McLaren takes on Ferrari with 'affordable' £150,000 supercar dubbed 'F1 car for the road'

By Ray Massey

Pulling off the dust-sheets to reveal the car were Formula One drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. McLaren aims to make the £150,000 MP4-12C Britain's answer to Italy's legendary Ferrari

A gull-winged 200mph supercar dubbed 'an F1 car for the road' was launched yesterday by UK racing specialists McLaren.

The cars will be made in a new £40million factory designed by Sir Norman Foster and will create 300 jobs.

The £150,000 McLaren MP4-12C is Britain's answer to Italy's legendary Ferrari and is the long-held dream of boss Ron Dennis to produce an 'affordable' supercar with the greenest credentials.

Pulling off the dust-sheets to reveal the car were Formula One drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

Using a one-piece carbon-fibre chassis McLaren plan to offer the car for around half the £300,000 price tag that would normally be expected of a car of this calibre.

A 32,000 square metre plant at Woking in Surrey will be completed in 12 months to produce the high-performance MP4-12C car and is a welcome boost to Britain's waning car manufacturing sector.

The car industry has suffered a collapse in sales since 2008 but McLaren is confident it can claim a share of the high-end sports car market.

McLaren expects to make up to 1,000 cars in 2011 with annual manufacturing of vehicles reaching around 4,000 by the middle of the decade.

The company plans to sell the 12C through McLaren retailers in 19 countries, with North America expected to account for around 30 to 40 per cent of the market.

With aerodynamic styling designed to keep it on the ground at high speed, the new McLaren two-seater will accelerate from rest to 60mph in just 3.4 seconds.

It is powered by a massive 3.8 litre V8 twin turbo engine which develops 600 brake-horse-power of pulling power - equivalent to about six Ford Fiestas.


The Formula One drivers unveiled the supercar at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking


The company plans to sell the 12C in 19 countries, with North America expected to account for around 30 to 40 per cent of the market


McLaren Automotive chairman Ron Dennis said: 'We have long held the dream of building a range of McLaren high-performance sports cars that take the raw elements of Formula 1 principles, processes and performance and forge them into a unique package - one that offers customer-focused requirements of quality, efficiency, comfort and reliability.

'Today's announcements confirm our intention to challenge convention at the highest levels of automotive design, from a hi-tech home that I am proud to say will deliver jobs, expertise and innovation in manufacturing and engineering.'

The new McLaren uses lightweight aluminium and carbon fibre to keep weight down and performance high.

Average fuel consumption is expected to be around 22mpg but emissions of carbon dioxide - the so-called greenhouse gas blamed for global warming - will be below 300g/km.

As you would expect from a company that has been at the pinnacle of Grand Prix racing, the new road car includes many hi-tech spin-offs from the world of F1.


Hi-tech fabric in the bucket seats 'breathes' to help driver and passenger stay comfortable


That includes seven speed F1-style paddle-shift with intuitive gears - dubbed 'pre-cog' for pre-cognition.


The so-called 'seamless-shift gearbox' system pre-selects the gear before you shift to it.

The aerodynamic styling and flat underside creates massive downforce to give great roadholding and prevent car from taking off like an aircraft.

The driver and passenger are protected inside a strong but superlight carbon fibre mono-cell or 'tub' as used in F1 cars.

The whole structure weighs just 81kg - about the same weight as an average man.

Giant side air scoops are designed to cool engine and powerful brakes. The hi-tech fabric in the bucket seats 'breathes' to help driver and passenger stay comfortable.

Buttons and dials are kept simple and to a minimum, and there is a seven inch dashboard touchscreen.

For life out on the open road, the new car also has parking sensors, cruise control, and optional sat-nav.

Lifting the gull-wing upwards and forwards is designed to help driver and passenger get in and out more easily - especially in tighter parking spots.

The new McLaren aims to take on key rivals including the brand new Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 Turbo, Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin DB9.

