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Mazda was one hell of an amazing brand. I remember setting my top speed record in a 1991 Mazda 626 on Third Mainland Bridge. Our Toyota Camrys could not live up to the performance and reliability of the 626.

I guess Ford happened to Mazda. Ford invested in Mazda in the 70s and they took control of the company in 1996... because Mazda did not have the financial strength for research and development as well as production of some parts that were needed in limited quantity.

Mazda brands became more problematic and probably too techy for our auto technicians at the time.. Most of the people that bought one against my advise, got their fingers burnt. A former colleague had to sell her Mazda tribute 3 months after buying it. My neighbour didn't use their Mazda MPV for more than 6 months before it became grounded. Several 626 and Millenias as well. Most of the Mazda 323 taxis in Port Harcourt are mostly built by Mazda and Ford even pitched some of their parts for their Ford Focus and other brands.

Finally, Mazda is back to wow us once again. They took back control of their company is 2015, hence, we expect them to regain their lost glory. They have also partnered with Toyota in order to build more reliable car.

An auto crash is something no one wants to experience,sometimes its your fault and other times its not.

There are steps to take to help prevent bad occurrences such as injuries and even worse, death .

Highlighted below are some tips to help you prevent injuries and death in case an auto crash occurs .

1.Always Wear Your Seat Belt
This cannot be emphasized enough .

Your seat belt is not just there to prevent LASTMA officials from flagging you down.Its also there for your safety.Wear it !

2.Keep Potential Flying Objects Safe
In the event of a collision or a roll over ,you wouldn’t want sharp objects or any object that could cause harm to you, flying around.

Keep objects you don’t use frequently in the boot.

Keep your pen in the glove box .

3.Drive The Safest Car You Can Afford
A lot of people focus mainly on aesthetics and fuel economy of cars .

Very little care about how safe the vehicle is .

You should check crash tests and safety ratings of cars before buying them and buy the safest one you can afford.

You should also check the safety features the car has before buying.

4.Don’t Over Speed
This has been resounded over and over again ,but some people still feel they are James Bond.Even if the road is totally free,you should limit your speed ,just imagine a car coming into the road unexpectedly ,or an animal crossing the road unexpectedly while you are being fast and furious .

When you are not over speeding the force of impact would be less and injuries minimal.

5.Aim For An Object That Would Do Least Damage
In case you loose control ,probably when avoiding a Danfo Bus .Aim for an object that would do least damage,both to yourself and others .This is why you should always be alert and conscious of your environment.

6.Keep The Kids Strapped In Always
It really pisses me off when I see parents allow their kids play in cars while driving .

Some mothers even breast feed while driving !

Children are lighter than you are and can easily get thrown around when an accident occurs .So keep them buckled up always !.

7.Always Have Emergency Number On Speed Dial
Always have an emergency number on speed dial .If possible activate voice control on your phone ,because you might not be able to move .
You should also have phone numbers of loved ones saved and on speed dial ,with easily identifiable names like “wife” and “mum” etc.

Enjoyed this ?

Have something to add ?

We would like to hear from you !.

By Donald3d

https://autojosh.com/7-things-can-might-save-life-auto-crash/

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi6azlrLRiw

Let’s take a quick look at the 2011 Honda Civic 1.8L Elegance In Nigeria. Do you have any questions about this ride? kindly ask in the comment section.

https://autojosh.com/2011-honda-civic/

Women have not really gotten so much attention in the auto world .People still marvel when they see female mechanics especially here in Nigeria,because its a rare occurrence .

But there are women that have helped shape the history of cars to what we see today .

Its time for us to learn about them,lets go !.

1.
In 1902 Mary Anderson invented the first windshield wiper . Before her invention, people rubbed a mixture of onions and carrots on windshields to repel water.

2.
Around 1913, actress Florence Lawrence invented the first turn signal or “auto signaling arm” which attached to the car’s rear fender.

3.
The first female taxi driver in recorded history is Wilma K. Russey.She started as early as 1915.Its also said that she was an expert at automotive repairs .

4.
In 1943, Helene Rother became the first female automotive designer. She was a French jewelry designer, she got hired by General Motors to fashion elegant interior designs.

She spent 4 years with GM before moving on to join Nash-Kevinator (part of present-day Chrysler), working on most of the automaker’s cars from 1948 to 1956.

In 1951, she became the first woman to address the Society of Automotive Engineers and was awarded the Jackson Medal for excellence of design.

