Traditionally, large clay models have been used to help car designers better visualize new vehicles as they’re developed. Computer renderings changed the process somewhat, but you’re still looking at an image on a screen, not an object in space. But with the help of augmented reality, that’s starting to change.

Ford announced today that its designers have spent the last year using Microsoft’s Holo Lens to help them quickly change the size, shape, and texture of different design elements without the need to spend weeks or even months working up a new clay model. Using wireless headsets, the team sees a hologram laid over either a clay model or an actual car. Designers can then scroll through various design changes to see how they look from different angles.

“It’s amazing we can combine the old and the new clay models and holograms in a way that both saves time and allows designers to experiment and iterate quickly to dream up even more stylish, clever vehicles,” says Jim Holland, Ford’s head of component and systems engineering, in a release. “Microsoft HoloLens is a powerful tool for designers as we continue to reimagine vehicles and mobility experiences in fast-changing times.”

Sure, most of the announcement is public relations fluff to try to make Ford and Microsoft look good, but the technology being used is also really freakin’ cool. We’ve seen some similar things done with virtual reality in the past, but those required much heavier goggles with bulky wires. They also couldn’t virtually lay a hologram over a physical object.

Basically, the future is here, folks. And it’s awesome.

Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/25/ford-now-using-holograms-design-cars/

You need to pick up friends at an airport, but you don’t know where along the arrivals curb they’re waiting. You’re meeting a client, but you are unsure which entrance to use at their sprawling corporate headquarters. You’re headed to a wedding in a scenic park, but you don’t know exactly know where the ceremony will be held inside its borders. Drivers encounter situations like these every day. They have an address for their intended destination, but it’s not quite good enough to get them there. Actually, it will soon be quite.good.enough, because Mercedes-Benz has figured out a way to spare motorists those headaches.

The German automaker is partnering with a U.K. location company called What3Words, and together they’ll soon deliver more precise guidance to drivers. Engineers at What3Words have divided the entire world into 57 trillion three-meter-by-three-meter (10 by 10 foot) squares. Each has been given a unique address composed of three-word combinations. Starting next spring, Mercedes-Benz will be the first automaker to incorporate the What3Words technology into its new infotainment systems, making three-word navigation a standard feature.

Other automakers have used the technology in limited fashion. Land Rover has utilized it for off-road mapping in the Middle East, and Audi searched for its tagline, Vorsprung durch Technik, during a Q7 launch (that’s vorsprung.durch.technik, in What3Words speak), finding that it belongs to a patch of land in the jungles outside São Paulo, Brazil.

The company announced the development at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show. Using a voice-recognition system, drivers can utter a three-word address, and the navigation system will determine the fastest route to that point. Say wished.impose.placed, for example, and you’ll navigate to a spot on the south side of Wrigley Field in Chicago. Or try blubber.legends.trunks, and you might spot Elon Musk walking through the front doors of Tesla Motors’ headquarters in Fremont, California. Or even better, find yourself at groom.costs.improving, and you’ll find the Car and Driver staff arriving for work at the front door of our Ann Arbor, Michigan, headquarters.

“In the old system, the old way we mapped the world, we don’t have three-meter accuracy with an address,” said Sajjad Khan, vice president of digital vehicles and mobility for Daimler. “With this, you can specify exactly where you want to meet. You think of the importance of that for big cities or densely populated places, but it’s not only for that. On small islands, for example, or places in Sweden and Finland, there are places where you don’t find addresses easily. Now, with three words, you can get there.” (Similarly, quite.good.enough, that example we cited in the first paragraph, turns out to be in a remote region of Alaska’s enormous Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where none of the caribou have mailing addresses.)

“
“You have to blow up this concept of an address.
It’s almost irrelevant in the next world.”
– Kevin Vasconi, Domino’s Pizza
”
Mercedes executives spotted the technology in February as part of its inclusion in Startup Autobahn, a tech incubator based in Stuttgart. They were excited enough by the ease of use that it promises drivers that they fast-tracked it for an early 2018 debut.

What3Words was founded in 2013; its system uses up to 40,000 words in 14 different languages. The company’s algorithm uses latitude and longitude coordinates provided by GPS and assigns each square a corresponding three-word identifier. While the addresses aren’t yet common knowledge among consumers, they’re easy to find online and increasingly provided by businesses.

“We’re being used by city guides, tourist authorities, and travel apps,” said Giles Rhys Jones, chief marketing officer for What3Words. “Whenever I travel, I send my Airbnb hosts a link to the map and ask them for the three-word address. A number of Airbnb management businesses are now using us.”

While its initial appearance in automotive products will be marketed as a convenience feature for human drivers, there are fledgling—and arguably, more significant—uses for What3Words around the corner.

Within the next five years, at least according to projections, self-driving taxis may upend the traditional transportation landscape. Hurdles are many, and one of the lesser-discussed challenges is figuring out how human passengers can give a self-driving system specifics on where they want to be dropped off—whether that means scooting up a few feet to avoid a puddle, finding an open curb, or maneuvering to the side entrance of a building.

For delivery services, the final 50 feet of an automated journey will grow even more complex in an autonomous world. Executives and engineers are still in the early stages of figuring out how they’ll determine with precision where autonomous delivery vehicles will drop off packages for customers. They don’t yet have firm answers, but they at least know what doesn’t work: traditional address systems.

“You have to blow up this concept of an address. It’s almost irrelevant in the next world,” said Kevin Vasconi, chief information officer and executive vice president at Domino’s Pizza, where he oversees delivery operations. “Why do we need traditional addresses anymore? We all have GPS in our pockets.”

Beyond vehicles, there are clear potential uses for What3Words technology in the nascent on-demand drone delivery business. U.S. firm Hylio has integrated What3Words into its software and has already made deliveries as part of a pilot project in Latin America

While the idea of drone deliveries might seem most advantageous for a company like Amazon, which just bought Whole Foods, or other logistics providers such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS, it’s too early to count out Mercedes-Benz, which hinted at early plans to drop packages from drones using the technology.

“You can think of using this in disaster zones or a bunch of other use cases that will be coming,” Khan said. “We believe in the technology itself. We are using it for our car, and we are using it for drone concepts. Maybe you will see that at CES this year.”
http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/23/three-words-can-get-drivers-exactly-want-go/

Michael Jordan might spend more time on a golf course than a basketball court these days, but that doesn’t mean Jordan Brand has any plans to stop adding to 23’s legendary signature shoe line. With the help of 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, Nike recently unveiled the newest version of its halo shoe, the Air Jordan XXXII. The XXXII launches on September 23 in the eye-catching hue Rosso Corsa. Sound familiar?

Rosso Corsa, of course, is one of the most famous colors in the automotive landscape. In Italian, it literally translates to “racing red,” the designated color of Italian racing cars. The color’s most famous purveyor, though, is Ferrari, which still uses the exact color name for its current cars (Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Abarth, and Lancia have all been known for it in the past).

