April 20, 2010
Satellite speed camera being tested in Cornwall
The goverment have been testing a new speed camera that can track a car by satellite and GPS; marking your average speed for several miles.
Details of the new SpeedSpike device were announced in a commons report and have been slammed by civil rights groups and MP’s.
Tory MP Geoffrey Cox said:”It should never be a matter of routine that the state spies on its citizens.”
April 19, 2010
Pagani’s new monster spotted – testing back on track after smash
Pagani’s replacement for the bonkers Zonda has been spotted whilst being tested on public roads – this comes two weeks after their engineers were picking pieces of it off the ground after it was crashed on the auto-bahn at high-speed.
According to Horacio Pagani, the founder of Pagani Automobili S.p.A the C9 will be “a brand-new car from concept, weight distribution, materials and dynamics.”
You will be sat behind a Mercedes-sourced 6-litre twin turbo V12 that produced 700 raging horses. And 0-62 will be hit in under three seconds.
Production of the new C9 is scheduled for late 2010 and expect to see it unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October.
Video: The world’s fastest Nissan GT-R
Some steroid eating Americans have just posted this video on Youtube that shows a their newly tuned Nissan GT-R posting a standing quarter mile run in 9.9 seconds.
To put this in perspective – a Bugatti Veyron posted a 10.2 second standing quarter mile, and that thing is spitting out over 1,000 bhp.
At the the Supra and GTR nationals event in Texas, AMS decided to lay down the law and show the public what a nine second car looks like.
The ‘roid-head’ GT-R packs a new exhaust system, upgraded ball-bearing turbos, upgraded intercoolers and fuel injectors, high-flow intake piping and a recalibrated fuel system to allow for normal petrol or high octane stuff.
On the top-quality juice, AMS reckon their mods will push the tuned 3.8-litre twin turbo’s power output to 850bhp.
April 16, 2010
Toyota recall programme passes 80 per cent completion as new car sales continue to rise
So, it would seem that the Toyota brand is a lot stronger than we first thought, according to statistics released today – their sales are up and they’re 80 per cent of the way through their recall programme.
And a story that broke this week that suggested that their US SUV the Lexus GSX 460, might be prone to rolling. Doesn’t seem to have dented consumer confidence this side pf the pond. Their sales in the UK have seen a 15.5 per cent increase compared to the same month last year.
The full hybrid Prius seems to leading the sales for Toyota with sales of 4,000 already this year. So it remains the world’s most popular hybrid model.
And it seems that they are not resting on their laurels, because they just announced that they will be offer a five-year warranty or three years’ free servicing on all new retail and small business cars.
They’re calling it “your choice, our promise”, it should deliver peace mind for motorists when making their new car purchase decision.
What is AIS ?
Auto Industry Sustainability is a non-for-profit project from Autoebid. It will be the first ever analysis and comparison tool which will give the green credentials of new ultra low carbon cars, so users will be able make the necessary rational decisions when it comes to purchasing a new ultra-low carbon cars.
We aim to make AIS an important tool for any car lover. The car industry will be changing over the next decade and we aim to help make this transition as smooth as possible. Some of the changes will come from the auto industry, from government and manufacturers.
AIS will help to create a database to facilitate the new car buyer of the future. No longer will a car be chosen purely on the basis of how fast it is or what new gismos are on it – the future will require us to know more about where the car came from, the complete breakdown of its carbon footprint at every step of manufacturing. So we can make an informed decision and have confidence in the manufacturers production methods.
We believe this information will become very important in years to come – and new green car buyers should be able find out the level of sustainability with regards to their future green car.
Pioneering company Telsa, who are at the forefront of the green technologies will be one of the first companies we will approach. We will look to contact the supply chain departments of Telsa to get a full breakdown of their carbon footprint during the production process of the full range of products.
Eventually we want to have this crucial information from every manufacturer so we can provide the best free comparison tool for the future.
April 15, 2010
Hennessey Venom GT: hear and see it in the new video
The crazy guys at Hennessey have just pooped the first footage of their new monster the Venom GT on Youtube today.
Filmed whilst being tested on UK roads, Hennessey have captured what is great about supercars – the sheer noise of them.
We’re not sure which fire breathing version this is; as they come in two distinct flavours – the ‘standard’ 725 bhp supercharged v8 or the full-fat 1,000bhp monster.
In the majestic words of Vanilla Ice, check out the hook while my DJ revolves it…..
‘Mr Loophole’ Nick Freeman saves actor from ban
Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas, who admitted to leaving the scene of an accident in Manchester, has kept his driving license after being defended by Nick Freeman dubbed ‘Mr Loophole’.