5.
Janet Guthrie was the first woman to qualify and race in both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. She has been inducted in both the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and her racing suit and helmet are on display at the Smithsonian Institution, a further honor.

Know anyone left out ?

Lets hear from you .

By Donald3d

https://autojosh.com/5-women-who-made-a-mark-in-the-history-of-cars/

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The were was an accident at Stadium Bustop Lagos, where two vehicle collided with each other and the Toyota Land Cruiser can be seen with its roof on the ground.

LRU paramedics attended to victims and both vehicles were towed off the road.

See more photos.

https://autojosh.com/toyota-land-cruiser-somersaults-stadium-lagos-photos/

Volvo is taking the autonomous driving to the next level as they unveiled their autonomous garbage truck. Some countries are still using human beings that push kolekole trucks on foot around town while some other countries are going driverless.

They are currently working with the Swedish Waste Management Company (Renova) to deploy the trucks as soon as possible... just as they deployed dump trucks to Swedish mines in 2016.

This new truck would help reduce accidents during waste disposal. The truck would first be driven manually through an area by a driver.. then its sensors and GPS would map and store the details of the route. On the next visit, the driver can switch the truck to autonomous mode and it drives itself.

Volvo knows that reversing down a busy or narrow street is a huge risk drivers undertake.. and they think their autonomous trucks with 360 degree cameras are safer.

This project will make refuse collection safer, reduce driver's strain, reduce fuel consumption as well as emission.

Nice job from Volvo.

https://autojosh.com/volvo-unveils-autonomous-garbage-truck/

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSL2H9JBWbI

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It's the AMG GT Concept which will be on the road soon as Benz is adding it to the existing AMG GT Coupe and Convertible line-up.

It was revealed few months ago at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show and it is expected to come with an astounding 600HP.

It will be built on a similar platform with with the C, E and S classes.. with a 4.0 litre V8 engine.

The design speaks for itself, as it comes with a visual appeal, including the imposing front end, extended rear diffuser with a central-mounted exhaust system, and amazing wheels.

Do you think it's too beautiful or too ugly? or do you think it looks like a shark or something else?

Tell us in the comment section.

Don't forget to like and share.

https://autojosh.com/mercedes-amg-gt-concept/

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Novitech just lifted up the spirit of the Maserati Levante. They have given the Italian SUV wide body kits, sporty looks, increased performance and 22 inch wheels. You can also personalize the interior with endless options.

They have given the Levante more aggressive stance, with a curvaceous body that makes it look like a sport car than an SUV. It also rides lower to the ground.. thanks to the air suspension system.

Novitech has also tuned the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engines to produce 487 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque which accelerates from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds.

You like or not? Let's hear your view in the comment section..

https://autojosh.com/best-maserati-levante/

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkMMxmPfWVA

Electric vehicles have come a long way in the past few years but one key problem remains: long recharging times.

Faster chargers have improved things significantly but they're nowhere near as fast as simply refueling a car with gasoline or diesel. However, StoreDot recently demonstrated an "ultra-fast-charge" battery at the CUBE Tech Fair in Berlin.

Designed to allow vehicles to be fully recharged in just five minutes, StoreDot’s FlashBattery uses a "combination of gradient layers of nano materials and proprietary organic compounds." The battery also eschews graphite, which is common in lithium-ion batteries, because it is "unable to sustain fast charging power."

The exact details remain a mystery but the FlashBattery consists of multiple pouches which make up a charging module. 40 modules are combined together to create a battery pack which is then connected to a battery management system.

The battery promises to deliver a range of up to 300 miles (482 km) and is currently in the advanced stages of development. If everything goes according to plan, it could be integrated into electric vehicles within the next three years.

In a statement, StoreDot CEO Dr. Doron Myersdorf said "The currently available battery technology dictates long charging times which makes the EV form of transportation inadequate for the public at large. We’re exploring options with a few strategic partners in the auto space to help us boost the production process in Asia and reach mass production as soon as possible.”

Credit: Carscoops

https://autojosh.com/flashbattery/

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Buying a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 is a dream come true but that does not apply to this 2008 model that looks like scrap metal. It has a price tag of N6.5m ($16,850) and no man is yet to bid for it.. for obvious reasons I guess.

The buyer would only go home with this burnt metal that comes with scissors door.. If you are willing to spend your life savings restoring the car, the vendor has some of the car parts available for sale which includes a 2006 Murcielago 6.2-liter V12 engine with an asking price of N9.5m.