In the same way that the Jordan XXXI’s modern design is inspired by the original Air Jordan sneaker, the Jordan XXXII modernizes the look of the Jordan II, and the launch color choice is no coincidence. The Italian heritage goes back more than three decades, to when the II was released in 1986. After the booming reception of the Jordan I, the story goes, Michael Jordan wanted a shoe that worked well on-court but also looked great off-court. Seeking inspiration, Nike designer Peter Moore took to the stylish streets of Italy, where the shoe was eventually produced.

This is also not the first time a Jordan sneaker has taken inspiration from vehicles. The Tinker Hatfield–designed Air Jordan XIV of 1998 is said to have been inspired by the Ferrari F335 and 550M; elements of the same designer’s Air Jordan VI, back in 1991, were supposedly inspired by Porsches; the Wilson Smith–designed XVII of 2002 was inspired by Aston Martins; the XX, from Hatfield and Smith in 2002, took inspiration from motorcycle tires; and Hatfield’s 1989 Jordan IV Motorsport was created specifically for the Jordan Motorsports motorcycle-racing team.

The Jordan XXXII in Rosso Corsa is priced at $185, typical for a new pair of Air Jordans these days and only $85 more than the II when it originally launched. Good luck getting a pair, though. They’ll be gone quicker than a Ferrari Portofino off the line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGkekjaAHvk
Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/23/ferraris-feet-air-jordan-xxxii-debuts-rosso-corsa/

Colin Furze is crazy, and we mean that in the best way possible. The British inventor and YouTube star has a knack for imagining up the most bizarre ideas and turning them into real, working creations. Like this weaponized Tuk Tuk, this gas-powered baby stroller, and this 125cc mobility scooter. And while his latest little piece of vehicular mayhem may not be as impressive as his real-life hoverbike, it looks a heck of a lot more comfortable.

A heavily modified BMW 3 Series (E30, in case you care) serves as the basis for this rolling hot tub. It features faux grass, a working BBQ in back, and, um, leaf blowers. But the best part is that it’s been made watertight (except when turning too quickly), and that the car’s running engine is used to heat said water, turning the little BMW into a working jacuzzi.

Furze calls it my many names – Spa Car, BMBubbleU, Jacruzii, Convertapool – but we just call it fun. Watch the video up above and see if you agree.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Koxzz7LDmEE

Source:http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/22/man-turns-bmw-hot-tub-takes-spin/

Supercar maker Bugatti — the crown jewel in the Volkswagen Group portfolio — is considering building a four-door model set to go on sale around 2024.

The currently unnamed car would pick up where the Galibier concept left off; that model was introduced as a concept at the 2009 Frankfurt show but was axed during development of the current two-door Chiron.

“The four-door car is not dead,” Wolfgang Durheimer, president of Bugatti Automobiles, told Automotive News on the sidelines of the Frankfurt auto show, adding that Volkswagen Group will make a final decision on the car at the end of 2018.

Bugatti’s only current model — the 1,500-hp Chiron — will have an eight-year lifespan vs. the 12-year run of the earlier Veyron, putting its replacement on a 2024 or 2025 timetable. Rather than adding a second model, which would share too much of the initial model’s DNA, Bugatti will stay a one-nameplate marque.

“For the time I can foresee, it will be a one-model brand,” Durheimer said.

Bugatti has yet to decide on a final powertrain for its next car, though it is considering all options: full electric, hybrid or pure internal combustion.

“It will again be decided on the performance criteria because this is the ultimate our customers expect from us,” Durheimer said. “The ingredients are open.”

The longer Bugatti can hold off on making the decision the better, since technology — particularly that of batteries and electric powertrains — is accelerating so rapidly, Dur-heimer said.

Bugatti also considered electrifying the current Chiron when the car was in its development stages.

Ultimately the automaker decided against it due to weight and packaging concerns, and also after it became clear Bugatti could hit its 1,500-hp target​ with pure internal combustion alone, Durheimer said.

Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/20/bugattis-next-model-4-doors-electrified-powertrain/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EK3EA1-AmA
Being car enthusiasts, we all feel that the sound of a good exhaust or intake is almost like music. The roars, cackles, burbles, and pops get our heart racing and our souls stirring. And that’s without any sort of tune attached. For this year’s Emmy awards, Audi went a step farther with the “exhaust=music” equation by revving up three of its cars to the tunes of famous TV shows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr_kstRn0E8
The ad series consists of three videos, three songs, and three Audis featured: the R8, TT RS and SQ5

. All three cars were placed on dyno rollers so that they didn’t go anywhere, and the revs shot up and down to approximate the notes to the different songs. Not surprisingly, the theme songs featured were from Emmy nominees. The video at the top of the post is from the original Star Trek series. The next one is from Cheers, and below this paragraph is from The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B0ktX1oeW0
The overall execution is… all right. If we’re completely honest, the cars come off a bit flat and a little harder to hear than expected. But we can’t be too hard because it’s still an impressive feat to get a trio of cars to actually rev along a tune even somewhat recognizably. And we can absolutely tell what the songs are. So good job Audi, but maybe don’t quit the car-making biz just yet.
SOURCE:http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/19/must-see-audi-sings-revs-along-favorite-tv-theme-songs/

We’ve now experienced two major hurricanes. Other storms are queued up in the Atlantic, and we’re only halfway through the hurricane season. So now might be a good time to review the basics of how to avoid buying a flood-damaged used car.

First, understand that no good can come from flood damage. Cars today are rolling computer systems, laden with electronics, from engine control units to airbag circuitry to the heaters in your seats. That alone makes for serious trouble when a car has been immersed — engine, mechanical and body issues aside. And even if a car looks or performs well now, that might not be the case a year or two from now when corrosion sets in.

Second, in the age of Carfax, it’s easy to assume that the marketplace could never allow flood-damaged vehicles onto the used-car market. Sadly, that’s not always the case. The way the system is supposed to work: After an insurance company declares a car totaled, it gets branded with a “salvage” title, or in the case of some states, a “flood” title. It’s then wholesaled, parted out, salvaged, recycled. If it’s sold to a buyer, it’s with clear awareness of the compromised title.

But that’s not the way it always works. First, there’s the matter of cars that were never insured in the first place, so they are never totaled. Second, if someone buys a branded car at auction, puts some degree of repair into it and gets it reinspected, it can gain a “rebuilt” title status. But Consumer Reports says it has found cases where flooded cars regained a clear title, aka “title washing,” instates with lax regulations in that regard.

So buyer beware. Here is some advice for anyone buying a used car in the coming months:

1. Check: Is the car from out of state? Cars are often transported away from flood zones to areas where there is less awareness of the issue. Which is smart, right? A couple of months from now, you’ll have forgotten all about the hurricanes. Carfax offers a free flood damage check, based partly on where the car has previously been registered.

