Category: Auto Industry

Video: High-speed bicycle inspired by land-speed-record cars

Filed under: Etc., Videos, UK

Land-speed-record bicycle

Inspired by the backyard engineering of land-speed racers who built 600+miles-per-hour rockets on wheels, bicycle frame builder Tom Donhou built a bike intended to exceed 100 mph under pedal power alone. As the mini-documentary video below attests, Donhou was able to reach about 80 mph behind his aerodynamically optimized Ford Zephyr 6 draft car (complete with column-mounted manual shifter), but he’ll need a draft car with a higher top speed if he wants to top 100 mph.

To pedal the bicycle to such a high speed, Donhou also needs the correct gearing to get him there. The huge 104-tooth chain ring connected to a 13-tooth sprocket should suffice, as he proved with a run to 102 mph on rollers. Don’t expect to see him riding up any hills, though you may soon spot him testing the bike on public roads behind his next draft car: a friend’s more capable Ford Capri Cosworth.

We hope the Capri’s much higher top speed will allow Donhou to go even faster on his next run, but until then, watch his first experiment in speed in the nicely produced video below.

Continue reading High-speed bicycle inspired by land-speed-record cars

High-speed bicycle inspired by land-speed-record cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Aug 2013 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Discover the meaning of bike control with this crazy rotary-mounted helmet cam

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, Motorcycle

Motorcycle Fairy View - video screencap of gymkhana run using helmet-mounted camera

This is the unnamed winner of the third round of the 2013 Dunlop Autoby Cup Motorcycle Gymkhana, and the video of their run is mind-boggling for two different reasons. First, the motorcycle control on display here is extremely impressive, with excellent precision throughout.

Secondly, the videography is great. The rider attached a counterbalanced rotary video rig to the top of his helmet, allowing a free-spinning, constantly changing point of view, that the title of the video calls “Fairy View.” We call it “Trippy View.” Either way, it looks outstanding, and is a far cry from the dime-a-dozen GoPro videos that can be found all over the internet. Now, if we could just figure out how to adapt one of these for a car. Take a look at the full video below, and just try to keep your head on straight.

Continue reading Discover the meaning of bike control with this crazy rotary-mounted helmet cam

Discover the meaning of bike control with this crazy rotary-mounted helmet cam originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Nissan had to re-edit this commercial two times to placate Aussie ad watchdog [w/poll]

Filed under: Budget, Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Videos, Hatchback, Nissan, Australia

Nissan Australia was required to re-edit its Nissan Pulsar SSS commercial three times before it satisfied the government.

Nissan recently aired a commercial in Australia for its Pulsar SSS hatchback – think of it as a five-door relative of our Sentra – in which a couple is seen hastily making their way to the hospital ahead of giving birth. But the ad you can watch now isn’t the same ad that aired originally – in fact, Nissan had to re-edit the commercial twice before the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) would accept it.

According to Go Auto, the original ad received complaints that it depicted unsafe and reckless driving, including speeding, following cars too closely and screeching to a halt upon arriving at the hospital. One of the complaints reportedly read: “The advertisement promotes driving behavior (rapid acceleration/deceleration/changes of direction) that is counter to sound medical advice regarding the carriage of heavily pregnant women in motor vehicles.”

In the first edit, Nissan lowered the vehicle’s engine noise, removed the woman’s speech urging the man to drive faster (“Go, go, go!”) and inserted a disclaimer that read “Filmed under controlled conditions,” according to Go Auto, but all of that still wasn’t enough to appease the ASB.

Nissan went back for some more editing, which resulted in the tamer commercial that’s airing in Oz today. Nissan even removed extra shots to fit in slightly slow-motion video of the Pulsar driving, to be sure viewers don’t think it’s speeding. Even so, there’s still an enjoyable hook to the ad – watch it by scrolling below.

