en | fr | de | it | es | pt | ru
blog.niot.net
Audi R8 V10 will be all LED, all the time

The Audi R8 claimed a number of world firsts – that is, walking away with magazine awards and journalists' hearts the world over. The Audi R8 V10 is about to claim a world first in technology: it will be the first car to offer high and low beam LED headlights as standard equipment. (Note: The 2009 Cadillac Escalade Platinum was the first vehicle in the world to offer all-LED headlamps.) You can buy the package as an option on the regular R8, so it's only fitting that the bigger and more expensive beast gets more tricks. Audi trumpets the inclusion as an energy-saving measure – LEDs use a quarter of the energy of halogen headlights, and that number will only get better as LEDs evolve. You probably never thought you could know so much about LEDs.
posted : 1/5/2009 @10:26:08 PM
Tata Motors sales plunge by nearly half

Even when you (intend to) make the cheapest brand-new car in the world, you can't escape an economic downturn. Global jitters and year-end hemming and hawing have conspired to slice Tata's December sales figures nearly in half compared to a year ago. December is a traditionally slow month for auto sales as buyers try to put off expenditures until the next year (when incentives are more attractive on existing stock), but even accounting for the bargain hunters, this is a major drop. Everyone, everywhere is down, and Tata Motors stock has taken a beating thanks to the economy and costly external issues like plant troubles. That said, recent interest rate cuts have buoyed company shares in hopes that the Nano (not to mention Saint CarBuyer) will soon arrive, and if nothing else, they still have the Indica's longevity to celebrate.
posted : 1/5/2009 @10:19:35 PM
Does Washington's GMAC bailout hurt Ford?The Wall Street Journal puts forth the case that the government's $5 billion lifeline to GMAC has given GMAC a competitive advantage compared to its rivals. After the taxpayer cash was received, GMAC dropped the required credit score to get a loan and began offering 0% financing on several models, and rates from about 1% to 6% on a host of others. While doing so, it admitted that "without this [loan] . . . we would not be able to do this today." The Journal cries foul, saying that because GMAC is essentially doing this with -- or at least, because of -- government money, "the feds have now put the muscle of the state behind one company's products." The Journal also considers that the government might do what it can to make sure the horses it bet on win the race, saying "the Washington temptation will be to take other steps to help the two companies gain market share at the expense of their private competitors."
more ...
posted : 1/5/2009 @10:09:28 PM
CES 2009 Preview: FLIR helps BMWs detect pedestrians

FLIR, the maker of BMW's night-vision system, will be at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week showing off its PathFindIR thermal imaging camera. The company says its system isn't confused by oncoming headlights, works well in cold weather and can even see through fog, dust and smoke. FLIR also says its camera is based on the same technology used by the military to provide a 36° field-of-view of the road ahead. We plan to check out the company's claims in the 6 Series they're bringing to CES. Maybe they'll even let us take it out and recreate that urban rumor of 200-mph desert highway sprints with no headlights. No, probably not.
posted : 1/5/2009 @10:04:47 PM
Court strikes down Michigan "fuzzy dice" ban... then reinstates it...A man named Lonnie Ray Davis was pulled over by Michigan police. When they searched his car, they found an open alcohol container, crack, a wad of cash, a stun gun, and a .38 caliber handgun. He was, of course, arrested. But the reason they pulled him over has become a constitutional law issue: Davis had a Tweety Bird ornament dangling from his rear view mirror, and Michigan law forbids dangling things that "obstruct the vision of the driver of the vehicle." Davis' argument was that the Tweety Bird didn't obstruct his vision, so the cops had no right to pull him over, and therefore the items they found should be suppressed. The 6th Court of Appeals initially struck down the Michigan law since it does not define "to what degree the driver's vision must be obstructed or for how long." Noting that a great many cars have objects dangling from their mirrors, and so may be in unwitting violation of the law, "the statute itself provides no guidance either to motorists or police as to which ones" violate the law, and so must be scrapped. The court didn't suppress the evidence, and shortly after its ruling it rescinded its decision striking down the ban. The reason is thought to be that the court was required to let Michigan plead its case for the ban before the court struck it down. The court has not given a reason for its reversed decision. As far as the now-reinstated fuzzy dice ban, for now it remains a reason for the police to pull you over if and when they decide.
posted : 1/5/2009 @10:03:35 PM
CES 2009 Preview: Internet radio in the car

