Car NEWS log

posted by admin on Feb 23

Nash really wanted to do a STaSIS BBK on his A3 2.0T, unfortunately finding a wheel that clears a BBK in the high offset to fit the A3 was going to necessitate using custom 3 piece Work wheels which were a bit out of the budget at the moment.

In the end he decided to leave the brakes alone and go with 18″ Hartmann B7 RS4-252 wheels with some Bridgestone Potenza S-02 tires. The ET 47 wheels were chosen to avoid rubbing and a 5mm H&R spacer was used in the rear to even the look out with the fronts.

New TPMS units also had to be sourced as Nash plans to use his old wheels for winter usage.

And now that the wheels are on Nash has a 4 hr drive to look forward to early tomorrow morning, get some rest buddy!

posted by admin on Feb 22

Audi was nice enough to provide us with some more shots of the 2009 A4 Avant ahead of its official unveiling in Geneva next month. As discussed previously, the new estate gets an extra five inches tacked onto its back end to produce a total of 50-cubic feet of storage in the boot. At this point, Audi will only be offering those of us in the States the 2.0-liter TFSI, whereas sedan buyers can opt for the larger 3.2-liter V6. Disappointing as that may be, Audi was able to shave off ten-percent of the weight on this model when compared to the outgoing version.

Source:AutoBlog

posted by admin on Feb 20

Mazda is very proud to announce its Dockable Entertainment System that will be optional in the 2008 Mazda CX-9. Any kind of an entertainment system with a dock is awesome, except in this case when the docking gadget is the Gameboy Advance. Yes, the Gameboy Advance–technically four generations old–is now supported by the 2008 Mazda CX-9. The press release is quick to call it the “world’s most popular video game platform,” which may be a bit of a fabrication. Regardless, the idea of being able to dock a portable gaming system in an in-car entertainment system is a great. But it’s a shame that Mazda dropped the ball and didn’t look into which Gameboy is the current standard. Either that, or Mazda’s PR team needs to get some facts straight. The Dockable Entertainment System with Game Boy Advance is available in the Moonroof and Bose packages in the CX-9 for $1,400. Click through to see the full release for yourself.

MAZDA TO OFFER DOCKABLE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM WITH GAMEBOY ADVANCE FOR CX-9 CROSSOVER SUV

IRVINE, Calif. – Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced a new accessory available for the multiple-award-winning 2008 Mazda CX-9. Providing hours of entertainment for those long hauls, the Dockable Entertainment System with Game Boy® Advance (DES) is now available, and allows customers with moonroof-equipped vehicles to enjoy a Genuine Mazda Accessory rear seat DVD system.

With the ability to play games, movies, music and more in the CX-9, the Dockable Entertainment System with Game Boy® Advance (DES) provides endless enjoyment, truly enhancing the travel experience of the passengers and driver alike. The system combines the versatility of a premium in-vehicle player, a portable DVD player, 10.2-inch display and the world’s most popular video game platform. The complete Mazda accessory kit contains a dockable DVD player, roof-mounted docking station, two wireless headphones, a wireless game controller, AC charger and a carry bag. A factory-installed, roof-mounted Rear Seat Entertainment System option with Bose 5.1 surround sound, 115V power outlet and audio/video input is available for customers choosing vehicles not equipped with a moonroof.

Coming off the heels of winning the 2008 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year and the coveted North American Truck of the Year award, Mazda offers another way to make the CX-9 even more enjoyable. The Mazda CX-9 deftly blends Mazda’s signature sporty driving spirit with seven passenger sport-utility vehicle (SUV) practicality. A clean break from traditional SUVs, the Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV has won high marks for its dynamic styling, powerful and dynamic driving performance and a spacious interior more commonly found in premium vehicles. With the addition of the Dockable Entertainment System with Game Boy® Advance (DES), Mazda provides more options for its customers to further improve the driving experience.

The Dockable Entertainment System with Game Boy® Advance (DES) is available on all 2008 CX-9s equipped with the Moonroof and Bose® Audio Package. With a suggested retail price of $1,400, the system is just another way that Mazda is providing CX-9 customers with more of the options they want

posted by admin on Feb 20

While the Toyota Prius and other hybrids may be the next best thing to riding a Vespa for the environment, one group has been concerned about their lack of noise they produce. Members of the National Federation of the Blind are voicing their concerns to a Maryland legislative committee today regarding the safety of hybrid vehicles while running in all-electric mode. It’s been reported over the last couple of years that individuals who rely on sound to safely interpret and navigate their surroundings are at risk when navigating congested urban environments populated by hybrids. The legislative task force will study the effects of a vehicle’s noise levels on pedestrian safety and make a recommendation by the end of the year. If this initiative gets traction, we don’t think a Prius will start singing like the Ferrari F430 anytime soon… but maybe they could give it a nice growl like the Audi R8?

[Source: AutoBlog]

posted by admin on Feb 19

Audi Q7 PPI ICE – Excellent Ultimate

At the end of November in Essen one could have paid attention to a bright stand of the company PPI. The company was able to attract attention of the audience by the only pearl – Audi Q7 PPI ICE.