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Continue reading Nissan had to re-edit this commercial two times to placate Aussie ad watchdog [w/poll]

Nissan had to re-edit this commercial two times to placate Aussie ad watchdog [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota to drop regular-cab Tacoma as small pickups take another hit

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Toyota

2013 Toyota Tacoma regular cab - white - front three-quarter view

Even as General Motors prepares to redesign its midsize pickups, the market for sub-fullsize trucks continues to shrink. The remaining competitors in the segment are the well-aged Nissan Frontier, Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma, and now Truck Trend is reporting that the latter will be dropping its regular cab model due to poor sales.

According to the article, the available configurations for the Tacoma lineup will be whittled down in 2015, which apparently spells the end for the two-door Taco. The Tacoma is currently the last truck in its class to be offered in a regular cab configuration, with the Frontier no longer offering a standard cab model and spy shots of the next-gen Chevrolet Colorado not revealing any glimpse of a short cab, either.

Toyota to drop regular-cab Tacoma as small pickups take another hit originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lotus hiring 100 after securing £100m investment

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Earnings/Financials

Lotus Badge

Lotus is getting a shot in the arm courtesy of corporate parent DRB-Hicom, which has announced a 100-million pound ($152.3M USD at today’s rates) investment in the Hethel, UK-based manufacturer. The troubled brand was also in the news last week, with DRB announcing a new, three-year plan that would see variants of existing models introduced.

The money will create 100 new jobs in Hethel, with 45 new engineers, 40 manufacturing operatives and 18 university grads joining the team. Lotus has already seen an uptick in sales this year, according to a Norfolk-based news site, with 40 to 45 cars being produced per week and 722 road cars and 45 race cars sold between January and May. Even sales in the UK have seen a big jump – Lotus only moved 70 units in 2012, but it’s already sold 80 cars in the first half of 2013.

Better yet, Lotus is citing an increased demand for its cars around the globe as the motive behind the new hires. While still quite uncertain, Lotus looks like it might finally be on the right track.

Lotus hiring 100 after securing £100m investment originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: This is what F1 racing will sound like in 2014

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

Mercedes-AMG Petronas V6

Formula One is making a switch from the current naturally aspirated 2.4-liter V8 found in the back of every car, to a new, 1.6-liter turbocharged V6. Suffice it to say, things are going to change. The new engines are having such an impact on the teams of F1, that at least one manufacturer, Ferrari, is reportedly thinking of branching out to Le Mans.

For spectators, though, the concern over the new turbocharged mills isn’t so much one of power. We know the things will still be ridiculously powerful. What we’re worried about is just what these new engines will sound like, which is arguably the most defining characteristic of any era of F1. Changes in cylinder counts and the addition of forced induction can result in dramatically different exhaust notes.

We’ve now gotten our first chance to hear the new engine that will be fielded by Mercedes AMG Petronoas and Williams next year. The engine used in the video below is a development powerplant at AMG’s High Performance Powertrains facility in the UK. Set to debut for the 2014 season, it sounds, um, different? Now we know why Bernie Ecclestone mentioned augmented sound. It’s certainly a big departure from the current V8s. Take a listen as it laps a virtual Monza circuit below, and let us know what you think of the new sound in Comments.

Continue reading This is what F1 racing will sound like in 2014

This is what F1 racing will sound like in 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Lucra 2.2 helps define long hood, short deck

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Design/Style, MISC

Lucra 2.2 - front three-quarter studio view

If not for Fast & Furious 6, most of us would have probably never heard of Lucra Cars or its incredibly powerful and lightweight LC470. While that car had a simplistic retro design, Lucra’s upcoming car, codenamed 2.2, is bringing more modern style to the boutique, California-based car builder.

Aside from a few pictures posted on its Facebook page over the last month, Lucra has released little information on the long, sleek roadster except to confirm that the car would be offered with the M156 Mercedes AMG 6.2-liter V8. In terms of its design, this car looks something like a modern interpretation of the Bill Thomas Cheetah with its long hood and set-back cabin, but the front end is very distinctive with flared fenders that C3 Chevrolet Corvette lovers should appreciate. We’ll let you know as more details emerge on this car, but until then, enjoy the handful of images posted in the gallery above.

