after market floor-mats interfering with the gas pedal’s arc (sometimes lodging itself under the mat and causing involuntary acceleration)

computer glitch that causes the car’s speedometer to surge and later disappear when the car’s on-board computer is checked for problems.

Of course, Toyota has done its own research and conducted its own experiments to sift out what could be wrong with their car lineup. Are Toyota’s still drivable? My opinion in this matter is: Yes! There is a very small chance that this malfunction could occur when you’re behind the wheel, but if you’re prepared for this problem and react with the proper solutions you should be able to walk away from your car every time. 

No matter which problem is causing these dangerous results, there are a couple ways to counteract them and bring your car to a stop. One way is to shut off your car by turning your car off (while still in drive) by turning the key counterclockwise. This will shut off the engine and stop the car from accelerating any further, on the other hand you also lose power steering and power brakes (both will still work- but require more effort). I would only recommend this under extreme circumstances due to the lack of control you end up with. When you have turned the key back, press as hard as possible on the brakes (they will not engage as quickly or with same pressure as normal so keep pressing). 

Another solution is to shift the car into neutral (whether or not your car is automatic or manual transmission). Once you do this the engine will start to rev very loudly (since the engine is still engaged but under no load), you are still in control of the car with power steering and brakes but the high RPM’s may cause engine problems later.

These solutions are not proven to work on EVERY car but the general idea works in theory and are not to be used unless advised to do so by traffic authority or a certified car safety instructor. I am neither of these so you should follow these suggestions at your own risk.

SSC Ultimate Aero

Bugatti Veyron

McLaren F1

Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo

Koenigsegg CCX

Engines

SSC Ultimate Aero: V8 Engine Twin-Turbo

Bugatti Veyron: W16 Engine

McLaren F1: V12 Engine

Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo: V8 Engine

Koenigsegg CCX: V8 Engine

HP (Horsepower):

SSC Ultimate Aero: 1183 HP

Bugatti Veyron: 1001 HP

McLaren F1: 627 HP

Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo: 750 HP

Koenigsegg CCX: 806 HP

Top Speed

SSC Ultimate Aero: 257 mph

Bugatti Veyron: 253 mph

McLaren F1: 240 mph

Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo: 248 mph

Koenigsegg CCX: 245 mph

Your Opinions:

Tell me your opinions in the comments section below.

I have also taken a survey of these cars from more than a hundred people and 45 said SSC Ultimate Aero, 50 said Bugatti Veyron, 2 said McLaren, 2 said Koenigsegg and 0 said Saleen, so its totally up to you and tell me which car you think is the best and leave your answer in the comments section. The 101th person who is me, thinks that the SSC Ultimate Aero is the best car in the world.

As Electric Cars Arrive, Where Will They Plug In?

            Already many places of visit are preparing for the swarm of electric and hybrid cars. Now, companies like General Motors, Nissan, Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota are rolling out new models of cars. However, the auto industry also has to fix some basic things like where will they plug the electric source to and how big it will be. Luckily, carmakers have agreed on the basic design of a common five-prong plug for use across the industry. The plug will fit into a car’s socket, with the other end fitting into a standard 110-volt or 220-volt outlet. This will become industry standard by 2011. The 220-volt charges 2 times faster than the 110- volt; however, the 220 volt are less common. Updated California building codes will require these types of electric sockets. PG&E and other companies have gotten together to form the Electrification Coalition. They will be figuring out how to implement this. They hope to get electric cars as a standard in the future.

-         electric cars are being developed in major car companies

-         president obama suggests that we may have 1 million electric cars by 2015

-         the electric source will use a 110 or 220 volt outlet

-         This will become industry standard by 2011.

-         They have made new building codes to fit volt outlets

-         There is  a new committee called the Electrification Coalition, who will deal with how to implement all of this.

Most cars these days come equipped with front wheel drive, with the exception of the popular all wheel drive in many sports utility vehicles.  You should consider rear wheel drive, however, because there are many advantages that front wheel drive can’t give you in driving performance as well as safety!

Rear wheel drive cars are naturally better balanced as the drive components are in the back and the engine is in the rear.  This distributes weight more evenly throughout the frame and improves braking, handling and acceleration.  Rear wheel drive allows the car’s weight to be transferred to the back, allowing the tires to be pressed onto the surface and helping to provide traction.  The rear pushes the vehicle instead of the front tires pulling it, leaving the front free to steer while the rear propels the car.  It also frees the front tires to steer, giving the driver more control of the vehicle.

