Posts Tagged ‘wheels’
Automotive virtual reality has finally arrived
February 13th, 2010 | 
Author: Steve Sutcliffe, a driver whose abilities are held in high esteem by more than one supercar manufacturer, had to admit that electronic chassis ‘aids’ have reached a new level of competence.
“Yes, the electronics in this car are specifically intended as performance parts, not safety features. Switch them off and you will not be able to lap a circuit as fast as you can with them on, not even if your name is Fernando Alonso. You might just be able to match the system for a couple of corners if you fluke the perfect sequence of brake, turn-in, balance power, apply throttle at the exit.”
Read Steve Sutcliffe's Ferrari 599XX drive
In a more down to earth way, I experienced something similar on the launch of the new Audi A8. That car will come with ‘Drive Select’ as standard, which allows you to choose from ‘comfort’, ‘auto’ and ‘dynamic’.
This switchable chassis tuning really does make a difference, especially if you specify the optional sports differential on Quattro versions, which can split the engine’s torque between the rear wheels.
Read Hilton Holloway's Audi A8 drive
So far I’m also the only Autocar staffer to have driven the Mito in both stock and electronically controlled Cloverleaf forms. The difference between the two – driven back to back at Alfa’s test track – was incredible.
Read Hilton Holloway's Alfa Mito Cloverleaf drive
It seems that we have moved into a new era, (partly thanks to the new high-speed Flex ray wiring systems) that will see electronic chassis controls so sophisticated that virtually no driver can out drive them. And better still, the average future car could now be wired to have three very distinct personalities.
Ideally, many of us would prefer that exemplary ride and handling was delivered through the engineering purity of the car’s layout.
But then again, these systems can also make 2.7 tonne cars – such as the new Range Rovers – handle with physics-defying alacrity.
25 years after the false dawn of digital speedometers and talking dashboards, it seems automotive virtual reality has finally arrived.
4WD v FWD – a surprising result in my snow test
The problem with four-wheel drive is it lulls you into a false sense of security, as the mate of mine who’s just binned his Honda CR-V will attest. Modern four-wheel drive systems are so good at finding traction where there is none, you only realise just how lethal the conditions are when you have to make even a slight turn and continue straight on, or need to stop. By contrast, with front wheel drive you always know where you are grip-wise and will never miss that moment when your journey becomes a fool’s errand.
Watch our winter tyre test video
Of course four-wheel drive can be a life-saver as all those who have been rescued by off-roaders in the last few weeks know well. But these cars will tend to be Land Rovers and the like which have not only four driven wheels but, just as importantly, tyres designed to cope with these conditions. But modern soft-roaders come with road tyres whose treads clog at the first sign of snow, leaving you little better than four driven slicks.
The point is this: if conditions are too bad to provide safe passage for modern front drive cars with sophisticated electronics, perhaps they should be considered too bad to drive on at all, unless you have the right specialist equipment.
Going out in terrible weather because you have four-wheel drive is not safe: not going out in the first place because you haven’t got four-wheel drive is safe. This is why I like the choice provided by the Peugeot/Mitsubishi arrangement so much: I drive in front drive, relying on ESP and traction control to provide due warning of slippery conditions, leaving the selection of four-wheel drive as a last resort.
But if I had to choose between the two, I’d stick with front-wheel drive.
Rocket powered Prius hybrids coming soon?
Just add a micro-jet engine?
ETV, an Israeli startup, has a modified a Toyota Prius into a range extended hybrid, much like the Chevy Volt. However, instead of using a small engine to generate electricity, the ETV hybrid uses a small micro-jet engine / turbine that produces power to drive the wheels or to recharge the battery pack.
According to ETV their range extended Prius can travel 35 to 50 miles on a charge before the jet engine needs to fire up. Fortunately, the jet engine is reported to be ‘whisper quiet’ and it can use diesel, gasoline, biofuels, etc to to generate electricity.
More important, ETV believes their hybrid technology will be cheaper than other hybrid vehicles, possibly due to the lithium manganese nickel oxide batteries the company has developed.
According to MotorTrend, “The batteries are the first of their kind to have 4.7-volt cells rather than a standard lithium-ion battery’s 3.2-volt cells. The higher density battery stores more energy which allows for greater range with a smaller battery, and the battery is expected to last the life of the car.”
Posted in Cars, Hybrid Cars | 
Tags: Battery, biofuel, blog, car, Cars, diesel, Electric, electricity, gasoline, hybrids, idc, prius, Technology, wheel, wheels | 
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Broadband: Recession and competition are creating uncertainty in the US market, forcing operators to concentrate on customer value
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.ipcommunications.frost.com), North American Residential Broadband Services Markets Tracker, finds that the market earned revenues of over $36.7 billion and estimates 78.9 million subscribers in 2008.
“The saturated market has encouraged cable, telco, and satellite operators to concentrate on customer value, and heavy emphasis is placed on retaining existing customers and obtaining new ones,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Gina Villanueva. “Providers are strengthening their retention efforts by invigorating customer value through service bundling to create an alluring price for consumers and generate a higher attach rate for the provider’s services.”
Bundling packages enable companies to acquire access line subscribers. Besides bundling, providers are promoting two-year price guarantees, and some are offering lifetime price guarantees. They are rejuvenating customer service and training employees to efficiently resolve queries. Cable and telco operators are reducing contract rates with customers to provide optimized services without frustrating their subscribers.
Vendors are also unleashing a slew of new, value enhanced products to reinforce their hold on the customer base. Furthermore, operators are optimizing their networks to speeds of up to 100 Mbps, creating a variety of options for broadband Internet packages. Though slower net additions to both cable and telco operators are expected during 2009, subscribers will benefit from higher speeds, more robust features, and lower prices. This will help oil the wheels of the market and guarantee a steady revenue stream for participants.
Cable still holds its position as the technology leader in the broadband segment, although its market share declined due to the advanced technologies for telcos, such as FTTx, which has increased its market size during the past two years. For the fourth quarter 2008, Verizon posted the highest net additions compared to that of all other providers in North America.
At a technology level, DSL providers’ growth rates will witness a downslide year over year as subscribers migrate to higher bandwidth fiber technologies. Satellite is a growing market in small towns, rural markets, and cities where terrestrial broadband is nonexistent.
Fiber technology is the weapon used by traditional telecommunication providers to counter cable operators’ deployment of their next generation DOCSIS 3.0. The Canadian market is a growing market, offering huge potential. Similar to the U.S., Canadian telco operators have unleashed their fiber optic networks to compete with cable providers that offer speeds up to 100 Mbps downstream.
Posted in Communications |
Tags: amp, ash, blog, blogs, broadband service, Communications, consumers, Customer Service, Internet, market share, Marketing, Network, research, Technology, wheel, wheels |
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New Ford Mustang gets the virtual Mach 1 treatment
We already know there’s no Mach 1 for the 2010 model year, but there’s at least a little speculation that the historic moniker could be revived for 2011, coinciding with the expected launch of Ford’s latest 5.0-liter 400-horsepower Coyote V8 engine. What better excuse could there be for a performance edition? Fortunately for us, Edmundo Cano put mouse to Photoshop and created an enticing rendering of what a factory 2011 Mach 1 might look like.
We’re particularly fond of the flat black paint running down the center of the Mustang‘s hood, which now features the obligatory shaker scoop. Similarly blacked-out 20-inch Torq-Thrust-style wheels look the part, and the whole package is rounded out with Hugger Orange paint and Mach 1 graphics package. We wholeheartedly approve and can’t wait to see what Ford has in store in 2011.
© Source: autoblog
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