Do we have any petrolhead in the house that loves this Murcielago or you'd rather stick to a new Picanto?

https://autojosh.com/lamborghini-murcielago-3/


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Just imagine an SUV that is more powerful than the current version Lamborghini Huracan. It comes with 650 horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine instead of the V10s and V12s naturally aspirated engines we've been used to.

The Porsche SUVs can't even come near and the Bentley Bentayga is in big trouble as the Urus is even sportier.

The Lamborghini Urus is set to arrive in 2018, while a plug-in hybrid version will follow later. Former Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said previously that the hybrid Urus will focus more on efficiency, while the gas-powered model is all about performance.

Lamborghini's CEO Stefano Domenicali told Automotive News that Lamborghini plans to build 1000 examples of the Urus next year, ramping up production to 3500 units in 2019.. When the vehicle arrives in 2018, it will start below $200,000, Domenicali said. However, the landing cost in Nigeria would be about N120m (at current exchange rate) after shipping and clearing.

I see some Nigerians getting ready to be the first.


https://autojosh.com/lamborghini-urus/

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8.Limo

This list will definitely not be complete without a Limo. You can make some passive income renting it out to couples who don't mind using it for their wedding ceremonies.


Which would you pick amongst these unique Beetles?

Don't forget to like and share.

Photos: autosportsart

7. Off-Roader

Have you ever seen track-wheels and gull-wing doors on a tortoise? This will take you wherever you want to go.

6. Classy Pickup

I don't know about you, but I am definitely picking this one.

5. Missile Launcher

All I can say is, "if army catch for road!"

4. Beetlecycle

This one and the Keke NAPEP, which would you choose? Tell us in the comment section.

3. The Spider Beetle

I am a roadside attraction in Avoca, Iowa, US. If you need me, just know you ain't going to be driving me. Just for the car collectors.

2. VW Beetle Helicopter

Now you can ditch Dana and Air Peace on your next flight to Abuja.

Are you thinking of riding around town in a unique Beetle Ijapa Tortoise car? We've got a few for you.


Polaris

This Beetle went on a diet and got converted into a Polaris Slingshot.

https://autojosh.com/unique-beetle/


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Shina Peller who is the CEO of Quilox nightclub in Lagos bought himself a Red Camo Mercedes Benz SL550 for his 41st birthday.



https://autojosh.com/camo-benz-sl550/

The battle to reduce traffic congestion in Lagos is not yet over.. Lagos State Government is taking the fight to Ketu.. and they have announced that they would construct three-lane lay-bys and modern motor-park at Ketu.

The Acting Commissioner for Transport, Prince Lanre Elegushi revealed this at a stakeholders meeting with market men/women, residents and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). He said the government is committed to tackling points of traffic gridlocks in the state.

The lay-bys will help reduce the travel time to and from Ikorodu.

Nice job..


https://autojosh.com/ketu-traffic/

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Due to lower profits and falling share price, shareholders are mounting pressure requesting for cost cut.. as usual, the staff are the first to be affected.

As announced by Wall Street Journal on Monday, Ford is now making plans to reduce its worldwide workforce by 10%.. which means about 20,000 job cut. According to Reuters, most of those to be affected are salary earners who do not have union protection as against the hourly staff who work at the assembly plant.

Recently, the Ford mentioned that they intend to reduce costs by $3billion in order to invest in new opportunities like electric and self-driving cars. They definitely have to stay competitive as Tesla is giving them a run for their money.

https://autojosh.com/ford-is-preparing-to-sack/


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Weststar Announces the Return of FIAT to Nigeria, Makers of Ferrari and Maserati – Also unveils one of its new models, The FIAT Tipo

It is with great excitement that Weststar Associates Limited, (Authorized General Distributors of Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, & Ram in Nigeria) confirms the arrival of the much-anticipated Italian brand - FIAT in Nigeria. Plans are already in motion to officially launch the first model to return – the ‘FIAT Tipo’. This makes Weststar also the authorized distributor for FIAT and FIAT Professional automobiles in the country.

FIAT is majorly known as automakers of luxurious high performance sports cars such as Ferrari and Maserati. In October, 2014, Fiat and Chrysler Group of automobiles formed a merger to become FIAT Chrysler Automobiles. This new alliance paved way for access to newer technologies and advanced engineering solutions. In 2016, Ferrari was signed off as a separate entity in order for FCA to focus more on manufacturing city cars.