The star was in behind the wheel of his Chrysler car when he skidded, “aquaplaned” and then hit the crash barriers.
He was then spotted by members of the public and he then decided to leave the scene in a Taxi.
The actor was represented by celebrity lawyer Nick Freeman, famed for getting acquittals for high-profile clients in seemingly watertight cases.
The lawyer said Mr Thomas was guilty of a “technical” offence because he did not know the law required a driver to report an accident as soon as possible. Mr Freeman added: “He was driving perfectly properly and hit a pool of water and aquaplaned. The court accepted he was not at fault because he aquaplaned.”
Thomas paid his fine immediately and Mr Freeman apologised to the court on his behalf.
April 14, 2010
Toyota haults production amid safety fears that Lexus GX 460 is prone to rolling
It would seem that Toyota can’t catch a break, this week saw a US consumer magazine warning the public not to buy Lexus GX 460 models as they stated that the SUV could roll over.
Toyota immediately asked its dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the seven-seat while it looked into the matter.
The problem with the Lexus GX460 is a devastating blow for the car giant after the company had to recall millions of cars ands truck models due to issues with sticking accelerator pedals.
The magazine in question stated that problem came to their attention when testing the car on a test track. They attempted to simulate an alarmed driver when approaching a corned to fast.
Apparently when they did the test the Stability Management did not retify the loss of control quickly enough and this could cause the car to roll over, if it hit a curb or obstacle, according to a senior car tester Gabriel Shenhar.
So it would seem to be a questionable safety concern, as most car sliding out of control would possibly roll if they too hit a curb too. But we must not forget that Mercedes with their A-Class had a similar problem when they were tested in similar circumstances.
Toyota have probably decided to air on the side of caution and investigate it for themselves, whilst doing this they have halted production on a car that was launch December 2009, and has sales of 6,000.
Mirror, signal, rollover
Learner driver has a lucky escape as she rolls the car on her second lesson.
One minute she was practising here mirror, signal, manoeuvre. The next, she was upside down wondering where it went wrong.
Fortunately Krisztina Jaksa had only dented her pride, but her instructors car had more than a dent on it.
The terrifying incident happened when Miss Jaksa, 24, was crossing the junction in the village of Headington, near Oxford, when the steering wheel locked.
She accidentally put her foot on the accelerator instead of the brake, sending the car hurtling out of control and then the Fiat 500 ended upside down.
She said she could not remember much about the accident, but added stoically: ‘It has not put me off driving – why would it?”
Miss Jaksa was shocked about the incident especially since it was her second lesson.
One witness said “The passenger side window was smashed and so was the windscreen, and there were scuff marks on the side of the car.
‘We just wanted to get them out of there as quickly as possible – it does pop into your head that something could be leaking.’
Fellow resident Dermot Dobson was alerted to the crash when the driving instructor knocked on his door to tell him the car had hit his gate.
The 58-year-old said: ‘The driver came down York Road to turn right into Old Road. She must have been steering hard right and accidentally hit the accelerator and took off.
“No one was hurt but I think the instructor and his pupil were a bit shaken up.”
April 13, 2010
Goodwood Festival of Speed: video preview
The sequel to the cult classic ‘Dougie Lampkin vs Goodwood House’ Festival of Speed promo video. Dougie returns to promto the Goodwood Festival 2010 and the world class biker charges through the Goodwood estate. Peppered with cheekiness and celebrity appearances from actor Chris Barrie and chef James Martin – and as always, some exceptional riding!
The master of trials, Lampkin roars along a 57ft banqueting table inside Goodwood House, scales garden walls and leaps over classic cars in the racing circuit’s paddock, in the fast-moving six-minute video to promote the forthcoming Festival of Speed.
It is the second video that the rider has filmed for Goodwood; the first was shot in 2008 and has been viewed by millions worldwide.
In the latest episode, actor Chris Barrie plays the role of disbelieving hotel manager as Dougie revs his bike up to the reception desk… before running amok in the Spa where he cheekily uses his front wheel to massage the back of a naked woman as she reclines on the masseur’s couch, before riding headlong into a swimming pool.
Other highlights in the five-minute film include a “surprise” encounter with Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
The most spectacular stunt of all comes when Dougie teeters his Beta motorcycle on the roof of the March Grandstand – 100 feet above the ground in the West Sussex countryside.
The most audacious sequence, however, comes when the rider expertly mounts the formal antique banqueting table and roars along it while dodging cutlery and wineglasses, only to smash his front tyre into a wedding cake just as chef James Martin applies the finishing touches.
Check the 2008 video first.
And now the 2010 edition.
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