In the wake of yesterday's £2billion Government boost for the motor industry, Conservative Shadow Business Secretary Kenneth Clarke said their own research showed that up to 96 per cent of Labour flagship recession-busting funding worth more than £1/2billion has been directed to Labour constituencies.



source: dailymail

Toyota 'smoking gun' memo from staff warned of safety issues FOUR years ago

By Mail Foreign Service

Toyota Prius cars wait for customers at a Toyota dealer in Hollywood, California. U.S. investigators demanded a 2006 memo which warned of safety issues


Toyota has been forced to hand a 'smoking gun' memo produced by its own factory workers to US investigators probing a spate of system faults.

The two-page document, sent to president of the company Katsuaki Watanabe in 2006, warned of systematic threats to car safety.

Damningly, it highlighted 'safety sacrifices' made as the company allegedly put profit before the well-being of customers.

The memo, written by a group of long-term employees, pinpointed inadequate development time for new models and a general drop in standards.

Authors claimed manufacturing was now done by 'amateurs' and that highly skilled workers had been sidelined.

They also predicted that the practices would eventually threaten the company's survival if changes were not made.

Toyota, the world's largest car maker, is facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions.

It has been forced to recall eight million vehicles worldwide since late last year for problems related to unintended acceleration.

The flaws have been blamed for the deaths of at least five people on American roads and the company now faces a slew of legal claims.

A US congressional committee is investigating the crisis and demanded the memo, written in October 2006.

It was compiled by the 20-member All Toyota Labour Union headed by Tadao Wakatsuki, who had worked at the firm's Motomachi factory for 45 years.


The memo was sent to President of the company Katsuaki Watanabe in 2006 from a breakaway union of staff


He was prompted to act after Toyota had been charged with criminal negligence after an accident in Japan that injured a family of five.

The company was eventually cleared of the charges - but the verdict did not assuage Wakatsuki's concerns.

With several other employees of Toyota and its subsidiaries, he set up a breakaway labour union in an effort to improve working conditions throughout the group.

His decision to form the All Toyota Labour Union, he told The Times, was based on what he saw as the acquiescence of the official Toyota union, a body that rarely challenged management.

As well as dwelling on numerous shortcomings of Toyota’s management practices, the memo made seven requests.

One of them demanded a review of cost reduction measures 'so that the company can guarantee the manufacturing of safe cars'.

Toyota acknowledged today that senior management had seen the original memo, but said they had responded to just one of the requests - a suggestion that management look into ways of reducing the total number of hours worked by employees each year.
The memo included points that:

— Between 2000 to 2005 Toyota was forced to recall more than million cars, a higher proportion of total vehicle recalls than other car makers.

— Toyota faces a serious problem that could threaten the survival of the company if it is not more thorough in identifying problems and their origins.

— The company is threatened by: combining vehicle platforms, the sharing of parts between models, the outsourcing of planning, a shortage of experimental data on prototypes because of shortened development time, a shortage of experienced specialists and an increase in working hours for employees.

— Worries about the processes that are vital for manufacturing safe cars, and fears that they 'ultimately may be ignored … in the name of competition'

— Requests: a priority on safety, a review of cost-reduction measures, better training for contract workers, a return to craftsmanship.

The memo warned that an increasing number of problems that led to vehicle recalls were arising not at the manufacturing level, but in the planning stages.


source: dailymail

Ferrari goes green: Italian car builders unveil eco-friendly 200mph electric hybrid

By Ray Massey

Green machine: Ferrari's new petrol-electric hybrid 599 can switch between zero-emissions electric power, petrol power, or a mix of the two, cutting emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and boosting fuel consumption


Supercar maker Ferrari has ditched its famous red livery and gone 'green'.

The legendary Italian car-maker and F1 racing stable has unleashed a 200mph eco-friendly electric hybrid vehicle that aims to cut pollution and fuel consumption - while still giving breathtaking acceleration and performance.

But in a shock to traditionalists who delight in the explosive roar and rumble of a Ferrari firing up - this one can start silently and is pollution-free.