This same Italian heritage is seen in the FIAT Tipo, with its unique features such as versatility, large interior space and compact exterior dimensions. The name - Tipo is a celebrated designation that FIAT has used many times during it’s over one century of history. The Tipo is one of the models to carry the coveted name of which nearly two million were produced from 1988 to 1995 and which was first awarded "Car of the Year” in 1989.

“We are thrilled about this development as Nigerians can now enjoy real value for their money. The FIAT Tipo fits perfectly in its segment and will be officially presented before the month ends. The Tipo offers high appeal as it comes with a vast variety of standard options. Its Italian heritage promises comfort, quality and versatility. With the FIAT Tipo, you do not need much to get a lot. Thus, it serves as a wonderful option for Nigerians even as we have already put in place, an excellent maintenance culture offered by our aftersales team” – Stavros Diamantidis, General Manager, FCA group, Weststar Associates Limited.

The four-door sedan version of the FIAT Tipo is one of the first models which will be exclusively available at Weststar Associates Limited, Authorized General Distributors of Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, FIAT and FIAT professional in Nigeria.

https://autojosh.com/fiat-nigeria/

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Following his recent appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Jelani Aliyu today Monday May 15, 2017 formally assumed office as the Director General of National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC).

The Acting Director General, Mr. Luqman Mamudu handed over the leadership baton to Mr. Aliyu at a brief ceremony witnessed by the entire management team of the Council.

Mr. Jelani Aliyu was warmly received with excitements and high hopes by the entire management and staff of NADDC for a most fulfilling tenure and renewed impetus in the implementation of the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) as well as other programmes and activities of the Council.

https://autojosh.com/naddc/

Planning on boarding a taxi ?,whether its the "local" ones or one of the services springing up from all nook and crannies.Your safety is of utmost importance.

So what safety procedures should you take ?.

In no particular order, lets find out !.

1.Make Use Of Parks

If you are going the "local" or regular way ,I mean the "kabu kabu" ,make sure you make use of parks .Its easy to identify them,look out for logos and sign boards designated to an association of taxi drivers .

2.Use Trusted Services

If you have to go the other way and make use of modern services that are springing up everyday,be careful to use the genuine ones .There are quite a lot of ride sharing and taxi services springing up nowadays,so be careful.

3.Always Sit At The Back

We Africans love respect ,and we have this notion that when you sit at the back of a car while an elderly man drives ,its disrespectful.Bear in mind that its a professional service being rendered and your safety comes first.

When you sit at the front its easy to gain access to you if any harm is intended.

4.Try Not To Travel At Night

I know this seems too pushy ,but its best if you can just avoid night travels .

Its easy for harm to come to you when you travel at night ,not just from the taxi driver ,but from other factors such as armed robbery.

5.Send The Plate Number To Someone Close

Just as an extra line of defense and safety,take a picture of the car and the plate number and send it to a family or friend .

6.Share Your Location At All Times

Sending the car information is not enough , he could have placed a decoy plate number .

So at all times share your location ,there are apps that can help you share your real time location with a loved one .

7.Always Have A Decoy ATM Card

Don't carry your 'real' ATM card with you,move around with another with very little cash meant for emergency.

When you need more cash you can always do a transfer .

8.Be Polite

The rate at which taxi drivers are beating people up, especially women is getting alarming .

I am in no way supporting violence,but cases like this can be averted if passengers are polite .Passengers,mostly Nigerians like behaving like kings when they board a taxi.

So be polite always and avoid confrontation .

9.Maintain Eye Contact

When negotiating with the driver before boarding ,maintain eye contact with him/her.

Most times when they have ulterior motives they would get jittery and try to avoid eye contact.

10.Surrender

I hope it doesn't happen,but if everything goes bad and he turns out to be a robber .Just give up all your items,don't struggle .Your life is more valuable than all what you own.

Enjoyed this ?

Kindly like and share

By Donald3d

https://autojosh.com/10-safety-tips-for-taxi-passengers-you-must-know/

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South Korea has ordered Hyundai Motors and Kia Motors to recall 240,000 vehicles over safety defects reported by a whistleblower Kim Gwang-Ho. Gwang-Ho is a Hyundai engineer with 26 years at the company.

Prosecutors in Seoul will also investigate the car companies whether they deliberately covered up the 5 flaws which affected 12 models. Although, Hyundai and Kia are arguing that the problems does not present any danger to driving safety.

