David Sugar - Auto Expert's Blog

Dodge

SEMA 2011: Mopar unwraps Viper V10 800HP engine for drag racing, plus new performance parts and crate engines

21/11/2011 – 11:35

The Dodge Viper is already one mean sports car but imagine what it can do if you fit into it an upgraded V10 by Mopar giving out 800 horsepower that was unveiled during the SEMA show this week.

The Mopar engine is the P5155872 V10 Performance Series specifically engineered for drag racing. The engine has an aluminum block, cylinder heads crafted from aluminum, crank shaft and connecting rods made from forged steel, and pistons from forged aluminum that has a 12.5:1 compression ratio.

If you have a Viper and you want more oomph to go with it but do not plan to go drag racing, Mopar can install the Performance Kit codenamed P5156137 which has cylinder heads made of aluminum, customized upper manifold of the upper intake designed with bigger throttle body, injectors, and fuel rails. The engine controller was also re-flashed.

Mopar also introduces a version of the Gen III 426 Hemi V8 codenamed P5156139 which gives out 590 horsepower. This more powerful version is also lighter by 100 lbs primarily due to the aluminum built block instead of the cast iron. This engine also has forged crankshaft, rods, and pistons. The compression ratio is measured at 11:1. This engine only runs on premium gas with a minimum octane rating of 93. Its camshaft’s outlet and inlet, exhaust lift, and the cylinder heads are designed for more aggressive performance.

Mopar also puts on display the calibration kits for their standard 426 hemi engine and the High Output engine. The kits come with an engine harness, engine controller, and throttle body for base calibration although things may still be affected by the tires, axle ratio, and specific transmission so a final tuning may be necessary.

Mopar also markets the new front drive distributor kit for their Gen III hemi powerplants . These will be good for 6.1L and 5.7L engines built before 2009 and the newer versions with 6.4L and 5.7L engines.

In case you are planning to build your own race car, Mopar is selling the body shell of the new Challenger by Dodge. This is not street legal though since the bodies do not have

Tags dodge viper, drag racing, engine, sema 2011 | Comment (0)

Porsche

2012 Porsche Boxster Making the Rounds

22/11/2010 – 15:16

Spy photographers have spotted the brand new Porch Boxster making full rounds recently. The prototype version of the vehicle was being tested in Nurburgring, Germany. Although it still appeared to be in camouflage (the manufacturer likes to keep us on the edge of our seats), Porsche revealed a bit more to its excited public spectators.

What’s shown, minus all the camouflage, appears to be a “slight evolution” from the previous Porsche models, as most new Porche models go. The bigger alterations in the vehicle are expected to be made in its interior. The car’s stylings will most likely be taking cues from the Panamera.

Underneath its sheet metal, the 2012 Boxster is reported to have the almost the same specs as the 911, albeit sharing most of its parts as well. The most extreme change from the previous Porsche models may be the engine line-up. According to various reports, the car manufacturer is thinking of adding a high-output four-cylinder turbocharged engine to the range of the Boxster. This move can offset the fleet CO2 emission, especially with large vehicles like the Cayman.

Tags Porsche, Porsche Boxster, Sports Cars | Comment (0)

Volvo

Volvo’s Hypo-allergenic Cars

16/09/2010 – 15:27

Spring is here, the flowers are blooming, and that can only mean one thing. You no longer have to worry about ice on the road and fog on your windshield. You will, however, be haunted by a lot of allergens in the air. There are pollens everywhere, and for most of us, this spells red, itchy eyes and endless sneezing spells. Care for a non-drowsy anti-allergy pill to help you enjoy your ride? Volvo wants consumers to consider an alternative.

The Swedish-Chinese car manufacturer managed to come up with a solution to keep allergens outside the car and out of the breathing space of its passengers. With Volvo’s microfiltration systems, you won’t be sneezing the whole of spring—as long as you’re inside the vehicle, that is. VolvoRoundWorld says these anti-allergy systems capture all particles that are the root-causes of seasonal allergies.

