12/08/2010

RPMGO Car Blog

RPMGO Car Blog

Tunings Of The Day

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 03:06 PM PST

TopCar Vantage GTR 2 Porsche Cayenne II

TopCar Vantage GTR 2 Porsche Cayenne II

The tuning program for the Porsche Cayenne II launched by TopCar was announced last week at the Essen Motor Show, but two days ago the Russian tuner published more information about the program. The Vantage GTR 2 benefits from a body kit that includes a redesigned front spoiler and bumper, an updated bonnet, wide fenders, a new rear spoiler and bumper, but also a new rear diffuser. In addition, the Russians at TopCar added new side mirrors, forged wheels and LED lights.

All of the new body components are made out of carbon-fiber and carbon-kevlar materials. As far as the engine tuning is concerned, TopCar promised a power increase from 405 kW (550 PS) and 552 kW (750 PS) for the Porsche SUV. TopCar will be manufacturing only 50 units of the Cayenne II Vantage GTR 2.

STaSIS Engineering Audi R8 V10 Spyder

STaSIS Engineering Audi R8 V10 Spyder

Another interesting tuning program for a German car is the Challenge Extreme Edition for the Audi R8 V10 Spyder. The American tuners managed to add their own supercharger to the already powerful V10 5.2-liter, which now outputs 700 bhp (710 PS / 522 kW). The standard engine produces "only" 518 bhp (525 PS / 386 kW). The level of the torque is also up by 190 Nm (140 lb-ft). With these upgrades, the Audi R8 V10 Spyder needs only 3.1 seconds to do 0-60 mph, which is 0.6 seconds less in comparison to the standard model.

Hamann Porsche Cayenne II (958)

Hamann Porsche Cayenne II (958)

Another tuning program for the Porsche Cayenne II was launched by the German tuners at Hamman. The new body kit available with this tuning program consists of a new front apron that has LED day-timers, side sills, and a carbon-fiber bonnet with additional air intakes, an imposing quad sport exhaust and a new rear diffuser and apron.

With this program, the German tuners at Hamann will offer their own set of light-alloy rims that measure 11 x 23-inches, covered by 315/25 R 23 tires. There will be three different looks available for the program, as follows: Edition Race Anodized, Unique Forged Anodized and the Unique Forged Brushed. Hamann also tuned the V6 diesel power unit, increasing the overall power to 202 kW / 275 PS and a massive 620 Nm of torque, in comparison to the standard version that offers 176 kW / 240 PS and a 550 Nm of torque.

For customers that own a Cayenne equipped with an air suspension, Hamann can offer a ride-lowering system that will bring the car 35mm closer to the ground.

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Tunings Of The Day

In Depth – 2011 Mini Cooper S

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 02:33 PM PST

2011 Mini Cooper S

The popular Mini Cooper is back for 2011 and comes with significant improvements and updates, starting with the exterior look where you will notice the restyled front bumper fascias as well as the more generous fog lights. As an optional feature that is available for extra money, the Mini Cooper can be equipped with black headlight housings and adaptive xenon lamps. The car can be painted with a beautiful British Racing Green II color pattern that looks similar to the traditional BRG that we all adored when we were kids.

Moving inside the car, there are a couple of changes that are worth mentioning, like the standard sized speed gauge that is mounted in front and center. Traditionally, the purpose of the unit is to house the Mini's speedometer, plus a smaller electronic fuel gauge. Underneath the unit you will find the dials and buttons that control the radio system of the Mini. You will miss (or not) the rather confusing secondary dial that was available on the outgoing model The company decided to leave out this secondary dial that did not become very popular among customers. We agree with their decision as it was a big disadvantage of the outgoing generation. Similar with previous generations of the Mini Cooper, the car features the smaller tachometer that is installed atop the vehicle's steering column and directly in the line of sight of the driver.

Although it might appear a little bit strange to Mini drivers that were used to the standard gauge unit, it will not take them a lot of them to get accustomed to this change. The key of the car received a well-deserved update, the drive will now have to press it into a slot located in the dash, prior to pushing the "start" button of the car; however, we cannot seem to wonder why the engineers at Mini did not install a basic proximity sensor which would have made things a whole lot easier.