Ferrari stunned visitors when it unveiled its new petrol-electric hybrid 599 at the opening day of the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland today.

Not only is it in a bright metallic green paint - rather than traditional Ferrari red - it also has a zero-emissions electric motor backing up its 6.0 litre V12 petrol engine.

The high performance hybrid is aimed at the super-rich for whom a Toyota Prius simply won't do.

But don't get too carried away with the idea that macho Ferrari has suddenly gone all politically-correct in a bid to save the planet.

Rather, its development has been driven by pragmatism and the European Union's tough new targets on cutting emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the so-called 'greenhouse gas' blamed for global warming.

Although the technology is being shown in a prototype 599, the aim is to have it as an option available across its entire range of cars by 2015.


Speedy: The two seater accelerates from rest to 60mph in just 3.5 seconds and up to 125mph in 10.4 seconds

That way it will not fall foul of the EU anti-pollution and anti-gas-guzzler rules, which could otherwise see its supercars driven off the road.

Ferrari reckons that, at present values, the ground breaking technology would currently make the car cost double that of the conventional £207,000 petrol 559 GTB Fiorano on which it is based. But by the time the system has been 'industrialised' in 2014-15, the price should come down to below £300,000.

The petrol-electric Ferrari 599 is a hybrid vehicle which can switch between zero-emissions electric power, petrol power, or a mix of the two, cutting emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and boosting fuel consumption.

A lightweight electric motor at the back of the car weighing 88lbs (40kg) produces more than 100 horsepower - about the same as a Ford Fiesta - and is attached to a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox, with F1 style paddle-shift on the steering wheel.

Under braking, the electric hybrid system acts as a generator. The system 'captures' energy that would otherwise be wasted from braking or slowing down, and uses it to recharge the batteries which in turn can propel the car by electric power.

The hybrid two-door two-seater will accelerate from rest to 60mph in just 3.5 seconds - quicker than the conventional version - and up to 125mph in 10.4 seconds.

CO2 emissions are cut by more than a third to 270g/km - a 35 per cent reduction on a conventional petrol-only model at 415g/km. Its expected to manage up to 25miles to the gallon - an improvement on the petrol only version of under 16mpg.


Taking power from the batteries, it can start up the car silently on electric power only - though this might be a blow to Ferrari purists who may prefer the traditional roar and rumble of the 6.0 litre V12 engine firing up.

The electric motor kicks in on odd-numbered gears - 1, 3, 5 and 7 - smoothing out the power increases.

The thin lithium-ion battery packs are less than an inch (2cm) thick and run flat below the floor pan of the car, but are air-cooled within an aerodynamic underbody.

At the front of the engine, an electric motor-generator powers ancillary devices such as air-conditioning, power steering, power-assisted brakes, and on-board electrical systems.

A spokesman for Ferrari said:'This shows how Ferrari is applying hybrid technology to high-performance cars.

'Central to our objective is maintaining the balance, handling and performance characteristics typical of its cars, despite the inevitable disadvantages in terms of weight.'

He added:''Ferrari has also applied its F1 technology to the design, engineering and construction of a new kind of electric motor which also helps optimise the dynamics of the car.

'The motor cuts in during acceleration, providing instantaneous torque, or pulling power, when moving away from a standstill and during overtaking manoeuvres.

'Power is coupled seamlessly and instantaneously between the electric motor and the V12 petrol engine.

'In town driving, the hybrid system can also function as a full-electric drivetrain. The result is a direct reduction in fuel consumption and emissions.'

He added: 'Under braking, the electric drive unit acts as a generator, using the energy generated to recharge the batteries.'

A low centre of gravity helps maintain balance, handling and performance.There's no loss of space in the boot or in the driver's cabin.

The car dispenses with a conventional starter motor and battery, saving some weight.


source: dailymail

Toyota recalls 8,500 Prius cars in Britain over braking fears

By Ray Massey

Green icon: The Prius's eco-friendly credentials have made it a best seller, but now Toyota is planning to repair the brakes on thousands of the hybrid cars

Toyota today formally announced a world-wide recall of the Prius because of fears over its brakes.

