However, they managed to pull it off - and with a huge success in my opinion. Although the Mazda MX-5 isn't the type of car you can really count on when it comes to speed, it does offer you a fun steering, braking, gear shifting, and suspension. As a result, it makes something as fun as throwing the Frisbee disk from the car in front such that it lands in the car behind possible and it's unimaginably fun. To top it off, it can all be done while drifting, too! Hehe, I think you may even get addicted to it over times. However, don't swallow my words for it in an instance. Go check out the action and the fun yourself in the video.
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In May 1913, James Radley set off from Brown's Hotel in London's Mayfair for a famous motoring adventure - the 1913 Alpine Trial. A century later, the same Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost has returned - ready to depart for a re-enactment of the event. Forming the modern day Rolls-Royce Works Team, Radley's car will join a contemporary pioneer, a 2013 Alpine Trial Centenary Collection Rolls-Royce Ghost on a faithful re-enactment of the rally in June this year. But the Works Team will be accompanied by more than 40 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts - many over a century old to traverse over 1,800 miles of Alpine roads. The rally will start in Vienna on 14th June 2013, and will pass through Italy, Croatia and Slovenia before returning to Austria's capital for a special evening hosted by Margraf Pallavicini at his Palais, exactly 100 years to the day since the finale of the original Alpine Trial. Taking in some of Europe's finest and most challenging mountain roads, the rally will meet with a group from the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club at Riva Del Garda, Italy, on Friday 21st June where 100 historic Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts will assemble for the largest gathering of its kind in history. The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts' exceptional performance in the 1913 Alpine Trial saw it earn the moniker 'The Best Car in the World', cementing the marque's reputation for engineering excellence and impeachable reliability. To celebrate this extraordinary moment in Rolls-Royce and automotive history, the Bespoke department at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England designed and crafted a 21st century homage. Finished in an exterior hue that takes inspiration from the Radley car, the 2013 Alpine Trial Centenary Ghost features exquisitely crafted bespoke touches that elegantly tell the story of the 1913 Trial. The clock displays the stages of the rally and timings while inlays to rear picnic tables and the front fascia express the topography and distances of the Alpine route. A hand-painted coachline referencing the four Rolls-Royce motor cars that took part in the rally and headlining, colour-matched to the hood of Radley's car, completes a beautiful homage.
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[extract] While some automakers such as Mazda and Honda are shifting their production to Mexico, the Blue Oval, Ford, is planning to do just the opposite. The American automaker is planning to shift its Fiesta production from Chennai and Cuautitl
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As time goes by, China seems to be getting more lucrative when it comes to the automotive market. There are many global automakers out there that have seen huge sales of their car lineups in the country. The German automaker BMW, for example, managed to sell no less than 330,000 units of cars in China last year. In comparison, its rival automaker, Audi, sold at least 400,000 units within the same time period. So, it seems rational for another automaker to come and join the business. In this case, it's the US automaker Cadillac, which is a division that belongs to General Motors (GM). GM has now made clear its intention of building a plant in China after acquiring the signature from the National Development and Reform Commission in the country. The signature means approval for GM to build its plant which is estimated to cost $1.3 billion (S$1.6 billion) in total. The plan is that GM will start establishing the plant in June 2013. In terms of production capacity, the plant is expected to deliver 150,000 units per year. The plant is to be situated at the Jinqiao zone in Shanghai. This factory building approval seems critical for Cadillac as the company has already avoided being forced to pay 25 percent of import tariffs. This is possible thanks to Cadillac's decision to switch its XTS sedan production to China. Bob Socia, President GM China, even happened to comment that it was an imaginable probability that the Cadillacs manufactured in China could be sold in the United States of America. Well, it seems that globalisation has entered a whole brand new era. It's brave and yet, it's also strange at the same time.