Apparently, Volvo’s S60, XC70, V70, XC60 and S80 all have systems which flush out the interior air once the doors are unlocked. A lot of effort has also been poured into using only hypo-allergenic materials for the interior of these cars. For example, the leather used for the seats and the dashboard are all chromium-free. This guarantees an allergy-free ride for the Volvo driver.

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Chevrolet

A New Interior for the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro

12/07/2010 – 15:20

Reports have it that the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro will get a totally reworked interior. An insider from General Motors told Straightline that most of the redesign efforts will be poured on an improved dashboard. This will include the use of high materials and the addition of more impressive styling details.

The downside of the current Camaro, as most reviews would state, centered primarily on the low-rent materials used for the car. Also noted in these reviews were the over-stylized components. For example, the steering wheel was visually pleasing, but the design didn’t help improve practical driving aspects. The auxiliary gauges which were mounted on a console were also retro and fashionable, but they were pretty difficult to read.

Consumers are asking, “Why is there a need for GM to wait till 2012? Why not do it now?” The answer is pretty simple: a Camaro Z28 will be released that year. This model will boast of an impressive 556 HP power, and that strong engine definitely needs a new and improved interior to team up with.

Tags Chevrolet, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Camaro Z28, Sports Cars | Comment (0)

General Motors

US Government hires advisers for stock offering of General Motors

01/06/2010 – 00:01

According to a report on Wall Street Journal, the Treasury Department of the United States is looking for bankers to help them with the initial public offering of stocks for General Motors.

Some companies battling it out for the role are the Perella Weinberg Partners, Lazard Ltd., and Greenhill & Co. according to WSJ.

Officials from the companies did not want to issue any comments about the meeting neither did the Treasury Department issued a statement.

GM got out of bankruptcy last July with a $50 million bailout from the US government. The aid gave the US Treasury Department 61% ownership of GM. The government of Canada and its province of Ontario owns around 12%.

The CEO of GM, Ed Whitacre, after a meeting with the Treasury Department last month, disclosed that an IPO will be feasible before the end of the year or by 2011.

Tags Auto Industry, General Motors, GM | Comment (0)

Ford

Ford Pushes for C-MAX Full Hybrid and Plug In Electric 2013 Launch in Europe

14/05/2010 – 15:48

For green car lovers out there, auto giant Ford Motors just announced that it will, indeed, be introducing the plug-in electric and fully-hybrid derivatives of the C-MAX minivan. These new C-MAX derivatives can seat five people. The hybrid variants will both be produced in the Valencia plant, with the company’s new production investment of £410 million. This should cover the production costs for the next three years.

Aside from the five-seater C-MAX green cars, the plant will also be producing a seven-seater version of the model aptly named the Grand C-MAX. The production of the Grand C-MAX is scheduled earlier, with the deliveries of the first batch set for 2011. John Fleming, the CEO of Ford Europe, sees the green car productions as a good sign for the company, the Valencia plant, and the region, Spain, and Ford customers all across Europe.

According to Fleming, the success of CMAX’s technology is a sign that Ford’s commitment to making alternative powertrain vehicles is going along without any hindrances. The hybrid and plug in CMAS will be joining Ford’s initial line up of environmentally-friendly vehicles, including the Ford Connect whose launch in 2012 was already previously announced. One more hybrid vehicle is being made, but with no formal announcements about it yet.

Tags Ford, Ford C-Max, Hybrid Cars | Comment (0)

Audi

Official Release of 2010 Audi R8 GT Announced

03/05/2010 – 08:57

The hardcore rendition of the trendy German sports car is here: presenting the 2010 Audi R8 GT based on the R8 GT3. Aside from the notably sleek exterior, a lot of improvements were made in this version that goes beyond what meets the eye. The R8 lost weight—a lot of it—for the 2010 release. According to the car manufacturer, a total of 100 kilograms were stripped off from the previous model. This means that the new R8 weighs only 1,525 kg.