UK owners of more than 8,500 third generation Prius models, launched last year, will be asked to take their cars to a garage to fix a braking glitch.

Around 400,000 cars sold worldwide will be affected by the recall. No other Toyota or Lexus models are affected by this latest recall in Europe
It comes a day before Toyota bosses face a grilling before a US Congressional hearing into the company's safety record tomorrow.

Toyota says the Prius problem, which creates the feeling of a delay when the anti-lock brakes are activated in tricky conditions, is a 'phenomenon' and not safety related.

However, following the backlash over a sticky accelerator pedal which affected more than eight million cars and was blamed for 19 deaths, Toyota has decided on a swift recall of the Prius.

The Prius, which has become an icon of green design, was Japan's best-selling car last year, with 200,000 models being recalled in the country


Sorry: Toyota's President Akio Toyoda issued a grovelling apology


There have been 180 complaints about brake problems with the Prius in the U.S. and Japan, and the defect has been linked to at least five crashes.

Toyota's president has issued a grovelling apology as continuing saftey fears have seen £19billion wiped off the company's share price.

Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota's founder, said: 'I would like to take this opportunity to apologize from the bottom of my heart for causing many of our customers concern after the recalls across several models in several regions.'

Official investigations have been ordered in the U.S. and Japan although British ministers have not so far followed suit.

Seven Toyota models are included in the previous recall in Britain - the Auris, Avensis, Aygo, Corolla, iQ, Verso and Yaris - which could have been fitted with faulty accelerator pedals.

It affects 180,865 cars in Britain, but owners have been warned it could take up to four weeks for them to be notified. More than 10,000 motorists have tried to use Toyota's hotline and website and many complaint lines were jammed.

Meanwhile it has emerged that 270 Toyotas here have been reported as having the potentially lethal fault.

Toyota said that it had confirmed 20 cases before announcing the recall, but another 250 were reported in the past week.

The first UK claim of a crash was made yesterday by a solicitor for an unnamed driver in the Midlands, who is said to have received head injuries when his Toyota hit a wall at 30mph last September.


Mr Toyoda bows before the world's media as he says sorry for safety problems that have wiped £19billion off the company's share price


Toyota estimates the cost in lost sales and repairs over the recall at £1.25billion but that is set to rise sharply with the Prius now involved.

The car giant reported pre-tax profits of £1.56billion for the last quarter of 2009 and credited the hybrid for its success.

Rival car maker Honda also faced embarrassment this week when it announced a recall of 172,000 of its Jazz cars because of fears they could catch fire.


source: dailymail

China introduces women-only car park... with extra wide spaces to cater for their 'special needs'

Fairer sex: The women's parking area at the Wanxiang Tiancheng shopping centre in Hebei province, China, features oversize spaces


Women drivers have long been the subject of ridicule.

But a Chinese shopping centre has gone one step further and developed a car park to cater for their 'special needs'.

The facility features bigger-than-normal parking spaces - clearly for all those ladies who simply can't manage any tricky manouevres on their way to the mall.

Bays have extra lighting and the colour scheme is pink and light purple. There are also specially trained female parking attendants to guide drivers into spaces.


Special needs: The parking lot also has trained attendants and a women friendly colour scheme


Wang Zheng, an official at the Wanxiang Tiancheng shopping centre in Hebei province's Shijiazhuang city, said the car park aimed to address women's 'strong sense of colour and different sense of distance.'

The spaces are 'one metre wider than normal parking spaces,' Wang said, adding that the mall had 'installed signs and security monitoring equipment that corresponded more to women's needs.'

Driving in China is notoriously dangerous, with nearly 73,500 people killed in road accidents last year, or just over 200 fatalities per day, according to police statistics.


source: dailymail

Why the sleek Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Turbo SE is good enough for the boss

The Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Turbo SE isn't just a 'refresh'; it's a whole new car - new engines, new suspension, new body


When I picture you, the reader, it's a classic domestic scene: The Mail on Sunday, kitchen table, bacon and eggs, nice pot of tea. But how do you picture me? Perched at my writing desk in a purpose-built office at the top of the house?