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Bugatti Veyron It seems that Dubai is one of the richest cities that exist on Planet Earth. Not only is the city pretty, but it's potentially the safest one in this world as well. Well, if you don't really want to buy what I'm saying, you may want to have a look at the fleet of police cars the city has in store instead. Lamborghini Aventador Not so long ago, the Dubai Police Department already secured quite a few supercars such as the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Lamborghini Aventador, Aston Martin One-77, and the Ferrari FF. Additionally, they also have the Chevrolet Camaro SS. Still, it seems that the local police now think that they shouldn
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If you're a fan of the Italian supercar brand Lamborghini, well, I believe you must have heard of the Urus, the SUV the Italian automaker is planning to build by 2016. It looks aggressive and attractive. However, you aren't likely to get your hands on one, at least not until 2016 at the earliest, even if you have the amount of money it demands, which is US$200,000 (approximately S$251,000). But worry not as the Italian automaker's parent company, Volkswagen (VW) has already given the green light for the mass production of the model. At least, that was stated by Rupert Stadler, Chairman of Audi AG, during the gala dinner of the Grande Giro 50th anniversary tour. For those who don't know, the Grande Giro was Lamborghini's celebration of its 50th anniversary which took place just recently. Nevertheless, if you don't think you can wait any longer, a Chinese automaker known as the Sichuan Yema - which means 'Mustang' - may have an interesting offer. The Chinese company is building an SUV with inspiration from the Lamborghini Urus. It seems that the Chinese version of the SUV may be using a platform similar to that of the Austin Rover Maestro. Two years ago, the company, based in Chengdu, South West China, made a purchase on the platform of the Austin Rover Maestro. Then, not long afterwards, the company began using the platform for its production models. However, since it isn't the actual Lamborghini Urus, I would suggest that you do not expect 100 percent similarity between the Chinese and the actual Italian version of the Urus SUV. Well, it isn't that the Chinese one is totally ugly. Looking at the sides, the sloping roof, and also the rear quarters, it does remind me of the actual Urus. However, the headlamps and taillights are kind of different from the real car. In addition to that, it is in your best interest that you do not expect such a powerful engine (potentially a 600bhp V12 engine) as that of the real Urus. Instead, the SUV from the Chinese 'Mustang' will carry a 1.5-litre engine from Japanese automaker Mitsubishi. This engine will help the Chinese version of the Urus to cruise around Chengdu with a total power output of 143bhp and a peak torque of 200Nm. This SUV from Sichuan Yema is the company's latest SUV. Formerly, the company had also announced quite a lot of new models, all of which were SUVs. Just for your information, the licence possessed by Sichuan Yema only allows it to build SUVs. Unfortunately, keeping in mind that the Chinese automaker has never really managed to deliver their cars to the streets, I wonder if the same will happen to this latest Chinese Urus as well. If you want a comparison, the red SUV you can see in the images is the actual Lamborghini Urus SUV from Italy whereas the white one is its Chinese counterpart.
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Most of us probably think - at least I do - that luxury cars are perfect. Their brands alone have often reflected how top notch they are. Brands like Ferrari, Porsche, and Maserati (among others) are few good examples. However, believe it or not, that will be so true if, and only if, we are living in a perfect world. Speaking of which, unfortunately, this world is not perfect. This recent event in China just proved it even more so. A pretty rich Chinese man decided to destroy his Maserati Quattroporte on 14th May 2013. Mind you, the car costs 2.6 million Chinese Yuan which is equivalent to approximately S$526,000. The Chinese guy hammered his car in front of the crowd witnessing the Qingdao International Auto Show which started on the aforementioned date. According to the man, he destroyed his car to protest against the Maserati dealer he bought the car from. However, I would say that the event was actually the peak of a problem which started back in 2011, as reported by Car News China. At that time, the owner encountered a problem with his Maserati and so he contacted Maserati China. There was a fault with one of the car parts and, considering the car was still under warranty, the owner should have received a replacement for free. Surprisingly, though, Maserati China decided to charge him for a refurbished used part. Well, I guess the dealer must have thought that it was worth it for the 'repair' although I can say it's actually not worth it. Now, seeing that the owner decided to finally destroy his really expensive car, I believe that the guy is really fed up with the dealer. I, for one, can understand the guy. You see, even for a car priced far below the price of the Maserati Quattroporte, we can get engine swaps free of charge as long as the car is still under warranty. Now that I've witnessed a luxury car with quite a few faults, I guess I'll have to think over several times before deciding to buy one of my own in the future (that's assuming I can afford one, though, haha