Other features that were borrowed from previous generations include the chrome toggle switches that control the power windows and the locking which are located at the bottom of the center stack, right in front of the gearbox shifter. The materials used for the inside are of very high quality and quite soft, giving a nice feel and appearance, something very usual for a Mini. The interior lightning is also very interesting, being capable to change from a soothing blue to a sporty orange (or vice versa) in five easy steps.

2011 Mini Cooper S

For the 2011 generation of the Mini Cooper S, customers can choose from one of the three audio packages. The basic package offers a simple CD-Player with HD & Satellite Radio and six audio speakers. The second option will get you the Mini Connected that features a generous 6.5-inch display from which the driver can control just about everything. The most featured audio package is the Mini Connected with Navigation that will get you in addition to all of the above, a satellite-navigation system that is stored on flash memory cards that are easily accessible through the USB connection. This proprietary Connected system offers a bundle of functions, like album art, RSS feeds, web radio, Bluetooth radio, the ability to send pre-written Twitter messages, perform Google searches and update Facebook status.

For the standard model (non S) the power boost in comparison to the outgoing generation is not very strong as the previous generation offered a 118 hp engine, while the 2011 model offers 121 hp. The Cooper S however benefits from a more significant power increase, from 172 hp to 181. This increase can really be felt when accelerating on-ramp or up a hill. The German engineers over at Mini added anti-torque and anti-bump-steer features to the Cooper, thanks to the electronic power steering. Although the power of the engine was increased, the Mini is now more fuel efficient. The standard 2011 Mini Cooper will do 37 miles per gallon. The Cooper S equipped with the Valvetronic technology will not only offer more power but will earn a 36 mpg highway rating.

As far as the United States market is concerned, there are not any other cars that are able to deliver the same level of excitement and fun the 2011 Mini Cooper S can offer. The only potential competitor is the upcoming Fiat 500.

Source: AutoBlog.com

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In Depth – 2011 Mini Cooper S

Fiat Promotes Natural Gas Engines

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 01:53 PM PST

After almost 30 years of absence from the US market, the Italian Fiat SpA is returning back to the United States with the help of Sergio Marchionne. Along with this return, Fiat might bring one of their specialties – the natural gas power units that equip a wide variety of their models. According to Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat & Chrysler Group, by brining the natural gas engines, it is an efficient way to reduce the emissions thanks to the fact that they are more affordable in comparison with competing technologies. He added that the upcoming electric cars manufactured by Toyota and General Motors have "too many obstacles", like the long recharge time for the batteries.

According to Constantinos Vafidis, the person who oversees hybrid and transmission development at the research center of Fiat in Turin, Italy, "natural gas is very suitable for the United States. Especially for public services and goods transportation, where vehicles are refueled from a central base."

On the European continent, the Italian automaker Fiat is the market leader in natural-gas power units, taking 80% share of the methane-powered automobiles and 55% of the light commercial vehicles. A professor at the MIP management school of Milan's Polytechnic University, by the name of Giuliano Noci, stated that "Fiat will use its technological leadership in natural gas, in a region discovered to have huge reserves. It's almost a mandatory strategy. Fiat should lead the natural-gas car market as it's far behind in the electric vehicle sector."

Back in September, Alfredo Altavilla (the head of the Italian Iveco truck unit), stated that the natural gas is a "more affordable solution" due to the fact that it is less expensive to produce in comparison to other types of engines. He added that the extra costs for a power unit that uses natural gas is $3,000 in comparison to the $3,300 for a diesel engine and $8,000 for an electric hybrid.

Helped by government incentives, Fiat managed to sell 127,000 methane-powered cars last year in Europe (including the versions of the Ducato van and the Panda compact). In 2009, United States became the largest producer of natural gas, overtaking Russia. Lucio Bernard, who is the director of Fiat Powertrain, stated that "we've had contact with the U.S. and Canadian governments." Canada and United States have become more interested "after the recent discoveries of shale-gas reserves in the region."

In Italy there are more than 800 fuelling stations for natural-gas vehicles, making it a very robust market, probably the most robust in the entire world. On the contrary, in the United States, General Motors just began commercializing automobiles that have natural-gas power units to fleet customers. The only manufacturer of cars that have compressed natural engines in the United States is the Japanese automaker Honda. Fiat is currently taking into consideration joining the United States market with natural-gas cars. After a 30 year absence, Fiat is returning to the US with the compact 500 model. The Italian automaker is planning on selling 50,000 units of this model.