No, no. Let me tell you what I can see right now. Directly in front of me is a row of sunglasses shops and American skinny-latte outlets - and I hate coffee, so this is as close to hell as it gets for me.

To the right of me is a devil child - no, wait, two devil children - bouncing up and down on their plastic seats, making me nod like Churchill the dog every time they land. On the other side, I have a couple arguing about how he left her perfume on the side table when he was packing the suitcase and took out a pair of her shoes to make room for his coat. This has been going on for 40 minutes.

Yes, I'm in an airport. I quite often am when I write these pages, and let me tell you it never gets any easier.

Two seats away it's kicking off big time: there's a woman on the phone to her mate, pouring her heart out and crying into a tissue about her husband, who sounds like a nasty piece of work. If I wanted to write a soap opera, this would be the perfect place to come - there's been more drama here in the past half-hour than in an episode of Corrie. It's not so good for writing 1,000 words for a magazine.

I've just been called onto my flight, so with my legs twisted under the seat in front like I'm trying some painful yoga position, it's time for me to knuckle down and tell you about the new Vauxhall Astra.

The Astra is the fourth-best-selling car in the UK, so to return to my mental picture of you: there's every chance you've got one in the drive. My builder's got one - it looks about 20 years old - and when he saw me pulling up in this, he nearly fell off the shovel he was leaning on. I don't blame him.

This isn't just a 'refresh'; it's a whole new car - new engines, new suspension, new body - as far removed from the first Astra off the Ellesmere Port production line in 1981 as an iPhone is from a Stylophone.


Steering wheel with stereo controls (left); the sleek and stylish front light (right)

Talking of Ellesmere Port, I should take a moment here to mention how important the new Astra is to its 2,100 workers: as I write, GM's bosses have been saying rosy things about the car, the plant and its future. But who knows how that story will have developed by the time you read this? I'm better off focusing on the car itself.

I was never a huge fan of the Astra. To me, it's a junior rep's car - the one you drive before you've sold enough cotton-wool buds to get your BMW 3 Series and really go places. That's the only thing I have against it - it's never been a bad car, just one with bad connotations. Maybe it's just me.


Anyway, much has changed with this sixth generation, the first since the Insignia came along and gave Vauxhall a shot of design-led confidence.

Gone are the rounded rear end and plain-looking front, as well as the plasticky bumpers that looked bolted on: this is much sleeker. Dare I say it - never thought I would - it's a seriously good-looking car, particularly from the front.

Inside, the dash seems to be a better type of plastic than before, with a nicely symmetrical centre panel, well-presented red-backlit dials and the odd touch of chrome and even ambient lighting to give the impression of Audi-like quality. It works. The driving position is too high for me, even with six-way adjustment, but when I shoved my seat right back I noticed there was still ample space behind me.

There are loads of storage cubbyholes and the floor of the boot can be fixed in three different positions, one of which aligns it with the folded-down rear seats - which was great for me, as I needed to transport hundreds of cookbooks. I got plenty in, but there was a problem.

With all that extra weight, my 1.4-litre petrol turbo had about as much go as my builder's ancient diesel. On my way through the New Forest I got stuck behind a couple of old dears in their Micra. No matter what I did, I couldn't get past, and with all the books sliding around the boot, at one point they even pulled away.

Of course it's unfair to review a car when it's lugging around 20 stone of hardbacks, but Vauxhall makes great claims for this all-new 1.4-litre turbo. Its variable valves are supposed to compensate for heavy loads, and it boasts 138hp and loads of low-rev torque - but that's exactly what I wasn't getting.

Even when I offloaded the books and hit the road home, I still found it almost impossible to overtake anyone.