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While you're driving on the road, one rule of thumb that you'll always have to keep in mind is to be careful, real careful. You have to watch out not only for vehicles to avoid a crash, but you'll also have to beware of drivers who may go mad at you, even if you think you've done not even a single thing that's wrong. I believe you don't want to experience what this motorcycle rider did. Unfortunately enough for the motorcycle rider, he got slapped in the middle of the road by a guy driving a Volkswagen Golf. Honestly, this Golf driver is kind of stupid, I would say, thinking that the motorcycle rider was trying to race him. He claimed that the rider was riding aggressively while in fact it was the VW Golf driver himself who was an aggressive driver and the public could see it as well. Based on what we can see in the video, in addition to the statement from the motorcycle rider which seemed true, we tend to believe that the Golf driver was entirely wrong. Besides, had the motorcycle rider tried to race him, he would have gone past the VW Golf way ahead, keeping in mind how motorcycles can easily slip through traffic whereas cars can't. In addition to that, most of today's motorcycles have really fast acceleration. Just try to recall for yourself, how often have you seen motorcycles going past cars so easily? I believe it happens nearly all the time. However, the response of the motorcycle rider is somewhat cool, I should say. Instead of fighting back, he chose to report the aggressive driver to the local police department. All that's left to do now is to wait for police investigation to complete and it should not take long as the Golf driver had already been identified. According to the rider, one little slap was no big deal, but had the Golf driver hit him the second time, he would have taken his revenge and things would have gone out of hand. Furthermore, the motorcycle rider was putting on a full face helmet, carbon gloves, and protective gear. With that being said, you should be able to imagine how bad things could have gone for the stupid guy in the VW Golf. Well, two thumbs up for you, motorcycle rider!
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It's a commonly known fact that London often becomes the destination of choice for millionaires all over the world, especially during summer time. It seems that the millionaires just love the ambient summer temperature in the city. Well, that's besides the fact that most of them seem to love showing off their expensive collection of cars. This seems even more true for millionaires coming from countries with a climate hotter than that in London, just like this fellow millionaire from Dubai. Just like any other person in London, this fellow seemed to be enjoying his time in the capital city of England. However, it was only so true until he tried to get his Ferrari F12 Berlinetta out of a parking lot. Unfortunately for him, he bumped the right rear quarter of his quarter-of-a-million pound vehicle into the wall. But perhaps he didn't think of it as unfortunate, heck, he probably didn't even care - he's a millionaire after all. The Italian prancing horse didn't seem to be visibly damaged in the video (below), though. Watching the video till the end, the guy finally seemed to care about the scratch he might have caused on his car. Near a red light, he decided to get out to check the right rear quarter, the part he bumped into the wall. Honestly, I can say he seemed pissed afterwards. Well, I wonder what was actually on this guy's mind. Not enough with bumping his car - which some of us (including me) may never be able to buy, he went further to run a red light. Did he think he could do just as he wished whenever he got pissed? Alas, he got trapped in the yellow box marked around the junction as a result. Well, watching the video makes me wonder that it may not be suitable to drive a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta around the twisty narrow London streets. The car seems to better suit the rolling landscape and twisting hills in the country where it comes from. For those who still don't know, the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta carries a 6.3-litre V12 engine under its hood. It can produce a total output of 730bhp. That said, this particular model is also one of the most powerful monsters the Maranello-based automaker currently has in store.