Chrysler is joining Fiat in a natural-gas car association in Washington and is considering launching such cars in the United States in the years to come, depending on the demand for such cars. A spokesman for the company by the name of Vince Muniga affirmed that "we're always looking at alternative propulsion systems and how to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, so this is one thing we are looking at."

Unlike Fiat, the Japanese automaker Toyota and General Motors are giving their attention to hybrid electric automobiles, as an alternative to traditional gasoline cars. On November 30th, General Motors started manufacturing the Chevrolet Volt, a gasoline-electric care that has a starting price of $41,000. GM is planning on selling 10,000 units of this model next year and 45,000 cars in 2012.

Toyota became more popular worldwide once it introduced onto the market the world's first mass-produced hybrid car – the Prius that was launched about 10 years ago. In 2012 in United States, Chrysler will start making an electric version of the compact Fiat 500. The network of recharging stations for electric-powered cars is very underdeveloped at the moment, similar with the situation of the refueling gas vehicles stations. In the United States there are 1,300 stations for the approximately 110,000 cars that use natural gas, according to the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles. The Petroleum Marketers Association of America recently stated that in the US there are about 160,000 stations for gasoline-powered cars.

In 2009, Marchionne separated the Dodge and the Ram brands in order to create a standalone truck unit. His plans are to increase the stake of Fiat-Chrysler from 20% at the moment, to 35% by the end of 2011. His 5-year plan for Chrysler is to introduce small and large commercial vans to the United States in 2012.

An IHS Automotive analyst by the name of Phil Gott, recently stated that "that gives them the freedom to introduce Iveco products into the Chrysler lineup. The target customers would be the heavy duty fleets, they could cut their fuel costs in about half."

The United States is holding the 14th place for natural gas vehicles sales in comparison to Italy, ranked 6th, according to the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicle. Surprisingly, Pakistan holds the number one spot with 2.3 million cars and about 3,000 fueling stations. The CEO of Fiat & Chrysler Group hopes to raise the United States figures. He added last week that "Fiat's technological leadership in compressed natural gas in Europe is a key asset for the United States natural gas-vehicle-market."

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Fiat Promotes Natural Gas Engines

Ford Has Big Plans For The European Focus

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 12:58 PM PST

Ford Focus

The Ford Motor Company targets full capacity at the German factory where they are making the European version of the popular Focus model, in their attempt to increase their market share on the continent. According to Bernhard Mattes, who at the moment is running the German Ford companies, affirmed that by the end of January 2011, the production plant in Saarlouis of the Focus will reach a minimum level of approximately 1,850 units.

This manufacturing plant located in Saarlouis will be the only source for cars delivered in Western Europe and here all the variations of the Focus will be produced: 4-door, 5-door and the station wagon. The 2011 Ford Focus will be officially on sale starting next March in Germany and in the second quarter of the year, it will be available in the rest of the continent, according to Mattes.

The 2011 Focus will reach its third generation and will feature important drive aids like parking & lane assistance software. Between January-October 2010, Ford managed to sell 220,400 units of the Ford in 19 European countries, which is 14% less in comparison to the similar period of last year. The Focus is Ford's second best-selling model in Europe, after the smaller Fiesta. The new generation of the Focus shares approximately 80% of its components globally and it will be offered worldwide in 120 countries starting with next year.

Ford Focus

Bernhard Mattes declared that "We decided to offer a worldwide version because the segment for small, compact cars is bound to grow significantly in the coming years around the globe. This is a very important product for the Saarlouis plant because it strengthens the development center and creates jobs."

The price for the American version of the 2011 Ford Focus was set at $16,955 in the United States and for Europe; nothing has been set yet, according to Mattes. The Ford Motor Company has invested $399 million (300 million euros) at the manufacturing factory in Saarlouis, Germany and offered 500 permanent jobs to temporary workers to manufacture the Focus. As far as the production of the North American version of the Focus is concerned, it has already started at a factory unit located in Wayne, Michigan.

For the Russian market, Ford will be opening a plant in Saint Petersburg in mid-2011. For the Asian market, Ford will be opening factories in Rayon, Thailand and in Chongqing, China until 2012. Since it was first introduced in 1998, Ford managed to sell more than 10 million units of the Focus and the factory in Germany sold almost 3.7 million units of the 6 million cars that were delivered on the European continent.

The vice-president for Ford of Europe, Ken Macfarlane, declared that "this is an important day for Ford, the Saarland and for Germany. Saarlouis is proud to have been the lead plant for Ford Focus production in Europe since the first model was launched in 1998."