I suspect that whatever it is they've done to stretch the fuel efficiency to 47mpg (supposedly 58mpg outside of cities) also removes a bit of fun - isn't that always the way with saving the planet?

To be fair, this engine is only about a third of the way up the range, and there was nothing else I didn't like about the car. It's got a nice, smooth ride and it's surprisingly taut in the corners thanks to a 'Watt's linkage' on the rear suspension - a 225-year-old invention that stops the axle moving sideways.

Having lived with the car for a week, I think almost everyone will love it. The thing is, my builder wants one now.

So whenever you picture me, you can picture one of these in my driveway. Knowing builders, it could be there forever.

TECH SPEC£19,490, vauxhall.co.uk

Engine 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder

Power 138hp

Max torque 200Nm at 1,850-4,900rpm

Top speed 128mph

Fuel consumption 47.9mpg

CO2 emissions 139g/km (tax band E)

Transmission Six-speed

Standard features 17in alloys, cornering brake control and cornering torque control, ESP with traction control, ABS with Emergency Brake Assist and Hydraulic Brake Fade Assist, air-con, electric parking brake with hill-start assist, CD/radio/ MP3 player with aux in and steering-wheel-mounted controls, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors, cruise control, auto lights and wipers, Flex-Floor luggage compartment, Trailer Stability Assist, six-way adjustable driver's seat

Optional extras 18in alloys, adaptive suspension, dual-zone air-con, CD500 sat-nav with iPod interface, DAB radio, sports seats, parking sensors, Adaptive Forward Lighting, Flex-Fix bike carrier


source: dailymail

Winterize Your Car

By Chris Nagy
Automotive Correspondent

For a season consisting of such long, sun-lit days, it always seems that summer rushes by faster than the wind through your hair while you drive a convertible. However, the impending temperature drop is a stark reminder of what will soon become months of winter-driving uncertainty. While you may not be ready to pull out the winter coat, adapting your vehicle to colder weather before the change of season is paramount to avoiding a slippery situation in the snow.

Clean vehicle inside and out
Exterior surfaces are particularly vulnerable to winter's charming qualities such as snow, ice and road salt. Utilize the fair fall days leading up to the frigid months to thoroughly wash your vehicle and you may just save your vehicle's body. To start, undertake a complete do-it-yourself detailing of your car. Be sure to include a car wax that coats the body panels before the first snowfall -- specifically, before temperatures drop below 55F. This preventative measure will shield paint surfaces from snowy bombardments, and it will also make snow and ice easier to brush off.

On the inside, remove any garbage before vacuuming the seats and floor. After vacuuming, additional attention with an upholstery cleaner will have your cockpit looking spick-and-span and more welcoming for passengers. To rid your car of that stale, climate-controlled atmosphere that the colder weather brings, try an air-freshener -- even a man's car shouldn't smell like his gym wear. Finally, it's also a great idea to swap out your carpeted floor mats with a set of water-resistant vinyl or rubber mats.

Test the battery and electrical systems
Cold weather is a vehicle's electrical system enemy -- especially the car's battery. Combine this with the increased power demands of defrosters, windshield wipers and heating systems, and a car battery really has to be ready to meet the brutal winter challenge. A simple battery test means running your vehicle's headlights before starting the engine. If you notice that the headlights get brighter once you start the engine, more elaborate battery tests might be needed.

Metering voltage with a voltmeter or measuring electrolyte levels for an unsealed, low-maintenance battery are two examples of such tests. If your tests show a voltage lower than 12.4V or if electrolyte-specific gravity resides below 1.225, a recharge or replacement of the battery is likely required.

A well-insulated cabin offers much needed shelter from frigid winter winds, so ensuring your heating system is functioning properly should be a top priority. Run your heating system to ensure its operation before the actual time of need -- trust us, you do not want to be trapped in a cold car in the months to come. Also, check the window defroster system by testing the defroster strips in the windshield and rear windshield using a voltmeter. Another major electricity consumer are the vehicle's lights, which will be running longer due to the much shorter days. Make sure your headlights, taillights, backup lights, and signal lights (including your hazards) illuminate with a visual check during a dark day or at night.