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Volkswagen Up! goes to School of Rock - graduates with Fender audio system
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Volkswagen will be offering two new special edition versions of the award winning Volkswagen Up! in Europe and it will be a treat for fans of rock genre of music and small city cars. Dubbed the Groove Up! and Rock Up!, both vehicles are based on the top-specification High Up! model, each bringing its own unique twist. In the cabin the Groove Up! comes with a rock friendly Fender sound system (the above picture refers to a similar system from the Beetle), complete with six speakers, a subwoofer and a 300-Watt amplifier. Additionally, the Maps & More personal infotainment device is offered as standard which along with touchscreen satellite navigation provides Bluetooth phone connectivity and music streaming -
Toyota officially appoints Indonesia as Yaris production base
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
After the on-and-off rumours circulating around the web for some time about the latest Yaris being produced in Indonesia, I now know for sure what will actually happen. The world renowned Japanese automaker, Toyota, is finally about to officially appoint Indonesia as the production base for the latest Yaris. Toyota's headquarters, the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), will announce its decision to make use of the second plant of PT Toyota Motors Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) which is situated in Karawang, West Java, to manufacture the aforementioned hatchback variant within the next two months. As of today, the plant is only manufacturing the automaker's Etios Valco, which is an economical car, up to 70-80 thousand units per month. The production capacity of the plant itself is actually higher than that and totals up to 140 thousand units per month. As such, it seems wise for Toyota to choose this plant to produce its next model. Judging from the Japanese car manufacturer's decision to switch the production of the Yaris to Indonesia, it seems that the company doesn't want to depend too much on a single country anymore, especially after having to suffer from considerable losses due to the recent flood disaster in Thailand. For your information, Toyota also switched the production of the Fortuner to Indonesia from another country last year. Toyota's decision to manufacture the Yaris in Indonesia also further emphasises its commitment to invest in this developing country. As of the end of the fiscal year 2012, President, Director and CEO of TMC, Akio Toyoda, announced that the Toyota Group was well prepared to spend a total investment value of Rp 26 billion(S$3.3 million) in Indonesia until 2020. For starters, the company had already spent up to Rp 13 billion (S$1.6 million) for the next five years and the investment was spread across six companies, the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) itself, Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd. (TAB), Denso Corp., Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (AS), Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TT), and the Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (DMC). To support its long term plan in Karawang, West Java, Toyota has also prepared a site measuring 150 hectares. Plan is, the site will be used to establish a new engine plant and the third Toyota plant in Indonesia, provided the company's car sales keep on showing a positive trend. Well, it seems that Indonesia may finally be developing for real, indeed. -
NoiseBlock - The true solution to soundproofing your vehicle
Newgnib posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Frustrated by that resonating door panel? Or are you irritated with external noises or distortion from the speaker panel? Most existing builds of cars have soundproofing materials in them but they are not enough to deliver the sound reduction that is up to expectation. This article aims to provide you with a reliable solution for this very problem. What is noise and noise pollution? The definition of noise itself is highly subjective. To some people, the roar of an engine may be satisfying or thrilling but, to others, it may be annoying. Loud music may be enjoyable or a torment, depending on the listener and the circumstances. In general, any form of unwelcome sound is noise pollution, whether it is the roar of a jet plane overhead or the sound of a barking dog a block away. Noise pollution is, hence, not easily defined. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that it is different from other forms of pollution in some ways. One measure of pollution is the danger it poses to health. Noise causes stress, and stress is a leading cause of illness. Therefore, any form of noise can be considered pollution if it disrupts the activity or balance of life and in worst cases, causes annoyance, sleeplessness, fright, or any other stress reaction. What is soundproofing and what are its benefits? Soundproofing is the process of lowering the intensity of a sound by surrounding the source of the noise with noise absorbent materials or surfaces. Any means of reducing the sound pressure with respect to a specified sound source and receptor can be considered as soundproofing. There are several ways to reduce sound and in the case of soundproofing for cars, it is the treatment of a surface to create a barrier to stop noise from passing through this barrier to the other side. Whether it's a Mercedes-Benz or a Kia, all cars can benefit from extra sound proofing. The important thing about sound proofing is that the amount of external noise and vibration is