The German plant at Saarlouis has 6,500 workers that are manufacturing cars on three shifts. Besides the Focus, the factory also makes the Kuga medium SUV.

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Ford Has Big Plans For The European Focus

Driving The 2011 Ford Edge EcoBoost

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 12:31 PM PST

2011 Ford Edge EcoBoost

The 2011 Ford Edge EcoBoost is powered by a turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0-liter power unit that is capable of outputting 230 hp and a 250 pound-feet of torque. Rumors say that this 4-cylinder engine with twin independent variable camshaft timing and forced induction will perform just as good as the naturally aspirated V-6 power unit, but with significant improvement of the fuel consumption. This EcoBoost engine is linked to a normal non-SelectShift 6-speed automatic gearbox.

At the moment there are not many details regarding the technical specifications of the car, but according to the people over at MotorTrend.com that were lucky enough to drive it, the car offers a solid powertrain and the engine feels very powerful. Speaking of the power unit, it was in need of some fine-tuning; with developmental issues like the delayed throttle response from a stop. At speeds of about 25-30 mph, the 2011 Ford Edge EcoBoost showed a very high amount of torque steer, but the driver still had all the comfort he could ask for, which is a great deal taking into consideration the weight of the car.

For people that will drive the Edge mostly in a straight line, there is some good news as at high speeds, depressing the acceleration pedal will offer a linear surge of power which is quite difficult to differentiate in comparison with the standard Edge model that is powered by a V6 3.5-liter that delivers 280 hp. A major issue for the engineers over at Ford was the ability to deliver immediately the torque band, taking into consideration that the Edge is a pretty heavy vehicle at its 4000 pounds, not counting the inhabitants and the various equipment that can be thrown in the cargo space.

The engine uses 87-octane gas and the best part about the turbocharger is that engineers at Ford say that it will last for miles and miles, without the usual engine idling periods prior to shutting down. The controls system of the Edge will continue to pump the coolant/water mixture into the cooling system through the water jackets in the center housing of the turbo, until a pre-established temperature is achieved, regardless of the moment when the car was shut off. By doing so, it will cool the turbo in a very efficient matter, a very hot-running turbo taking into consideration the fact that the wheels can spin up to 170,000 rpm and have an incredible temperature of 1740 degrees Fahrenheit at the peak operation moments.

2011 Ford Edge EcoBoost

For those of you that do not have many details regarding the old order of the traditional turbo engines, the coking process refers to the situation when the carbon deposits form in the power unit, and the engineers at Ford have given a great deal to this issue in order to advertise the daily-use turbocharger. The new EcoBoost-powered Edge will not need the extra "babysitting", which will make it very attractive to the American families that have a very active lifestyle and don't have the extra time of being very attentive to the turbo of the car. The EcoBoost configuration will offer just about the same features as the Edge Limited which delivers a pretty good package, including the Sony Sound System with High Definition radio and the MyFord Touch with Sync.

We cannot talk about an EcoBoost engine without mentioning the fuel consumption. With this power unit, the 2011 Ford Edge EcoBoost will do approximately 30 mpg on the highway, this figure is not 100% accurate, but it will give you an image about how efficient the engine is. The fuel efficiency will most likely improve by 10-20% for the V6 3.5-liter (19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway). We will offer exact figures once the car goes officially on sale. The SelectSift automatic transmission will earn an extra mpg on the highway and if it will be linked to the inline four-cylinder engine, it will do just about the same. Normally, this gearbox is standard on the Limited version of the Edge.

The new generation of the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine is manufactured in Valencia, Spain and the likelihood of a $995 premium is very high, taking into consideration that it is already applied for the 2011 Explorer. The base Edge EcoBoost configuration will be sold at about $32,000 with the 6-speed automatic gearbox. The car will do 0-60 mph in about 7.5 seconds and have 0.75 lb/mile CO2 emissions. The car will be officially on sale as of next summer.