Check and change fluids
Check the coolant system. To determine whether or not your vehicle is operating with a proper coolant level, it sometimes only requires a small visual check at a marked level indicator on a semitransparent overflow reservoir. For North America, a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze coolant is typically recommended for year-round driving (check your car's owners manual for specifics or go by the indications on the antifreeze). After checking the coolant, proceed to examine coolant hoses for leaks or wear -- visually inspect all of the connections and use clean rags or paper towels to ensure there are no leaks. Make sure you also search for leaks around other reservoirs in the engine compartment, such as your brakes and oil.

The change in seasonal temperatures may also dictate a change to a thinner viscosity engine oil to more efficiently lubricate moving parts in colder conditions. Since this is not the standard for all vehicles, check your vehicle's owner manual for fluid requirements.

Maximize winter vision
Darkness and blizzard-like snowfalls, coupled with shorter periods of sunlight, dramatically reduce a motorist's vision during the winter. A working set of windshield wipers and an ample supply of winter washer fluid are the best ways to optimize limited visibility. Ensure that your wipers have a clean wipe across the windshield -- if you replace your wiper arms, also make sure that they don't lift from your windscreen at higher speeds (some larger, Teflon wipers tend to lift with higher winds).

Similar to the theme of tires, windshield wiper varieties are predominately featured for all-season use. While a high-quality windshield wiper is the way to go, wiper performance can be affected by snow and ice buildup along the wiper springs. For optimal winter visibility, investing in special winter wipers equipped with protective shields that protect the wipers' mechanism is an excellent idea. Summer washer fluid must be replaced heading into the colder months since it is not made for the colder temperatures and may become frozen and useless. When buying winter washer fluid, look for a brand with a deicer agent.

Be equipped for the road
While it may be a given, it's still extremely important to mention the basics in winter car equipment: You will need a snow brush and an ice scrapper. Remember, a soft-bristled snow brush is less likely to damage your paint, and plastic scrappers won't scratch your windshield and windows as easily as metal ones. Other tools suited for unpredictable winter conditions include a collapsible shovel, a well-stocked emergency kit and a set of jumper cables.

For mountain regions, add a set of tire chains to your trunk as it may be the only way you'll be able to drive. As well, in case your vehicle becomes immobilized in deep snow you can either buy a set of traction pads or use some scrap pieces of carpet to help you escape those arctic traps. However, make sure you read the instructions carefully prior to using the traction pads as they often have spiked bottoms and can be quite dangerous.

When taking a long trip (a common practice during the holiday season), include items such as a blanket, a flashlight, candles and a lighter, flares, and an extra bottle of windshield washer fluid in case of unplanned circumstances or roadside stops.

Understandably, this winter gear might represent a burden for trunk space, but your preparation may be a relief for you later on.

Decide on winter tires

Because all-season tires are an economical and practical choice for many motorists, it took recent tire technology advancements to recapture consumer interest for winter tires. And even then, some drivers swear by all-seasons even though their winter performances are scarcely up to par with that of the winter treads. Some manufacturers even go as far as to specify winter tires for specific winter-weather driving -- and note that some cities have bylaws that restrict the use of studded tires and tire chains.

If you opt for winter tires, store your summer tires in opaque plastic bags. To reduce moisture from damaging the rubber, press as much air out of the bags as possible or use a vacuum to suck out the air before sealing the bags with tape. For storage, find a place that maintains a cool, but stable temperature, such as a basement or heated garage.

Whichever tire you choose to use this coming winter, make sure you conduct regular visual checks on the tires' tread surface, and monitor the tire pressure on a monthly basis as well. Remember, every 10F drop equals 1 PSI lost in your tires' pressure, and that means loss of traction and control on your part.

don't let winter leave you cold
Winterizing your car is essential to surviving North America's most frigid months. Don't let your car be another winter burden (like shoveling the driveway or salting the front steps). Instead, make sure it's a haven from the cold and a vehicle you can rely on to transport you and your family safely in any weather conditions Old Man Winter can throw your way.