greatly reduced. A quieter journey, less distraction, and an overall more comfortable environment are what you can expect when you start sound proofing your car. Sound proofing will make any car trip feel like a million-dollar joy ride. As for car audio enthusiasts, sound proofing is critical. Nothing will spoil your sound more than a resonating panel, or a vibrating door frame. NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10 NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10 is a product specialty of UK-based firm NoiseStop Systems Singapore. This product originated from the NoiseBlock range of specialised soundproofing building materials for use in everyday construction projects. It was then realised that this technology could be explored in the field of automotives as consumers wanted silent, peaceful and noise-free environments in their vehicle cabins. More notably, these materials are also supplied for use in Singapore Airlines' Boeing 777 aircraft for soundproofing purposes. Advantages of NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10 NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10 is one of the best products on the market for treatment of noise control in automotive, industrial, marine, and aviation industries. This latest advancement to the BY-DS series features an improved elastic compound mixed with viscoelastic polymer binder as the compact layer. The core objective is to convert the energy of noise into heat, and at the same time, quench vibrations through its elemental abilities. This is then laminated to a Metallic Aluminium Based Dampening Sheet to take conduct of any flanking noise and then dissipate its energy across the surface of the material. The final layer comprises of an Ultra High Density mixed polymer noise absorption professional grade foam. This unique combination cannot be found in other products which fail to match up to the performance of NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10. Some of these products include Blu-Tack painted black with aluminium foil or Black Blu-Tack with aluminium foil and plasticine. These bogus products do little to insulate your car and cost insanely high prices. In comparison to conventional damping sheets coated with bitumen, NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10 offers improved density and better results together with the advantages of having fire and mould resistance properties. With the improved composition, NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10 has effective adhesion properties and thus can be applied on any metal surfaces of vehicles to reduce or remove vibration related issues. Besides reducing vibration and noise, NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10 also improves acoustic performance by increasing decay rate. Decay rate is the speed in dB/second at which the vibration reduces after panel excitation has ceased. The application lead-time is only three hours with a lifespan of two years. NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10 also comes with a six-month warranty. The NoiseBlock BY-BDS 10 is available for sale at only $45 per piece. Each piece measures at 1,000mm x 500mm and is 10mm thick. Full installation prices range from $680 to $860 for a small to medium-sized sedan. Why NoiseStop Systems Singapore? NoiseStop Systems Singapore boasts an extensive portfolio to its name. Having worked on major projects such as the Universal Studios Singapore as well as the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, NoiseStop Systems Singapore is the brand to trust. NoiseStop Systems Singapore also has a qualified team of professional team who can advise customers on their soundproofing preferences. More notably, NoiseStop Systems Singapore has its own production facility in Guangzhou, China. Every painstaking process from manufacturing to logistics is handled in-house to ensure better quality control. With their years of expertise, NoiseStop Systems Singapore offers professional soundproofing services with the use of NoiseBlock technology which hails from the United Kingdom. NoiseStop Systems Singapore is also the South East Asian representative of the popular British brand and serves as a regional hub for professional soundproofing in Asia. NoiseStop Systems Singapore is located at 1092 Lower Delta Rd, Mapletree Industrial Estate, #01-14 Singapore S169203. For more information, please call 62767453 or visit http://www.noisestopsystems.sg -
Bentley to expand presence in Eastern Europe by opening new dealership in Minsk
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
U.K. luxury automaker - Bentley - will open a new showroom in the land locked country of Belarus to expand its presence in the fast-growing Eastern Europe region later this year. Belarus or officially known as - The Republic of Belarus - is bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. The capital city is called Minsk, and apparently over forty percent of its land mass is forested, and its strongest economic sectors are service industries and manufacturing. I'm not sure how many affluent people are there but I guess the economy is pretty good. Sounds like a mini-Canada doesn't it? Anyway, Bentley's new dealership will be located in the heart of the capital - Bentley Minsk - will open in Summer 2013. Naturally the dealership will offer sales and aftersales services to customers of the luxury British marque. Bentley Minsk will present the full range of exclusive Bentley cars - from the powerful and elegant Continental GT and GT Convertible V8 and W12 models, to the refined Flying Spur and the Mulsanne luxury flagship. In keeping with the Bentley tradition, each model offers an unrivalled blend of effortless performance, peerless refinement, and hand-crafted contemporary luxury. More details pertaining to the showroom will be released soon. -