At next week's Consumer Electronics Show, Blaupunkt and miRoamer will announce the first in-dash Internet radio receiver. The press release we received says the radios will be offered as "built-in original equipment" but doesn't go into detail about what automakers will offer the system or even how the radios receive the data. "The beauty of Internet car radio is the customized user experience," said George Parthimos, Founder and CEO of miRoamer said in a press release. "Today, users want to jump in their car and go – no pulling out third-party devices or plugging in cords to access their music and information. miRoamer's development with Blaupunkt is the first seamless Internet radio solution. Now, with the simple push of a button, users can access AM/FM stations or Internet radio's thousands of music, entertainment, news and talk stations from around the world, all from the same car stereo." Users of the new head units will be able to tune into Internet radio stations offered by miRoamer as well as add stations of their choosing by simply inputting the URL. The photo above is of Blaupunkt's prototype New Jersey head unit.
posted : 1/5/2009 @10:02:08 PM
Road commission calls for gas tax hikeA gas tax is about more than putting liquid into your tank and subtracting a higher amount from your bank account. A gas tax is -- just like CAFE and hybrids and $25 billion set aside to finance fuel efficient technologies -- about reworking and redefining our entire system of private transportation. And since that system is most certainly going to redefined, it is no surprise that the National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing has recommended a jump in the federal fuel tax. Congress created the commission to examine the federal taxes on fuel -- currently 18.4 cents for gas and 24 cents for diesel -- and the commission came back with the same results as everyone else: people are driving less, and driving more fuel efficient cars, and that has killed revenue for transportation infrastructure. One member of the commission said, "I'm not excited about a gas tax increase, but the reality is our current gas tax doesn't pay for upkeep of the system we have now. We can either let the roads go to hell or we can pay more." If the roads go to hell, though, guess what? We're going to pay more, but that money will go to service departments and auto parts stores. The proposed solution is to make the gasoline fuel tax 24.4 cents, and the diesel tax between 36 and 39 cents. That would begin to make up for the $105 billion difference between actual revenues and the money needed to upkeep our roads and highways. It is conceivable that a higher gas tax could also encourage people to buy those high-mileage vehicles the government keeps commanding Detroit to make. But before that happens, it will probably just make a lot of people anguished and angry.
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:57:14 PM
Video: Robbie Maddison jumps a motorcycle 120 feet to top of Arc de Triomphe in Vegas

Ever since Evel Knievel made jumping a motorcycle into a national phenomenon, there seems to be an endless supply of insane (and inane) stunts with which to occupy our imaginations. The latest feat was performed in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve and involved launching Robbie Maddison -- the man who performed a different jump in Sin City last New Year's Eve -- over 100 feet and landing at the top of the Arc de Triomphe at the Paris hotel. Of course, what goes up, must come down, and so did Robbie. Fortunately, he managed to stick the landing but he reportedly injured his hand in the process. Watch the whole bit go down on the video -- complete with the obligatory cut-shots to his rightfully concerned significant other -- after the break. In related news, Robbie Knievel also made a (less impressive) Vegas jump that night, and that video can also be seen after the break.
more ...
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:49:28 PM
Matte stop-gap: 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS Grand Edition

The Mercedes-Benz CLS is due for a refresh within the next two years, but before M-B releases an all-new version of its pioneering and often imitated four-door "coupe," at least one special edition is in order. The 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS Grand Edition features a set of bi-xenon headlamps, with an integrated cleaning and range adjustment system, along with fog lamps that swivel with the steering wheel to illuminate around the bend. AMG provides a set of 18-inch, five-spoke wheels coated in titanium grey and wrapped in 245/40 (front) and 275/35 (rear) rubber, while "Grand Edition" badges adorn the front fenders and floor mats. By far, the most intriguing part of the CLS Grand Edition is the available platinum matte paint which M-B assures is highly scratch- and dirt-resistant, but for those not particularly partial to the low-gloss coating, obsidian black, iridium silver, carneol red or flint grey metallic finishes are available. Inside, the "designo" interior (a Benz customization option) features anthracite Alcantara headliner and joins "marron," sand, black, mystic red, porcelain or Chablis leather seats and accents, along with laurel wood trim and stainless steel pedals.
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:36:00 PM
Pininfarina to cease contract manufacturing, transfer ownership to banks

It's been a rough few years for Italy's coachbuilders, and times aren't getting any easier. Bertone almost went under before a rescue plan was approved by the courts at the eleventh hour, and now Pininfarina is poised to follow them down the same path. Drowning in nearly €600 million in debt, Pininfarina is set to shut down its contract manufacturing operations and concentrate on its own electric vehicle initiative while the family loses control of its company to the banks. Although contract manufacturing once constituted the lion's share of business for outfits like Pininfarina, those times are long gone. Pininfarina still makes the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet for Ford and the Brera and Spider for Alfa Romeo, but at levels hovering around a quarter of anticipated output. Instead, the design house will refocus on its joint production of the Bzero electric vehicle with Bollore, targeted to hit the market in 2010-11. Meanwhile, the grandchildren of Battista "Pinin" Farina – recently lead by Andrea Pininfarina (until his death in a tragic accident in August) and now led by his brother Paolo – will transfer 50.4 percent ownership to its creditors in exchange for a €180 million reduction of its debt, to be followed by a further reduction of €70 million in exchange for rights to the name. The family, meanwhile, will retain only 4.5 percent stake in the namesake company, with the remaining shares publicly traded (including some held by Enzo's son Piero Ferrari and some by Tata). The banks, however, will seek no management changes or board seats in exchange for the controlling interest.
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:23:54 PM
< back ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) next >
:: new posts
:: popular posts
copyright 2007 (C) - powered by ceastudio