Resources:
http://autos.aol.com
http://auto.howstuffworks.com
www.batterystuff.com
www.carcarecanada.ca
www.cartest.ca
www.doityourself.com
www.goodwrench.com
www.partsource.ca
www.popularmechanics.com
www.tirerack.com


source: askmen.com

Motor Expro Thailand 2009, December 2-13, 2009

source: kapook.com

Our collection of wild custom cars

Rocket-launching, rainbow-splattered streamline babies

In Asia, custom cars -- altered for looks or performance -- are pimped-out. There goes (Varoom! Varoom!) that J-pop painted (Thphhhhhh!) robot-transforming (Rahghhh!) Gandhi killer car around the bend.


Japanese customizers are hardcore


The land of anime and transforming robots brought out similarly badass vehicles at the 2009 Sotontokoro Motorshow. A Buddhist priest decked his ride with sutras written in Svarovski crystals. (Cost: US$110,000.) A Batman fanatic made a rolling tribute. (Cost: US$280,000, 13 wasted years and a divorce.) My favorite is the eggplant farmer’s van with a giant water rocket launcher.


Manila custom car show


The Philippines is a nation of car individualists. At the 2008 Manila Auto Salon (http://www.manilaautosalon.com), owners showed off their skilled custom work. Psychedelic paint jobs, gull wings and Gothic front plates ahoy.



Extreme modified vans in Japan
Spray-painting the side of a van? Pssshw. In Japan, tricked-out vans have towering lighting bolt extensions and meticulous portraits of Disney and Sanrio characters. Or cute J-pop stars, such as Ayumi Hamasaki.







Chinese “little sheep” scooter
Motorbikes rule the roads of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. In China, scooters are called “little sheep” because they are less powerful than their Harley-Davidson cousins. Hence the gold writing on this retro two-wheeler “Century Sheep.”






Patched-up Shanghai three-wheeler
I adore this jockey-shifter trike, spotted on the sidewalk of Shanghai’s hardware district. It reminds me of my dad’s old ride: rust covered with poorly-matched spray paint, seat held together by rope. Could the handicapped symbol refer to the state of the vehicle?



Gandhi killer getaway car
New Delhi accumulated a fair number of foreign autos in its colonial days. At a 2007 rally, hobbyists put their painstakingly restored vintage roadsters on display. This 1930 Studebaker has a sordid history: It was the car Nathuram Godse used to escape from Birla House after killing Mahatma Gandhi.




REVA rainbow electric cars
Designer-painted REVA custom cars were auctioned for charity at the 2008 Kala Ghoda Arts Fest in Mumbai. Some call the Indian electric car ugly, but they might change their minds after seeing one covered with rainbow streaks and patches. Or not.



Sparkly Bratz Hyundai coupé
South Korean manufacturer Hyundai is known for its inexpensive and not-too-cool cars. But the sporty Genesis Coupé takes a step up the luxury ladder. And the Bratz-themed customization -- sparkly magenta paint, fuzzy pillows, wing doors -- puts this Hyundai in the zone of awesome custom cars. (If you’re a six-year-old girl, that is…)


source: cnngo.com

The Exhibition of electric vehicles

A Twizy Z.E. (zero emission) concept car is displayed during an exhibition of electric vehicle at the Renault Champs Elysees showroom in Paris November 6, 2009.



Visitors look at the Fluence Z.E. (zero emission) concept car displayed during an exhibition of electric vehicles at the Renault Champs Elysees showroom in Paris November 6, 2009.



A Zoe Z.E. (zero emission) concept car is displayed during an exhibition of electric vehicles at the Renault Champs Elysees showroom in Paris November 6, 2009.



A Kangoo Z.E. (zero emission) concept car is displayed during an exhibition of electric vehicles at the Renault Champs Elysees showroom in Paris November 6, 2009.


credit photo: Reuters