Lucra 2.2 helps define long hood, short deck originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2014 Toyota Corolla and Tundra production underway

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota

2014 Toyota Corolla reveal

2014 Toyota Tundra Doublecab - front three-quarter view, blueAfter months of leaked photos and speculative reports, Toyota finally unveiled its 2014 Corolla to the world in early July at a star-studded California party. The confetti has been swept up and the champagne flutes washed and stored, and now the real work can begin: production. Toyota has announced that its new C-segment player has begun rolling off the lines at its plants in Mississippi and Ontario, Canada this week ahead of the planned start of sales in September. What’s more, the refreshed 2014 Tundra pickup has also segued into production in San Antonio, Texas.

Corolla production in Mississippi is still a relatively recent phenomenon, with the plant having begun assembly of the outgoing model in the fourth quarter of 2011, while Toyota’s Cambridge, Ontario plant has been churning out the compact volume king since 1988. Conversely, the Tundra has been in production at the Texas facility since 2006, and Toyota projects that the plant will build its milestone one-millionth new vehicle in September, right around the time the reworked fullsize pickup goes on sale.

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2014 Toyota Corolla and Tundra production underway originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch this bad parker get what’s coming to him

Filed under: Videos, Jaguar, Humor

Jaguar XK driver is taught a lesson

If you’re lucky enough to have a nice vehicle, do your fellow gearheads a favor and don’t park like a clown. Seriously. Not only will you anger everyone who is trying to find a place to park, but your nice car is a billboard reinforcing the stereotype that car people are self-important and inconsiderate.

Take this gentleman for example. He has a Jaguar XK, and understandably wants to take care of it. Rather than parking it far, far away from any other cars and getting a bit of exercise by walking to his building, he takes up two spots (albeit barely) close to the structure. From the cameraman’s narration, we can tell his coworkers are less than thrilled about his inability to stay between the lines.

Naturally, they wanted to teach him a lesson, so they parked a bigger vehicle as close to his driver’s door as possible. Mr. XK’s attempts to enter his vehicle are rather amusing, culminating in his climbing through the passenger side and scooching over to the driver’s seat. While we can debate this sort of treatment all day long, it was effective. The video includes a follow up at the end showing where the XK driver parked the next day, and as you might guess, it wasn’t in the same spot.

Take a look at the full video below, and remember, be a considerate car person.

Continue reading Watch this bad parker get what’s coming to him

Watch this bad parker get what’s coming to him originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Chris Harris pits Fiesta ST against Mercedes G63 AMG in 0-60 battle… sort of

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Ford, Mercedes-Benz

Chris Harris on Drive screencap

Vehicle performance tests are serious business, with reputations made or broken by things like braking distance, top speed, and lateral g-forces. King of the metrics, though, is the 0-60 run, which for unknown reasons has become the benchmark for what truly makes a car a performance machine.

Now, Chris Harris from Drive has turned the whole idea behind the sprint to 60 on its ear. Taking a new Ford Fiesta ST, Harris asks a simple question: would the ST be quicker to 60 on its own, or on a trailer being towed by a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG?

It’s a fair question, really. The Fiesta Harris tested hit 60 in 7.2 seconds on a slightly uphill section of runway. It should be noted that Harris quotes his ST at 182 horsepower, which is about 15 ponies less than what we’re getting in the US, so these numbers might not hold up all that well against an American model. The G63 AMG, meanwhile, is a 536-horsepower monster, powered by a twin-turbo V8 that, able to propel the big SUV to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds without towing a Fiesta.

So, is the Fiesta ST quicker with or without some AMG aid? Have a look below to find out.

Continue reading Chris Harris pits Fiesta ST against Mercedes G63 AMG in 0-60 battle… sort of

Chris Harris pits Fiesta ST against Mercedes G63 AMG in 0-60 battle… sort of originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Aug 2013 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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