Nismo Club Sport chassis package
(Credit: Nismo)When the Nissan GT-R was released, Nissan's engineers famously stated that the vehicle was the apex of Nissan performance, its systems so well integrated that any traditional go-faster mods would in fact make the car slower. According to sources at gtrblog.com, Nissan's Nismo tuning division didn't get the memo since it just released the Nismo Club Sport Package for the Nissan GT-R in Japan.
The Club Sport package actually consists of three smaller packages, a chassis package, a sport seat package, and exhaust package.
... Read more
DETROIT -- After more than a year testing lithium ion batteries for the Chevrolet Volt, General Motors has decided on a supplier--which it won't identify.
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz told reporters last week that GM will announce the battery maker this year. He wouldn't say if GM will buy batteries from Compact Power Inc. or Continental Automotive Systems.
Last summer, GM awarded development contracts to both companies. Both make lithium ion batteries for consumer electronics.
Volt production is scheduled to begin in November 2010.
(Source: Automotive News)
(Credit: Crave Asia)Where was this when my tire blew out on me (which fortunately happened in a quiet neighborhood)? Unfortunately, being a quiet neighborhood, help wasn't too forthcoming. So while twiddling my thumbs for more than an hour waiting for the mechanic to arrive, I had plenty of time to contemplate the folly of the mini-jack, which looks more like a weapon of mass destruction to the less mechanically inclined and isn't at all kind to manicured nails.
So bless Chandler Products for the Titan Exhaust Air Jack, which is dead-simple to use. You just need to connect the hose to your car's exhaust pipe, and this will inflate quickly to lift your vehicle up to 30 inches above ground.
It's available in three sizes, will stay safely inflated for a maximum of 45 minutes, and will deflate in less than 5 seconds. Too bad the sticker price is just as inflated, and starts pumping from $120.
(Via Crave Asia)
- Tags:
- Titan Exhaust Air Jack
- Bookmark:
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
More automakers are offering iPod integration in their models, sometimes as a standard feature. With this type of integration, you can bring your iPod into the car, leave it in the glovebox or console, and access all of your music through the car's stereo interface, listening to your tunes through a full audio system. You can select your music by artist, album, genre, and playlist just as you would on your iPod. And the number of automakers offering this integration varies widely.
Of course there are BMW and Infiniti, but would you believe Ford and Hyundai, too? Take a look at these six specific models we've chosen that work with your iPod.
- Topics:
- In-car entertainment,
- New models
- Bookmark:
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
Maybe we've been driving too many very nice cars lately, but the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550 didn't excite us much when it arrived in the garage. It's hard to follow acts like the Maserati GranTurismo and the BMW M6, and we tend to like shorter, more nimble sports cars. But the SL550 won us over with its handling on winding mountain roads and its striking looks with the sun blazing overhead and a nice ocean-scape in the background.
We were also prepared to be disappointed in the car's cabin electronics when we saw the old-style Mercedes-Benz interface, a plastic OK button surrounded by four directional buttons. But delving into this system, we discovered updated electronics behind the rather poor front, including a hard drive-based navigation system, iPod integration, and Bluetooth cell phone support.
- Topics:
- New models
- Bookmark:
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
(Credit: CNET Networks, Inc.)Let's face it: the Honda Pilot has always looked like a brick on wheels. The new-for-2009 Pilot, with its CR-V-inspired grille, looks even worse. It doesn't get much better on the inside, with a dash dominated by cheap plastics and questionable material choices. As much as we dislike the Pilot's aesthetics, we can say that the SUV feels solid, as though it were machined out of a solid piece of metal. The ride is supple without being floaty, and the cabin is among the quietest in its class.
- Topics:
- New models
- Tags:
- Honda,
- Pilot,
- SUV,
- hi-fi,
- 'rear view camera'
- Bookmark:
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
Listen now: Download today's podcast
Show notes
• 4G to power HDTV on the road
• California backs pay-by-the-mile auto insurance
- Tags:
- mazda rx-8,
- dodge viper,
- hd radio,
- sony CDX-GT630UI
- Bookmark:
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Cadillac will introduce a small sedan with a four-cylinder engine in the United States -- a prospect unthinkable just 12 months ago.
The rear-drive sedan will debut in late 2010 as a 2011 model. Cadillac executives are arguing over whether to offer a V-6 option.
"There is a big debate as to whether it is four only. I think that is a bridge too far," said Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor at a press event here.
"There is a piece of the team who is thinking, 'Well, with this whole fuel economy and gas thing, we ought to go all the way, say, to fours.' We are resisting that at this stage."
Also in the equation are new federal fuel economy standards that begin to take effect in the 2011 model year.
The car, whose name has not been announced, will be positioned under the CTS. In Europe, Cadillac markets the BLS, a small front-drive sedan and wagon. It shares a platform with the Saab 9-3 and is powered by a four-cylinder diesel or gasoline engine. Both engines are turbocharged.
BLS sales have been disappointing. Taylor said his team is discussing whether to call the U.S. car the BLS.
He said the V-6 debate centers on whether U.S. buyers would accept only a four-cylinder engine -- even if it gets a turbocharger like Saab's.
"I don't think Americans are going to become un-American that fast," said Taylor.
"They still want power. We still have big open roads. People do not want to stop enjoying driving."
(Credit: Pirelli & C. S.p.A.)The handling characteristics of the average car are primarily determined by the tires and the few square inches that are their contact patch. Up until now, tires have been decidedly low tech, at least to the untrained eye. Pirelli is aiming to change this, while giving us more information about what happens where the rubber meets the road, with its upcoming Cyber Tyre technology.
Essentially, the Cyber Tyre is an intelligent tire with an RFID microchip embedded that communicates with the car's electronic systems, such as ABS and traction control, relaying information about the state of the tire. This information includes operating temperature and pressure, road surface information, vertical load exerted on the tire, and dimensions of the footprint area. The chip is powered by the vibrations of the rotating tire and is molded into the tire's carcass.
By monitoring the state of the tire, many problems, such as blowouts or fuel economy loss due to underinflation can be eliminated preemptively. Pirelli hopes that by locating sensors in the tire itself, the vehicle will be able to react more quickly to issues with traction than systems with the sensors located further up the drivetrain. We think that when you're dealing with thousands of pounds of metal rounding a turn while perched on a few square inches of rubber, every nanosecond counts.
(Credit: CNET Networks, Inc.)The simple, blank faceplate of the JVC El Kameleon KD-AVX44 belies a plethora of features, including in-dash DVD/DivX playback, Bluetooth connectivity, and USB digital-audio playback, and that's just the beginning of this receiver's abilities.
- Topics:
- In-car entertainment
- Bookmark:
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
Dell 15" Laptop Deals