The cars “weight loss” was possible by using thinner glass. The window in the rear hatch and the bulkhead between the engine compartment and the passenger cell are now made from high-strength but lightweight polycarbonate. The car also made use of thinner sheet metals, while necessary cutouts were made to shed of the weight of the car.

The performance of the vehicle isn’t compromised, though. If anything, the lighter weight of the vehicle should contribute to better fuel efficiency. Under the R8’s hood, you’ll find the very same V10 5.8 Quattro engine. It has been upgraded, though, and it can now produce 560 HP and 540Nm or torque at 6,500 rpm. The top speed of the vehicle is marked at 320 km/h. The R8 can also sprint to 200 km/h in 10.8 seconds.

Tags Audi, Audi R8, Audi R8 GT, Race Cars | Comment (1)

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Makes a $2 Billion Investment in China

29/04/2010 – 23:33

According to reports from Shanghai, China, the German car manufacturer Volkswagen just announced its intent to invest $2 billion to build two new plants in the country. These plants will be built to help the company meet the growing demand of the market for a new range of VW models.

This new investment is outside the $5.8 billion that Volkswagen has already set aside as “spending money” until 2012. This makes VW’s total auto market investment in China above $8 billion, and notably the largest auto investment in the whole world.

According to Winifred Vahland, President and CEO of Volkswagen, China, the $2 billion investment is necessary for the company to keep the lead in China’s automotive market. The company wants to reach a long term plan of selling 2 million vehicles a year, doubling their current sales rate.

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Nissan

Nissan to deliver Murano with 2.5L enhanced diesel engine to Europe by September

21/03/2010 – 22:36

Japanese carmaker Nissan will be releasing in Europe the 2^nd gen Murano that is fitted with the upgraded 2.5 diesel powerplant that is capable of giving out 187 horsepower and about 332 lb-ft of torque. The initial deliveries will kick off by September this year.

The engine of the Murano tagged as the YD25 uses the Modulated Fire technology of Nissan to make its combustion a lot more efficient. The same technology is employed for other Nissan units like the Almera, Terrano, and the Patrol GR.

The main components of the M-Fire engine makes it more efficient. Fuel Efficiency Help reports the helical port used allows the more efficient and complete utilization of the engine in the combustion chamber. Exhaust gas is also re-circulated to facilitate lower NOx emissions. The timing of the combustion of diesel was also optimized.

Tags Nissan, Nissan Murano | Comment (0)

Honda Toyota

The Most Popular Green Cars on Today’s Market

01/02/2010 – 00:30

The Beach Boys had their little deuce coupe, the Stray Cats had you looking at that Cadillac and the Beatles just wanted you to drive their car. Today, people have their green cars. With today’s rocky economy people are looking to cut corners when it comes to filling up their gas tank. If getting the most for their dollar means getting a little green, than that is what they will do. Strong issues such as saving money and the environment are what the people want, and the car companies are giving them just that. Many frequent drivers are trading in their gas guzzling cars for more fuel efficacy vehicles. That funny little car you have seen on the freeway is in the green car family. America has taken some advice from the UK and adapted and hopped on the green wagon.

Today’s Hybrid cars put the flower power car of the 1960s to shame with Honda’s Civic Hybrid. The car runs on a 4-cylindar receiving 45 miles per gallon allowing you to be visiting the gas pump less frequently. Its comfortable interior offers plenty of space and it is nice to look at with a modern clean model. The car has also received the Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle, meaning it has a 15-year warranty on emissions gear with zero evaporation because it is a Super-Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle. All 2009 Civic Hybrids have these qualifications. This is the ideal car for most college students.

Reasonably priced and tasteful Honda Insight gets over 40mpg. Equipped with standard safety features and a multi-information display or as displayed in the car, an eco guide. It lists the temperate, MPG, braking and acceleration response that assists more proficient driving, a very useful little device to have.

Tags Honda, Hybrid Cars, Toyota | Comment (0)