2. Use the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System to check a vehicle’s history. You can also try the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s VIN Check service.

3. Hire a mechanic to check out the car. The mechanic, or you, should do the following:

4. Use your nose. Does the car pass the sniff test? Does it smell of must, mold or mildew? Or of heavy deodorant?

5. Check the carpets. Musty? Stained? Signs they’ve been mud-caked? Or worse, do they look like brand-new replacements? Same goes for the upholstery. Any water stains? Go ahead, peel back some carpet in the car and in the trunk. Any sign of moisture or rust? While you’re in the trunk, be sure to check the spare-tire well.

6. Check seat mounts and bolts to see if they’ve been wrenched. Seats are often removed in the course of drying out a car. Look at the springs under the seat (you might need a mirror). Are the springs rusty?

7. Check under the hood. Does the crankcase oil look properly clear or dark? Or is it more the color of chocolate milk? That can be a sign of water intrusion. Does the paper air filter show a water stain? Any evidence of a water line on the firewall, inner fenders or components? Are there signs of silt in nooks and crannies of the engine compartment?

8. Inspect headlights and taillights. Is there evidence of a past water line inside? Are they foggy?

9. Check gaps and crevices. Places under the hood, or under the dashboard, or in the trunk, or along the backside of a body panel. Run your finger over hard-to-reach (and therefore hard-to-clean) places. Is there evidence of mud or silt?

10. Check screw heads and other bits of unpainted metal under the dashboard or in other hidden places for signs of rust.

11. Check to see if rubber drainplugs on the underside of the car appear to have been removed.

12. Take a test drive. Does it run well? Check to see if all electronics work. Do the stereo speakers sound right, or do they sound garbled or distorted?
Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/19/12-tips-tell-youre-buying-flood-damaged-used-car/

With few exceptions, most electric cars are delicate, expensive creatures designed for paved streets and well-heeled early adopters. And that makes them ill-suited to rural Africa – many roads away from the cities aren’t paved at all, and just about any EV would be out of reach. That’s where the Technical University of Munich comes into play. It recently revealed a prototype electric vehicle, the aCar, that’s designed for both the conditions and uses of rural Africa.

It has a rugged, four-wheel-drive design that can handle dirt roads and off-roading. It only has about 50 miles of range, but the very nature of an electric motor makes it both well-suited to clearing obstacles (since it always has full torque) and more reliable. Also, it’s modular – it can switch between carrying passengers and cargo, and you can even use the battery to power a winch or other equipment beyond the car.

The aCar completed real-world tests in Ghana this July, and it’s already expected to go into production (eventually in Africa) with a target price below €10,000 (about $11,944). That’s not a trivial expense, but it’s far more affordable than the Nissan Leaf and other vehicles that wouldn’t be as well-suited to the African landscape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xGJju2x20

http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/18/electric-car-prototype-built-africas-rural-roads/

Na so!!

mikejj:
na motor dis guy take comot from him mother belle ni. everytime na him dey win shu.

Lewis Hamilton took a huge stride toward his fourth Formula One title on Sunday by winning an incident-packed Singapore Grand Prix after Ferrari title rival Sebastian Vettel crashed out at the start. The Mercedes driver now has a 28-point cushion over the German with six of the 20 races remaining. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who also emerged from the opening lap carnage unscathed, was second for the third year in a row with Finland’s Valtteri Bottas completing the podium for Mercedes.

“God blessed me today for sure,” said Hamilton, who set a lap record on his way to a third win in a row, as he spoke from the podium on a night where everything fell into his lap.

“I came here today really thinking it was about damage limitation, and we’ve come out ahead. So I’m very grateful,” he said later. “To come to a track that was potentially our weakest circuit, and come away with a win like this and those points, it’s really such a fortunate scenario… so I definitely have a skip in my step.”

The Briton cashed in after Vettel, Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull’s front row contender Max Verstappen smashed into each other as they raced off the wet starting grid and into the first corner. Raikkonen had made a storming start from fourth, Vettel a less impressive one from pole position while Verstappen went for the middle ground and was caught in a Ferrari sandwich as they converged. The stewards summoned all three and decided no driver was predominantly to blame.

BITTER BLOW

The first race to be hit by rain in the decade that Singapore has hosted Formula One had started in treacherous conditions, puddles gleaming in the floodlights, after a formation lap behind the safety car. With Hamilton starting fifth, everything looked set for Vettel to retake the overall lead that he had surrendered only two weeks earlier at Monza in Italy. And then it all went wrong, the collision with Raikkonen punching a hole in the side of Vettel’s car before he spun into the wall at turn three.

“It’s bitter but it’s done,” said the German, a four times Singapore GP winner, whose retirement ended a run of 18 successive points finishes and left him with a mountain to climb.

“Championship-wise it’s a big step forward,” recognized Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. “The quickest car and the quickest driver were out within a minute into the race and that can happen all the time. Today we benefited from their misfortune, it happened to us in the past.”

The incident allowed Hamilton into a lead he would keep through two more safety car periods and a perfectly-timed switch to dry weather tires. Australian Ricciardo had been confident of victory, despite missing out on pole on Saturday but could not keep up with the Briton’s pace on Sunday.

“I’m a little bit disappointed to miss out on the win. But I’m still going to be grateful and happy with another podium,” he said. “I watched the chaos in front of me. It was probably a good thing I had a poor start as I’d have been caught up in it.”

Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who will move to Renault next season, finished fourth for Toro Rosso to score the best result of his career. Force India’s Sergio Perez was fifth with Briton Jolyon Palmer, making way for Sainz at Renault, scoring his first points of the season and best career finish with sixth. Belgian rookie Stoffel Vandoorne was seventh for McLaren, also his best performance to date, ahead of Canadian teenager Lance Stroll in the Williams and Romain Grosjean in the Haas. French rookie Esteban Ocon scored the final point for Force India in 10th. Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, who had been in third place early on, also set the unenviable record of most races without ever standing on the podium (129).

After three safety car interruptions, the race ended with 58 of the 61 laps completed after hitting the two-hour mark. Only 12 of the 20 cars finished. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Rex Gowar)
Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/18/lewis-hamilton-wins-singapore-grand-prix-sebastian-vettel-crashes/

Facebook Inc.’s Sheryl Sandberg vowed to deepen cooperation with the likes of Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG and said the American technology giant is seeking closer ties to the automobile industry.

Speaking at the Frankfurt car show, Facebook’s chief operating officer said Thursday she’s issuing an invitation to work with automakers on topics including artificial intelligence and bringing the industry up to speed on digital tools.

“We come with very good news — we’re the only company in Silicon Valley that’s not building a car,” Sandberg said. She described Facebook as a “teenager” and told carmakers, “We have a lot to learn from you. We don’t have your history, we don’t have your staying power, even though we aspire to make it to 100 years.”