In November 2007 the car was just a “halved” copy – no modernized power unit and full-quality press-release. At the moment – full package.

PPI ICE is a European tuning-scene unicut. The car can be compared only to the product by ABT and, to tell you the truth, gold would still go to the novelty by PPI.

The first thing – body-kit

The “suit” is almost perfect for Q7. The powerful front, wide wheel-arches, channels and a prestigious rear end with an anti-wing and run-out. The picture is supported by a “soundy” exhaust 4-shank represented by chrome pipes at either side of the car.

The second thing – the engine

The manufacture offers a few power increasing variants – via a kit. For instance, the diesel variant program includes a sport air-filter, new control unit software and sport exhaust system. The result – 47-hp power increase and 45-NM increase of the torque.

The top variant is Audi PPI ICE 4.2L V8 where with the help of a couple of powerful compressors the experts of the company were able to increase the power to 600 hp. The acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h. takes 5.9 seconds (the series – 7.4 seconds) and the max speed is 295 km/h.

The third thing – dynamics

As for the dynamics, the novelty got ultimate high-performance braking system with 405- and 380-mm braking plates, modernized (by PPI module) suspension which is able to change the clearance in the range of 110 mm (for instance, it can lower by 40 mm or rise by 70 mm), and a few stabilizers. The car is equipped with 22-inch rims of the series.

The forth thing – interior

The interior of the car looks very rich and tailored for Anglo-American contingent, which is explained by multiple possibilities of attaching pocket devices like, for instance, iPhone, Treo or Blackberry. Moreover, the interior is done in alcantara, carbon and leather.

posted by admin on Feb 19

Chrysler LLC is still in court battling it out with Plastech over tooling in which Chrysler claims ownership over. In fact, Chrysler already has suppliers lined-up to take Plastech’s business (Decoma unit of Magna, Continental Plastics, Mayco Plastics).

If Chrysler wins in court tomorrow, it is prepared to shutdown all of its assembly plants for a week while it moves the tooling equipment and gets its new suppliers online. Plastech’s work for Chrysler was the assemblies and molded parts, such as the center consoles and bumper fascias.

Plastech is contending that if the equipment is removed it will be unable to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

posted by admin on Feb 18

INTRODUCTION
In 2006, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled 101EX, an experimental car hand-built to explore an exciting new design direction for a modern coupé. Wrapped in a sleek, rakish body, 101EX was an engineering-led study, showcasing the technical and architectural innovation inherent in the quintessential modern Rolls-Royce car. Both handsome and elegant, it encapsulated the essence of contemporary coupé style.

So positive was the worldwide reaction to 101EX that, in autumn 2007, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced that a series model would go into production in the summer of 2008. This coupé would complete the Phantom family, standing alongside the Phantom, Phantom Extended Wheelbase and Phantom Drophead Coupé.

Revealed at the Salon International de l’Automobile, Geneva in March 2008, the Phantom Coupé is the third new model from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since BMW Group became custodian of the marque in 1998.

posted by admin on Feb 18

After a five-day shutdown due to a mechanical glitch at Chrysler’s Belvidere stamping plant, the facility will again be able to resume building the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot. In the short term, Chrysler will keep the assembly facility running smoothly by outsourcing stamping to other nearby plants. The shutdown came only weeks before the Belvidere plant permanently drops one shift, which will result in the indefinite layoff of 1,000 workers. With a tough economy in which automakers are struggling to sell units, it’s unlikely many people will have difficulty finding a Caliber, Compass, or Patriot as a result of the temporary shutdown.

posted by admin on Feb 18

Compact cars led the sales ladder in Canada during the past year as the Honda Civic celebrates its 10th consecutive year atop the chart.

Very little has changes in this years Top 10 list. The top six cars are the exact same with final sales numbers similar in most cases. For the 10th consecutive year, the Honda Civic was crowned the best-selling car in Canada with total sales of 70,838 for 2007 up slightly from the 70,028 for the previous year.

From January 1 to December 31, 2007
Rank / Model (Last year’s position) / Total sales

1- Honda Civic (1) 70,838

2- Mazda3 (2) 48,236

3- Toyota Corolla (3) 40,474

4- Toyota Yaris (4) 34,424

5- Chevrolet Cobalt (5) 32,613

6- Toyota Camry (6) 28,218

7- Pontiac G5 (8) 25,211

8- Ford Focus (7) 24,013

9- Honda Accord (–) 22,102

10- Nissan Versa (–) 21,940

posted by admin on Feb 18

While we like to cover what’s going on in the German tuning scene, the haus of RDX proves that we shouldn’t stray far from the Lorinzers, Schnitzers, Brabus’ and Hartges of the world.

What makes this Audi A3 truly horrible isn’t the lime green paint, the misaligned chrome-lipped rollers or even the Lambo-style doors that aren’t included in the price of the $895 body kit. No, the biggest problem with the RDX A3 is the fact that nothing – not one damn thing – has been done under the hood. If we had to search our souls for a singular redeeming quality, it’s the fact that RDX fitted LEDs from the S6 into the front fascia. Otherwise… fail.

If you must, RDX’s press release is after the jump and you can check the gallery below for another acid-reflux inducing image.