The all new Toyota Vios has finally been launched in Indonesia. The launch took place at the Ballroom of the Djakarta Theatre on Tuesday, 7th May 2013. Speaking of this latest generation Toyota Vios, do you remember I once said it's not likely to become a taxi? Well, it seems that I may be wrong as Toyota seems to be thinking differently. I once said the latest Toyota Vios wasn't likely to become a taxi not without a reason. This third generation sedan from Toyota comes with various high end features and modern, if not futuristic, styling cues. Projector headlamps and combination taillights are just a few to name. Not to mention that Toyota is also sticking quite a high price tag for the model, around Rp 242,500,000 (S$30,555) for the manual transmission in Indonesia. That's about Rp 20-25 million (S$2,500-S$3,000) more expensive than its predecessor. Toyota offers two trims - E and G - for its latest generation small sedan. As usual, E is the base trim. However, this time, customers can opt for an automatic transmission while purchasing the base trim. This automatic transmission variant will cost them Rp 252,000,000 (S$31,750). As for the G trim, it comes with either manual or automatic transmission, priced at Rp 259,900,000 (S$32,747) and Rp 272,500,000 (S$34,335) each, respectively. As you can see from the prices alone, it doesn't really make sense for Toyota to convert the All New Vios into a taxi. However, according to Toyota, there will be some adjustments to the features and the exterior design for the taxi version of the model. What's been revealed so far is that the rims and front grille will be different from those of the non-taxi version. Power windows - which are available on the non-taxi version - will also be disposed of. The adjustments have been confirmed by Johnny Darmawan, President and Director, PT Toyota Astra Motor (authorised Toyota distributor in Indonesia). "Yes, we'll keep on using the all new Vios as the development base for the Toyota Limo taxi, but it'll be different with a few adjustments, considering the latest generation has been equipped with classy features and the price is already high, too high to be converted directly into a taxi," said Johnny. He also added that there are already three huge taxi operators in Indonesia which are interested in using the Toyota Limo as their taxi fleets. According to him, the taxi operators are interested in the Toyota Limo thanks to the comfort, efficiency, reliability, and the roomy cabin the model has to offer. Now I understand why Toyota persists in converting its latest sedan model into a taxi. Without the adjustments, it will certainly ruin the image of the all new Toyota Vios as a small size premium sedan. As a result, there will be less people interested in spending their dime on the newly released sedan model.
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'Gran Turismo: the Real Driving Simulator' - if you're a fan of the Sony PlayStation video game console, you should be familiar with the tagline, even if you aren't really into driving. However, now that you're reading this post, I guess you're or have become a fan of cars and driving, too, just like I am. Well, as you know, the Gran Turismo series have always been the most popular when it comes to racing on the PlayStation platform. Gran Turismo 5 was a big hit when it came out. Now, rumour has it that the 6th installment to the series is about to come out this year, on 28th November 2013 to be exact. This information is obtained from a few IT-related websites which have mentioned that we can start to place our orders for the game due late autumn this year. Multiplayer.com (an Italian website), for example, said that the game was ready for order and would be delivered on the very same date. The website also mentioned that the game would be available for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) platform. However, in a turn of events, the site has since placed a 'Not Available' tag on the game. Another example, Newegg.com, also placed the Gran Turismo 6 on its list but has now labeled it as 'Discontinued'. Personally, I think this is extremely weird. How can a product become discontinued when it hasn't even been released? Tell me. Word was that Newegg.com priced the game at USD$59.99 (S$73.90) and said that the game would be available on the 28th of November this year, before it labeled the game as 'Discontinued'. Unfortunately, the game producer (which should be Polyphony Digital) has yet to comment on this or shed us some light on when the game will officially be released. So by far, all I can think of is that probably the sites, such as those mentioned above, are actually well aware of the game's official release date. However, they might have to wait for the official announcement before they will be able to receive any order from customers. Nonetheless, I'll update you as soon as I get an update on this issue.
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Cars might be getting smarter, more efficient and environmentally friendly over the years but one aspect that hasn't changed in the face of motoring - fuel prices. The Volkswagen Group are among numeral carmakers that are actively pursuing ways to manufacture cars that are environmentally friendly and fuel efficient. Audi is no stranger to this formula and the premium German marque aims to bring it one step further - from saving fuel to saving money on fuel through a nifty online feature. Aptly dubbed the new Fuel Prices service