Lines have blurred between the car and technology industries as vehicles get smarter, packing in dozens of chips and software to assist drivers with everything from respecting the speed limit to parking. Autonomous driving is expected to be the next frontier, prompting companies from Apple Inc. to Samsung Electronics Co. to strike deals and invest billions of dollars into their own robot-car projects.

Automakers including BMW AG and Toyota Motor Corp. are experimenting with autonomous driving as well, and some are discussing a common platform. The Frankfurt car show has shown that the industry may have more immediate priorities though, like electric cars and using technology to add premium features to human-driven vehicles.

Sandberg said it’s “an honor for us to invest and partner in Germany,” where Facebook is joining the Munich-based Mobility Hub, an innovation initiative supported by the likes of Daimler, BMW and SAP SE. Facebook will sponsor desks, events and training with some of its engineers, working on anything from AI to product development.
http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/15/facebook-partner-german-automakers/

BMW is reviewing the necessity of car keys, Ian Robertson, the company’s board member responsible for sales, told Reuters.

The fact that customers now all carry a smartphone and the availability of a BMW app, which allows customers to unlock their vehicle, has made old-fashioned keys less relevant.

“Honestly, how many people really need it?” Robertson said in an interview at the Frankfurt car show, given that customers no longer had to put the key in the ignition to make the car start.

“They never take it out of their pocket, so why do I need to carry it around?,” Robertson said, adding that the company was looking at getting rid of keys altogether.

“We are looking at whether it is feasible, and whether we can do it. Whether we do it right now or at some point in the future, remains to be seen,” Robertson said.

This, of course, is reminiscent of Tesla’s plans for the Model 3, in which owners can open and operate the car either with a key card from their wallet or with a smartphone app.

Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/15/bmw-says-car-keys-may-replaced-mobile-phone-app/

The Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan has been the purgatory that hundreds of recalled diesel Volkswagens call home since the auto manufacturer initiated its buyback program in mid-2016. The eerie sight of the lot is jam-packed with rows of seemingly brand new cars, all of which were affected by the fallout of one of the largest automotive scandals in history. What was intended to be a waiting ground for the looming fate of recalled vehicles has now turned into the source of a multi-state crime ring, reports local news station WDRB in Kentucky, as some of the cars simply vanished unbeknownst to anyone.

According to local police, as many as 69 dieselgate buyback vehicles have been reported missing from the Silverdome. One particular dealership may have played a part, as it handled as many as 41 of the missing cars. Legal representatives for the dealership say that the dealer purchased a number of the recalled diesels from a supplier in Michigan, spending about $11,000 each. Indiana police say the vehicles were given forged Michigan titles allowing them to be transported out of state and sold. This investigation into apparent title fraud led to the discovery of some of the missing vehicles.

“Volkswagen was keeping track of all these vehicles they were purchasing back,” noted Indiana State Police Sargent Jerry Goodin. “When these VIN numbers starting showing up again in their system, that’s when the red flags started flying up.”

Nearly half of the stolen cars have reappeared after making a 400 mile trek to the neighboring state of Indiana. Twenty of the transported cars were sold at a Manheim auto auction in Clarksville for about $18,000, while 12 others awaiting sale were transported back to Detroit by Volkswagen on Monday. In addition to the vehicles recovered in Indiana, Kentucky authorities recovered nine more stolen cars (six Volkswagen Passats and three unspecified SUVs) that were parked in a single lot.

In 2015, Volkswagen admitted to selling millions of diesel vehicles in the United States and Europe that were equipped with emission-cheating software. As part of the $15 billion settlement reached by the automaker and the parties which it wronged, Volkswagen agreed to buy back affected VW and Audi models. Earlier this year, Volkswagen was cleared by the EPA to begin selling off some of its diesel inventory that it reworked to comply with regulatory requirements. Even though some vehicles were approved to be resold, the majority of the buyback cars have sat in lots all around the United States waiting to reach an unknown fate at the Silverdome.

While police have recovered more than 20 vehicles, it’s still unclear how the cars went missing to begin with.
http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/14/70-recalled-dieselgate-cars-stolen-volkswagen/

Remember the FJ Cruiser? It’s the quirky-looking retro-designed SUV Toyota sold in America from 2007 to 2014. But even after left-hand drive versions were discontinued, sales went on in Japan – until now, that is.

Toyota announced today that it will be releasing a “Final Edition” FJ Cruiser exclusively for the Japanese market. The FJ Final Edition will feature a unique beige paint, beige interior, 20-inch wheels, bumper-mounted lights, black door handles, a 4.0-liter V6 engine, and a five-speed automatic transmission.


if you haven’t noticed, the Final Edition also comes with a sweet fender-mounted left side-view mirror, a feature we think all JDM cars should have.
Obviously, this car will not be available in Nigeria. But we still thought we should give a proper fair well to the weirdness that was the FJ Cruiser. Hopefully Toyota will replace it with something even stranger. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Source:http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/14/toyota-stop-production-fj-cruiser-final-edition/

They actually said so

SamzackD:
Dope car,


but op at some point I thought Lamborghini said this SUV was a concept car and wasn't gonna make it to production

it’s been more than two years since Lamborghini announced it was planning to build its second SUV, the Urus. It’s been more than five years since the original concept was revealed at the Beijing Motor Show back in 2012. Finally, on Dec. 4, the Italian automaker will reveal the full production version at an event in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

We’ve seen plenty of concepts and spy shots of the Urus by now. We know it will be powered by a twin-turbo V8making 650 horsepower and upwards of 600 pound-feet of torque. A plug-in hybrid — a first for Lamborghini — will follow soon after. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but look for a base MSRP of at least $200,000.

In the teaser video, Lamborghini is making a big deal about this being the first super sport utility vehicle. If any automaker can back up that claim, it’s Lamborghini. This isn’t going to be some rough-and-tumble V12-powered off-roader like the LM002. This is a high-performance machine in a similar, but far more over-the-top, vein as the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5 M.

The timing of the reveal is an interesting one. The event is just days after the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. Rather than compete for coverage, Lamborghini is taking a more modern approach to the Urus’ reveal. Either way, we’re looking forward to it.

For Order Placement Contact us... carfreaksng.com lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbEy-D1D0_c

Source:http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/14/lamborghini-urus-finally-set-launch-dec-4/

phone no

For the Car Lovers....visit carfreaksng.com....you won't be disappointed

NgcoboP:
those contacts are very useless....because 75% of them know not what we (EGUNMOGAJI, GAZZUZZ, KINGREIGN, NUREY ETAL) know on NL.

Be polite!

Toyota has a huge presence in Nigeria. In fact, the vast majority of
Nigerians believe that the Toyota car brand . . .

>> has good fuel economy capability

>> Is rugged and

>> Well suited for the Nigerian environment

Take a look out your window and you will see the number of Toyota cars that will cross
your line of sight.