Source: MotorTrend.com

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Driving The 2011 Ford Edge EcoBoost

F-150 Deliveries Delayed Due To Components Shortage

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 11:47 AM PST

2011 Ford F-150

The Ford Motor Company is delaying deliveries of some of its 2011 F-150 pickups because of components shortage. According to Anne Marie Gattari, a spokeswoman at Ford, this situation will only affect a "small population" of trucks and the situation will most likely be resolved "soon". She also said that the vast majority of the pickups that Ford stockpiled in various parking lots in Detroit will be delivered as the new 2011 model is introduced all over the United States. Ford ended production of the 2010 model in late October / early November. Some people say that this delay in delivering the 2011 model is because they are waiting to sell all of the cars from the outgoing generation, before offering the 2011 F-150.

In order to increase sales among potential buyers that are looking to avoid higher gasoline costs, Ford equipped the 2011 F-150 pickup trucks with more fuel-efficient power units. The F-150 is a top selling vehicle in the United States, Ford managed to deliver 473,461 units until this November, which is 30% more in comparison to the similar period of last year.

Jim Hall, who is a principal at automotive researcher 2953 Analytics in Birmingham, Michigan, said that "Any vehicle that is hot is important to Ford, and it’s doubly bad in the case of the F-150 because it’s such a volume product. It’s a negative for Ford because of the lost revenue and the lost volume. It’s one of the most profitable vehicles in their range."

2011 Ford F-150

Ford's spokeswoman affirmed that "A certain population of trucks is being held due to limited part availability." She declined to identify the part or the number of trucks being held back from delivery. "We’re awaiting that part so we can ship this small population of trucks."

According to the officials over at Ford, the F-series pickups are the top-selling trucks in the last 30 years. Due to the reason that many current and potential customers complained about the fuel economy of the F-150, Ford decided to equip the 2011 model with a V6 3.7-liter which will do 16 mpg city / 23 mpg highway, far better in comparison with the previous power units that powered the F-150. For the upcoming generation, Ford has also added a new V8 5.0-liter as well as a powerful V8 6.2-liter power unit. To complete the lineup of engines available for the 2011 F-Series, Ford will be adding next year a direct-injected turbo-charged V6 engine.

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F-150 Deliveries Delayed Due To Components Shortage

Dominion Bank May Purchase Chrysler Financial

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 11:26 AM PST

Dominion Bank is the second-largest bank in Canada and at the moment is considering purchasing Chrysler Financial Corporation – the auto-loan firm that is owned by Cerberus Capital Management LP.  Dominion Bank will most likely pay between $6-7 billion for Chrysler Financial, which is in fact the book value of the company, or assets minus the liabilities. There are some people saying that the deal will not take place and other potential buyers are considering acquiring Chrysler Financial. Cerberus will recoup the entire investment in Chrysler Financial and return a good amount of money to the investors.

Based in suburban Detroit, the Chrysler Financial firm is about the truck and old car loans that are still being paid off by the customers, plus a technology and platform that a customer could use to start his own auto-lending business. According to Wall Street Journal, ING Groep NV is also among the potential buyers that are having discussions with Cerberus.

In the last six years, the Dominion Bank spent a significant amount of money expanding in the United States, about $19.9 billion according to various reports. Some of their most important acquisitions are Cherry Hill, a New Jersey-based Commerce Bancorp and Banknorth Group of Portland, Maine. At the moment, it has more than 1,300 branches in the United States, from Florida to Maine, which is more than it has in its native country Canada.

Edmund Clark is the CEO of Dominion Bank and he recently affirmed that the bank is primarily thinking of purchasing Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation along with other "small" purchases plus assisted transactions, which he defined back in February as being less than $10 billion in value. Besides its powerful retail network, the Dominion Bank is the biggest investor in TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation, owning 46% of the brokerage company located in Nebraska.

Due to the underwriting fees and a decrease in trading, the Dominion Bank posted last week a fourth-quarter profit that dropped by 1.6%. Although the profit of the bank from the investment made in TD Securities dropped by 74%, the money earned in the United States rose by 100%.

Stephen Feinberg is the leader of Cerberus, and the company wagered on the United States automotive industry with takeovers of GM's auto lender four years ago, later on followed by the Chrysler car manufacturer and lender one year later. These deals preceded a significant decline in the auto sales made in the United States, a decline that meant bankruptcy for both manufacturers. Feinberg lost the control of both Chrysler and GMAC and held on to the Chrysler Financial. Last year, the lender repaid its one and a half billion in the United States Treasury Department bailout and this July sough to return to the world of lending money on a very large scale.

The current Chrysler automaker is fully controlled at the moment by Fiat SpA.

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Dominion Bank May Purchase Chrysler Financial

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