This will be the first whistleblower case to hit South Korea's auto industry, Kim reported 32 problems to local regulators. However, the latest recall covers only five of those problems. Kim also travelled to United States last year to report safety lapses which led to the automaker recalling 1.5 million vehicles in North America and in South Korea over a defect that could cause engines to stall.

Eim Eun-young who is a Samsung Securities auto analyst, said
"What the whistleblower said turned out to be true. This is negative for Hyundai's brand image after the hit from the recall over engine issue last month. But then, its reputation is already seen at the rock bottom in South Korea, so I am not sure whether there is a room for a further fall."

https://autojosh.com/hyundai-and-kia-to-recall/

Have you ever wondered why we drive on a different side of the road than our British cousins? It might seem bizarre that U.K. drivers stay on the left, but they’re not the only ones. Around 35 percent of the world population does the same, including people in Ireland, Japan as well as some African countries and Caribbean islands.
Originally, almost everybody traveled on the left side of the road, according to BBC America. However their mode of transport was quite different from today: Think four legs instead of four wheels. For Medieval swordsmen on horseback, it made sense to keep to the left to have their right arms closer to their opponents. (Presumably the 10 to 15 percent of left-handed knights just had to make it work.) Mounting and dismounting was also easier from the left side of the horse, and safer done by the side of the road than in the center.

So perhaps the question here should be, why did people stop traveling on the left?

Things changed in the late 1700s when large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses were used to transport farm products in France and the United States. In the absence of a driver’s seat inside the wagon, the driver sat on the rear left horse, with his right arm free to use his whip to keep the horses moving. Since he was sitting on the left, he wanted other wagons to pass on his left, so he kept to the right side of the road.

The British Government refused to give up their driving ways, and in 1773 introduced the General Highways Act, which encouraged driving on the left. This was later made law thanks to The Highway Act of 1835. Meanwhile post-revolution France, under their left-handed ruler Napoleon, embraced a permanent move to the right side of the road. Amidst all this driving confusion, the British and the French were yielding their power across the globe, and as part of their rapid colonization they insisted that the countries they occupied drove on the same side of the road. This explains why former British colonies such as Australia, New Zealand, and India use right-hand drive cars, while former French colonies like Algeria, Ivory Coast, and Senegal left-hand drive cars.

When Henry Ford unveiled his Model T in 1908, the driver’s seat was on the left, meaning that cars would have to drive on the right hand side of the road to allow front and back passengers to exit the car onto the curb. According to National Geographic, this influenced a change in many countries: Canada, Italy, and Spain changed to left-hand drive cars in the 1920s, most of Eastern Europe followed in the 1930s and Nigeria also followed suit. However British drivers remain on the left side of the road with right-hand drive cars, and this is highly unlikely to change.

Credit: rd


https://autojosh.com/right-hand-drive/

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captainking:
Hii gurus.. I hail all of una.. I went with my friend to help check a tokumbo Toyota camry 2007 That she intends to buy.. So.. I scanned the car and got the following codes.. P0303...p0037... And p0441...guys..apart from the p303 code which is cylinder 3 misfire.. Please house.. What could be the cost implications of buying the tokumbo camry 2007.. Cos I knw she would need to fix the items causing the codes.. Gazzuzz... Kingreign... Autojosh... Cardoctor.. Ochuko... Honmusa... Mayor123... Ikenna351.. Nurey.. Diportivo... And other car gurus.. Make una help oo.. Cos I have to give feedback to my friend this afternoon..

You need to be sure the car is toks... with those codes and the good price tag. Make sure you do a VIN check, comprehensive test drive and confirm the import documents with Nigeria customs.

LRU on a rescue operation as a Toyota Corolla ran into a Canal. LRU successfully recovered the vehicle from the canal #Call112

https://autojosh.com/lru-official-rescued-car/

kennyzboy:
Please brethren I'm really concerned about this and in need of valuable advice. I'd like to know if it's a good car to own as per reliability and cost of ownership, I'll prefer the hard truth and not biased information. Current and previous users' experiences are highly welcome and most importantly car gurus, mechanics/technicians, engineers. Copy GAZZUZZ, Kingreign, Kashif, Ikenna351, Starbeams, Costee, Nissparts, Mayor2013, hunmusa, Sooperrescue, LeJeun3, erico2k2....................

Thanks

The maintenance is definitely not cheap. However, it depends on your financial muscle. Nice ride but stay away if you are on a budget.