In view of the commanding presence of Toyota in Nigeria, it is no surprise that the company is
well represented by leading car dealers in Nigeria.

Below is a list of Toyota dealers in Nigeria.

1. Elizade

a) Ogba Lagos Nigeria

Phone: 08023119686; 01-4713161

b) Lekki Lagos Nigeria

Phone: 07028195696

c) Abuja Nigeria

Phone: 08033767475

d) Akure Nigeria

Phone: 08034384154

e) Port Harcourt Nigeria

Phone: 084-464382

2. R. T. Briscoe

Phone: 01-8945497

3. Globe Motors Nigeria

Phone: 01-4548764

4. Omoregie

Phone:

5. Germaine

Phone: 07028637219

6. Mandilas

Phone: 01-7388380

7. Kojo Motors

Phone: 08033319080

8. Metropolitan

Phone: 01-7949765
Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/08/toyota-nigeria-accredited-dealers-contacts/

A 707-horsepower Jeep answers a question no one asked about SUV performance, and time will tell if it meets a demand no one knew was there. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is about to start building a batch of 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawks with a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine. There are already orders and handraisers for the limited-run SUV rocket that goes on sale in the fourth quarter.

The Hellcat engine generates 707 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque, distributed through the upgraded TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission. It is billed as the fastest SUV in the world.

Jeep claims it will do 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. On this Jeep it is that easy, and the launch is that good.

Put your left foot on the brake, and hold it down tightly. Press the launch button in the center console below the leather-wrapped shifter. Watch the brake pressure build as you watch it rev from 700 rpm to an ideal 1,800-2,200 rpm. The new torque reserve system makes it possible to hold the engine at 2,200 rpm and develop 6.4 psi of boost standing at the line. The system prepositions the supercharger while cutting fuel to individual cylinders and manages the spark timing to generate a reserve of torque. Essentially, it gets the air moving while you are standing still so it is primed and ready for launch.

Use your right foot to push the accelerator to the floor. Hold both feet steady, and then quickly dump the brake. The front wheels will lift, your helmeted head will snap back, and the 5,300-pound SUV will shoot forward. You will hold on and giggle. You will never feel out of control with the traction that a four-wheel-drive vehicle provides. Engineers say this is why a Jeep can actually launch faster than a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Jeep officials just don’t do much bragging about it.

Scott Tallon, director of the Jeep brand, reminds us that Jeep has a history of high performance vehicles dating back to the 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited that did 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds and was considered an animal. The first-gen SRT for 2006 did the sprint in 4.8 seconds.

Trackhawk is good for Jeep, Tallon says, as if one of the best-known brand names in the world needed further attributes. But the way he sees it, Jeep has the Wrangler as the poster child for Jeep off-road capability, and the Trackhawk underscores its on-road prowess by exhibiting insane track capability. While Trailhawk denotes best-in-class off-road capability, Trackhawk denotes best-in-class speed. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is the undisputed fasted SUV. For comparison, the third-generation Porsche Cayenne S, unveiled recently, increased its horsepower to 440, though the automaker has yet to debut Turbo and Turbo S variants.

“This is not just an engine swap of a Hellcat into a Grand Cherokee,” Tallon says. The Trackhawk is instrumental in driving the growth of the global brand and rounds out the top end of the lineup.

With so much power, I was expecting the Trackhawk to be a bit raw and brutal in regular driving. That was not the case. The supercharger drive system’s one-way clutch de-coupler improves refinement while allowing the beast under the hood to be heard in guttural growls at low speeds and unleash a series of snorts and pops when you mash the pedal. Those who worked on refinement succeeded. You don’t hear much of the supercharger at tip-in, but the sound increases as you throttle up. Sure the suspension is stiff, but even on a long stretch of rough pavement in Maine and New Hampshire, the Bilstein adaptive damping suspension made the drive quite livable.

The reminder that this has a Hellcat engine comes when you step on the gas to cross a highway, and it lurches forward. Or when you go to pass and grab gobs of power and exceed the speed limit faster than you can check the speedometer. This is one vehicle where current speed should be displayed digitally in giant letters in front of you. The speedometer, located in the lower right of the instrument panel with a traditional needle flitting between speeds listed in 10-mph increments, can make it hard to keep speed in check without setting the cruise control.

FCA claims the Trackhawk will do the quarter mile in 11.6 seconds with a top speed of 180 mph, necessitating a speedometer that goes to 200 alongside the tachometer in the 7.0-inch instrument cluster. The 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen is where you find the Trackhawk Performance Pages that confirm your track prowess. The SUV has new six-piston front Brembo brakes (largest standard front brakes on a Jeep) and four-piston rear Brembos with yellow calipers, which bring the SUV from 60 mph to a stop in 114 feet.


We have not had the chance to test these claims ourselves, but we were able to take the Trackhawk to the newly paved Club Motorsports track in Tamworth, New Hampshire. The 2.5-mile track carved out of the forest has 700 feet of elevation changes to spice up the turns. The Trackhawk devoured it all and never felt overly heavy or lumbering.

Back on real roads, the lane assist system was spotty—sometimes it brought the car in line, but other times it would hold a line that was outside the lane marker.

The Trackhawk starts at $86,995, but you can easily option it up to a $100,000 vehicle. The one I drove in Portland stickered at $99,965, about $20,000 more than an SRT. The options included a $5,000 leather-wrapped interior package, upgraded audio and entertainment system, dual-pane panoramic sunroof, and a trailer-tow package. Other upgrades go from the standard 20-by-10-inch Titanium finish wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Verdes all-season tires to the lighter forged aluminum wheels with three-season Pirelli P-Zero tires.


From behind the wheel you look down at the bulging sculpted hood with dual heat extractors. The Trackhawk also has unique quad exhaust tips, a redesigned fascia, unique headlamps, and a flat-bottom steering wheel with paddle shifters. Like the SRT, the Trackhawk is an inch lower than a regular Grand Cherokee. It has body-colored wheel flares, side sill cladding, supercharged badging on the doors and sills, and Trackhawk badging on the steering wheel and seatbacks. Inside, in addition to miles of leather, are nice carbon-fiber and industrial-looking trim pieces.

The supercharged engine has a cast iron block and a forged steel crankshaft with a damper that has been tested to 13,000 rpm to ensure it won’t burst. Everything from pistons to connecting rods, cylinder heads, and exhaust valves are upgraded to handle the extraordinary demand being placed on them by this engine. Many driveline components were engineered to handle the additional torque output. Even a new oil plan was developed to prevent the liquid from sloshing when the SUV launches.

From behind the wheel you look down at the bulging sculpted hood with dual heat extractors. The Trackhawk also has unique quad exhaust tips, a redesigned fascia, unique headlamps, and a flat-bottom steering wheel with paddle shifters. Like the SRT, the Trackhawk is an inch lower than a regular Grand Cherokee. It has body-colored wheel flares, side sill cladding, supercharged badging on the doors and sills, and Trackhawk badging on the steering wheel and seatbacks. Inside, in addition to miles of leather, are nice carbon-fiber and industrial-looking trim pieces.

The supercharged engine has a cast iron block and a forged steel crankshaft with a damper that has been tested to 13,000 rpm to ensure it won’t burst. Everything from pistons to connecting rods, cylinder heads, and exhaust valves are upgraded to handle the extraordinary demand being placed on them by this engine. Many driveline components were engineered to handle the additional torque output. Even a new oil plan was developed to prevent the liquid from sloshing when the SUV launches.

Off-road capability is not overly compromised just because the SUV goes like a bat out of hell. It has Jeep’s Quadra-Trac, on-demand four-wheel-drive system with an electronic limited-slip differential and a single-speed active transfer case with a wider chain. There is also a stronger new rear axle, and the SUV can tow 7,200 pounds.

The Trackhawk is a global vehicle built at Detroit’s Jefferson North plant on the same line as the rest of the Grand Cherokees. There will be a limited run, but officials are not saying how many that is or if it will be less than the roughly 2,500 Grand Cherokee SRTs Jeep sells a year with virtually no marketing, promotion, or incentives. The Trackhawk Jeep already has thousands of handraisers, Tallon says. The plan is to be able to build enough in the fourth quarter to meet the initial global demand. He would not say how large the U.S. allotment is.


http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/06/hail-grand-cherokee-trackhawk-suv-world/

If you’re confused about motor oil—the right time to change it, how often to change it, what’s the best oil for your car—Consumer Reports’ chief mechanic, John Ibbotson, can set you straight.

1. When to Change the Oil


The answer to a lot of these questions is the same: Check your owner’s manual. It should be your car maintenance and operation bible. Don’t make assumptions on the interval based on past experiences or guidance from mechanics who profit from the work, because the timing has evolved over the years.

Many cars, pickups, and SUVs now have service reminder monitors that alert drivers when to change their oil. “These systems typically monitor the number of miles a vehicle has traveled, and they also sense how hard the car is being driven, and adjust accordingly,” Ibbotson says.

Make sure you get your oil change soon after you receive such an alert

2. How Often to Check the Oil Level


You should keep an eye on your car’s oil levels. Our reliability survey results have shown that even newer cars can need the oil to be topped off between changes.

Carfreaksng recommends checking your oil level at least once a month. Be sure to get repairs done at the first sign of a leak.

Check the owner’s manual and follow the automaker’s recommendations. Some newer cars have electronic oil monitors and don’t have traditional dipsticks for manual inspection.

If you do have a dipstick, and you’re checking it yourself, make sure the car is parked on level ground. If the engine has been running, be aware of potential hot spots under the hood.

With the engine off, open the car’s hood and find the dipstick. Pull the dipstick out from the engine and wipe any oil off from its end. Then insert the dipstick back into its tube and push it all the way back in.

Pull it back out, and this time quickly look at both sides of the dipstick to see where the oil is on the end. Every dipstick has some way of indicating the proper oil level, whether it be two pinholes, the letters L and H (low and high), the words MIN and MAX, or simply an area of crosshatching. If the top of the oil “streak” is between the two marks or within the crosshatched area, the level is fine.

But if the oil is below the minimum mark, you need to add oil.

Pay close attention to the oil’s color. It should appear brown or black. But if it has a light, milky appearance, this could mean coolant is leaking into the engine. Look closely for any metal particles, too, because this could mean there is internal engine damage. If you see either of these conditions, get the car to a mechanic for further diagnosis.

If everything is okay, wipe off the dipstick again and insert it back into its tube, making sure it’s fully seated. Close the hood and you’re done.

3. How Often to Change the Oil


Some swear by the “every 3,000 miles or every 3 months” rule, but advances in engines and oil have made that guidance obsolete. Many automakers have oil-change intervals at 7,500 or even 10,000 miles and 6 or 12 months for time.

“Your owner’s manual has more detailed information about your car than any mechanic does,” Ibbotson says. “Don’t get talked into too-often oil changes. Follow the manual and your car’s engine should stay well-lubricated and perform well.”

Over the course of two years and 30,000 miles, assuming that your oil change costs $40 a pop, you could save $240 if you get it changed every 7,500 miles vs. every 3,000 miles.

It’s not just about miles: If you don’t drive your car a lot, your oil still needs to be kept fresh. Even if you drive fewer miles each year than your automaker suggests changing the oil (say, 6,000 miles, with suggested oil-change intervals at 7,500 miles), you should still be getting that oil changed twice a year.

Why? Oil becomes less effective as it ages, and by not getting the engine warm enough, excess moisture that forms in the engine will not be removed, which can lead to shorter engine life.

4. Choosing the Right Oil for Your Car

Again, take a look at your owner’s manual. “Don’t be upsold into synthetic oil if there is no need,” Ibbotson says.

In many newer models, the weight of your car’s motor oil is printed on the cap where you add oil. “Make sure you know what’s recommended or required by your automaker before you visit your mechanic so that you can control the cost of the oil they’re putting in,” he says.

If you have a much older car, do you need special motor oil?

“Not if it’s running well,” Ibbotson says. “If you’re not sure what oil you should be using because you don’t have an owner’s manual, check with your local dealer or an online enthusiast group for your particular model,” he says

5. Do You Need Synthetic Oil?

“Only if your manufacturer calls for it,” Ibbotson says, “because it can cost from two to four times as much as conventional oil.”

Synthetic oil is designed to be more effective at resisting breakdown (and because of that, it lasts longer) and withstanding high temperatures.

There are situations where that resistance to breakdown can help prolong the life of your engine.

“If you make lots of short trips, standard motor oil may never get warm enough to burn off moisture and impurities, which means it may not be doing enough to protect your engine,” Ibbotson says.

Another consideration is your lifestyle. “If you live in a region with very cold winters or very hot summers, or if you use your vehicle for towing or hauling heavy material, synthetic oil is your best bet,” he says. “While synthetic generally holds up better and can serve for more miles, it is equally important to not extend oil changes beyond the time interval recommended by the manufacturer—typically six months or a year if it is a motor that is not driven many miles or on many short trips.”

Synthetic oil can also help engines that are prone to building up sludge; some Volkswagen and Toyota models have had sludge issues in the past. This residue, formed when oil breaks down, can block the flow of oil, leading to the quick death of an engine. Synthetic oil would be beneficial in these engines because it helps to reduce sludge buildup, helping to extend the engine’s lifespan.

Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/07/5-things-know-oil-changes-car/

No mind am

eaglechild:

Hahaha!

These are some of the basic things one can't have as an option.

to keep you updated

diportivo:

The 2018 Nissan Leaf will go on sale in Japan on Oct. 2, 2017. It goes on sale in the U.S. in early 2018.


and will never go on sale in Nigeria

why then do we have the topic on nairaland

In the not-too-distant future, it would be the only part of the car you’d actually own. If it were the subject of a surrealist painting from 1929, it might feature the tagline, “Ceci n’est pas un volant,” the French word for steering wheel.

Jaguar calls it Sayer and says it’s the steering wheel of the future — the first voice-activated, artificial intelligence steering wheel that will be able to carry out hundreds of tasks and follow you from car to car.

“Imagine a future of autonomous, connected and electric cars where you don’t own a single car, but instead call upon the vehicle of your choice where and when you need it,” the company says. “That’s a future vision Jaguar Land Rover is exploring with Sayer, the connected steering wheel that could be the only part of the car you own.”

Automakers focused on developing autonomous vehicles have proposed doing away with pedals and steering wheels, but this is the first we’ve heard of that envisions the steering wheel, such as it is, as your veritable car keys in a self-driving, car-sharing world.

Jaguar says it could order up a ride to get you where you need to go on time, and it could even advise you when you might enjoy driving part of the journey yourself. No word on whether it can sync with a toaster for breakfast, however.

The concept device is named after Malcolm Sayer, a Jaguar designer from 1951 to 1970 who’s responsible for the E-Type and D-Type racer, which won the Le Mans 24-hour race three times in a row in the 1950s. It will feature on a Jaguar concept called Future-Type in 2040.

In the meantime, it will be unveiled at Tech Fest at Central St. Martins, University of the Arts London on Thursday, Sept. 7, as part of the automaker’s “Technology with Heart” presentation. The festival is free to the public Sept. 8-10.

Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/06/check-steering-future-jaguar/

Nissan has just unveiled its next generation of the Leaf, the world’s best-selling electric vehicle. We’ve had the opportunity to drive the car in Japan, and you can read about that experience in our review. As for the nuts and bolts of the 2018 Nissan Leaf, here are the things you need to know.

POWER

The 2018 Leaf is more powerful than the outgoing model, providing 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. That’s an increase of 40 horsepower and 49 pound-feet compared to the current model.

RANGE

The 2018 Nissan Leaf uses a 40-kWh battery pack good for 150 miles of driving range on a single charge (up from the current 30 kWh and 107 miles of range). For the 2019 model year, Nissan will release an “e-Plus” version of the Leaf with more power and a higher battery capacity, expected to provide more than 225 miles of driving range.

TECH

The new Leaf features ProPilot Assist and e-Pedal technology. ProPilot Assist is a hands-on, single-lane semi-autonomous driving system that basically combines stop-and-go dynamic cruise control with lane-keeping technology that does most of the acceleration, braking and steering work for you. E-Pedal is a system that allows you to turn on one-pedal driving. It greatly increases the regenerative braking, and will even hold the car on a steep incline, so you almost never need to touch the brake with e-Pedal turned on.

Nissan will introduce ProPilot Park, an autonomous parking system, on the Leaf at a later date.

PRICING

The 2018 leaf is $690 cheaper than before, with a starting MSRP of $30,875 (including destination charges). That’s before the federal tax rebate of $7,500, plus any local incentives. That tax perk won’t last forever, though. Nissan has already sold over 112,000 EVs in the U.S., and beginning at 200,000 rebates per automaker, rebates begin stepping down every six months until they’re gone.





Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/06/fresh-2018-nissan-new-leaf-revealed/

In Detroit, traffic laws are treated by some as mere suggestions. It’s not uncommon, for instance, to see motorists blow through red lights, or for drivers to block oncoming traffic lanes as they inch out waiting for their chance to turn left.

Most recently, an incident in which a 15-year-old boy was killed after being tased by a police officer while riding an all-terrain vehicle has the city’s police chief looking for ways to get ATVs off the city streets.

Damon Grimes was killed Aug. 26 while riding his ATV on Detroit’s east side. Local media reported that a Michigan State Police trooper spotted him driving in the street, which is illegal, and ordered him to pull over. Police say he didn’t, and the trooper gave chase, deployed his Taser and struck the teenager, which caused him to drive over a curb and into the back of a pickup truck. He died shortly afterward at a hospital.

The trooper was suspended with pay and placed on desk duty for using a stun gun in a moving vehicle. He also faces a $50 million federal lawsuit.

Both the state and city police are investigating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D34OOYXF10

The Detroit News reports that Police Chief James Craig wants to set aside land where people could operate ATVs more safely.

"They're dangerous when not used how they're supposed to be used," Craig told The News. "These things shouldn't be driven on the street, and they pose a danger to both the public and rider. It's been a real issue for law enforcement."

Residents told the paper that four-wheelers and even go-karts are a common sight — and safety risk.

"You see them driving up and down the road at 50-60 mph," said Jonathan Pommerville, a resident of a westside neighborhood. "They go through red lights like it's nothing. There was a kid on a go-kart who hit the turnaround on Grand River going about 60 mph."

Source: http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/06/detroit-police-chief-seeks-ways-ban-atvs-terrain-vehicles-dirt-bikes/

Everyone is focused on the death of the manual transmission, but the death of the V8 maybe sneaking up on us without car enthusiasts realizing. Two cylinders are slipping away due to government fuel economy requirements. While the cylinders disappear consumers are at least provided the trade off of more power and torque from turbos, but much is still lost. The new Ford GT has switched to a twin turbo V-6 coming from a supercharged V-8, for the current gen M3 BMW went from a V-8 to a twin turbo incline-6, and they are not the only ones.

Despite these examples of the car industry slowly shifting away from V-8 engines cars like the muscle car trio of Camaro, Challenger, and Mustang are still living strongly with their V-8 options, but lets take a look at some cars you probably did not know are currently available with a V-8 engine. The (Hyundai) Genesis G80/G90 twins come standard with a 3.3-liter 365 horsepower twin turbo V-6 engine, but it is currently available with a 5.0-liter V-8 engine producing 420 horsepower. Kia only offers a V-8 engine in the top trim of their K900 model in the form of a 5.0-liter V-8 engine producing 420 horsepower same as the G80/G90 twins. Infiniti’s top trim G70 5.6-liter is available with a 420 horsepower 5.6-liter V-8 engine.


Supercar manufacturers appear to be trying to save the V-8 by equipping engines with turbos without downsizing the cylinder count. Ferrari has done this recently with the 488 GTB by lowering the V-8 engine displacement from 4.5-liter to 3.9-liter and adding a twin turbo set up. There is one case of a manufacturer killing a V-8 option off for a greater amount of cylinders. Audi with the current gen R8 have decided to have a sole V-10 engine taking away the first generations V-8 model, though before it was released rumors had it equipped with a twin turbo V-6.

Our current government leaders seem to be lax on the future fuel economy requirementsset in by previous administration and this lax attitude may stretch out the life of the V-8. Only time will tell.
http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/05/v-8-engine-slowly-dying-off/

STUTTGART, Germany Its proud maker called it “more Porsche and more Cayenne” after rolling out the third generation of its first full production sport/utility vehicle, to the sounds of a symphony composed solely for this debut. The 2019 Cayenne is certainly more Macan, with similar exterior styling but nearly 10 inches more overall length, and with the added value of the interior and 48-volt system of the new Panamera

Porsche says it has sold about 760,000 Cayennes globally to date, of which roughly half a million were sold from the 2009 facelift on. But now, the smaller, less-expensive Macan is Porsche’s bestseller. So what makes the 2019 Porsche Cayenne more Porsche Cayenne? What separates the Cayenne buyer from the Macan buyer? What do you need to know about this new third-generation Porsche Cayenne before you buy one?

1. The Cayenne is to the Macan what the 911 is to the 718 Boxster/Cayman

And it’s not just about the Cayenne’s new staggered tire sizes. Just as the 718’s mid-engine layout provides inherently better dynamics than the 911’s traditional rear-engine layout, but will never be allowed to match the 911 for power, the Macan compact SUV’s smaller size, lower height and lighter weight provides an inherent advantage over the midsize Cayenne SUV.

“If it comes to sheer performance, for example on the Nordschlieffe, and if you competed with the top model of Cayenne with the top model of Macan, for sure, the Cayenne is faster, ” says Michael Steiner, Porsche’s research & development chief. “Not only by power, but technology-wise, we have more high-end performance technology in the Cayenne than is in the Macan.”

As a less expensive model, Steiner believes, the Macan will remain the bestseller, though he says the new Cayenne will “sell at least as good as the last one.” However, there’s a pretty good chance that, as Porsche’s latest new model, the more expensive Cayenne—$66,750(₦23.8m) for the base model and $83,850 (₦30m) for the S—could outsell the Macan, at least for a while.



2. Another parallel with the iconic 911

For more than 53 years now, Porsche engineers have been hard at work mitigating the oversteer inherent in the rear-engine 911, with each generation improving on the last. Changes to the third-generation Cayenne help improve the ride-handling balance while maintaining its two-row SUV roominess.

“For the new Cayenne, we took care to lower the center of gravity slightly by lowering the height, by only some millimeters (0.2mm),” Steiner says. “With the (optional) three-chamber air suspension, we can modify damping, but also spring rates, and you can lower the car by choosing either Sport or Sport+ suspension, or it lowers automatically by 20mm (0.8 inch) at autobahn speeds.”

The air suspension option adds $2,170 to the price of a Cayenne S and $4,160 (₦14.8m) to the price of a base ’19 Cayenne.

Steiner also cites the staggered tire sizes, as used on the 911 and Panamera, and anti-roll bars electrically controlled by the Cayenne’s new 48-volt electrical system. With aluminum body panels and strategic use of aluminum and steel in its structure, the base Cayenne is 121 pounds lighter, at 4,377 pounds, and the Cayenne S has lost 143 pounds, dropping it to 4,454 pounds.

Finally, “rear-wheel steering,” also an option, “makes the car more agile, more stable,” he says

3. More engine choices are coming

The 2019 Porsche Cayenne arrives in U.S. dealer showrooms in mid-2018 with a 340-hp turbo 3.0-liter V-6, while the ’19 Porsche Cayenne S comes the same time with a 440-hp twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6. Both are paired with a Tiptronic S eight-speed automatic for better towing capacity versus Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch automatic, and both come standard with all-wheel-drive. Towing capacity sits at 7,700 pounds, the same as the second-generation Cayenne.

Steiner promises more engine choices in the future, of course, which means a Cayenne Turbo with the 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8, rated 550 horsepower in the Panamera Turbo.

Don’t expect a diesel Cayenne, however, as one is not coming to the U.S. We will get the coming plug-in electric hybrid, though. As for a pure electric, Porsche will use only a dedicated EV platform, such as the one being developed for the production version of Porsche’s Mission-E concept.

4. There’s a new brake option in town

Dr. Steiner’s favorite new Cayenne feature is the Porsche Surface Coated Brake option, which coats the cast-iron discs with tungsten-carbide to increase friction while reducing wear and, more importantly, brake dust. Yes, that means you won’t have to take an old toothbrush to your expensive new wheels every time you wash your Cayenne. While Porsche still considers its carbon ceramic brake option, which adds $9,080(₦3.2m) to the sticker ($240(₦85k) more than the last generation because the rotors are 0.8-inch larger), the PSCB option adds a mere $3,490(₦1.2m).


5. About those taillamps

We recall taillamps spanning the width of a rear deck going back at least as far as the 1965 Buick Electra 225, but there’s more to the 2019 Porsche Cayenne’s exterior lighting. The new SUV features three-stage lighting with standard LED headlamps. The optional Porsche Dynamic Light System (yes, it does seem every expensive option has the words “Porsche Dynamic” in it—this one is thus abbreviated PDLS) offers “variable light distribution,” including cornering lights and motorway lights. We’re not sure exactly what “variable light distribution” means, the top option of LED headlamps with a matrix beam and PDLS means 84 individual light-emitting diodes vary the light distribution and the intensity, so that, for example, you can adjust the lights for adaptive glare control or assure that your high-beams do not blind opposing traffic.

Trending News : [url]Apple sets to Manufacture cars[/url]http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/01/apple-sets-manufacture-cars/

http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/01/five-things-need-know-2019-porsche-cayenne/

lol

In the latest installment of wildly ambitious ideas to reinvent long-distance transportation, China’s state-run space contractor says it is researching a “high-speed flying train” capable of supersonic speeds of nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 km) per hour.

The concept from China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation envisions a passenger pod that uses magnetic levitation and travels through a near-vacuum tube. That also pretty much describes Elon Musk’s much-vaunted Hyperloop concept, but the Chinese version, if these things are to be believed, would eclipse the proposed 750 mph or so top speed of the Hyperloop. It also happens to be about four times faster than commercial air travel and three times faster than the speed of sound.

The agency says it owns more than 200 patents for the project and first aims to hit top speeds of 1,000 km (621 miles) per hour, Quartz reports. The plan is to export the “flying train” to 60 or so countries across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

The state-run agency has been involved in developing satellites, rockets and missiles. China also operates the world’s fastest network of bullet trains, capable of an operating speed of 217 mph (349 km/h).

Meanwhile, Musk’s Tesla-branded Hyperloop pod just hit 220 mph (355 km/h), which breaks the 201 mph record set earlier this week by the Warr team from the University of Munich at the Hyperloop Pod Competition. Both records happened at the SpaceX test track at its Hawthorne, Calif., headquarters.

http://carfreaksng.com/2017/09/01/china-build-flying-train-supersonic-speed-4000kmhr/


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