Rear wheel drive also does a better job of distributing the weight of the vehicle more evenly to all four tires, providing stability and balance.  Acceleration from a dead stop is faster, too.  When you hit the gas, the weight of the car is transferred to the rear, giving you traction instead of spin.  This gives the vehicle the impetus it needs for a smoother start. 

There’s nothing more important than effective braking, especially if you encounter an emergency where a quick stop could save your life or reduce damage to your vehicle.  Rear wheel drive frees the front tires for steering duty, a very important part of a safe emergency stop.  With any type of drive the weight of the vehicle is transferred to the front tires; rear wheel drive leaves the front of the car completely free to control direction, which can make the difference between a heart-stopping halt and a tragic crash. 

Since the driveline connects to the steering wheel, a front wheel drive vehicle naturally has more force applied to the front wheels during acceleration and causes the car to pull to the right while accelerating.  You avoid this with rear wheel drive. 

If you enjoy a smooth ride, you’ll appreciate rear wheel drive.  There isn’t as much pressure exerted on the front suspension because of more even weight distribution so they can be set to a softer and more comfortable ride. 

Have you ever noticed that law enforcement vehicles are usually rear wheel drive?  That’s because drivers in this profession need as much control, maneuverability and safety as a vehicle can provide!  They know that in a driving emergency, rear wheel drive can literally be a lifesaver. 

So why are there so many front wheel drive cars?  Sure, they provide better traction in ice and snow but the real reason is economics—front wheel drive cars are allow the drivetrain and the engine to be put together as one unit and easily mounted during assembly of the vehicle.  If you want a safer car with superior performance, ride and control you will want to consider rear wheel drive.

The Ferrari California is the first Ferrari automobile with front engine V-8.

 http://www.ferraricalifornia.com/webapp/feel.htm?locale=en_GB#/f149/14/12/1/1/

Image via Wikipedia

Ferrari North America (FNA) is the exclusive importer of Ferrari automobiles in Central, North and South America. Ferrari North America accounts for about 30% of Ferrari`s global sales. China, the Middle East and the United States are among Ferrari’s largest markets.

 While there has been a recessionary trend in the car market worldwide, accompanying the economic decline across the globe, sales of hybrid cars as a whole have increased in 2008 and 2009. Analysts think that buyers are choosing hybrid cars because hybrids allow savings on fuel costs and because of the range of options available-for example Nissan has the Altima, which is a sedan and GMC has the Yukon, which is a SUV.

It may be that companies that are in the business of making cars can better protect their market share by developing hybrids. Ford found that that 60% of their sales of the Ford Fusion-a hybrid-in February, 2010, were to first time Ford customers.

Image via Wikipedia

Ferrari has joined the hybrid trend and designed the Ferrari 599, a 200mph electric hybrid vehicle. The 599 is an experimental vehicle-vettura laboratorio-and there currently isn’t a good estimate for a release date.

 Ferrari has a business relationship with Shell Oil. Shell V-Power was developed over many years of collaboration between Shell and Ferrari.

 Ferrari has licensed many other items besides sports cars, which bear the Ferrari brand. For example the Acer auto-branded laptop, the Ferrari One, is an 11-inch netbook decked out in Ferrari’s traditional red. Other Ferrari branded items include eyewear, perfume, laptops, watches, high-tech bicycles and cell phones.

First,  Driving in the hilly path areas. Driving in the hilly areas is essential to speed management. Try to  move the car by using a small force. This can be possible if the rotation is achieved with a low rpm. Keep rolling the car with a low gear and without using a high rpm.

A High rpm on a slippery surfaces (off road) often make the traction on the drive wheel is off. It will make the car do not reach a higher level. The principle of high and low rpm is often  into a debate, try to do the best.

Second, turn off the engine if stopped for a moment such as when to stop waiting for the rail crossing, the traffic light or waiting for someone. The idle of fuel consumption in engines of modern cars now is  approximately one-liter-per-hour, therefore if you have the opportunity to idle more than a minute , then turn the engine off for a moment. If a day capitulation of the car idle for more than 10 minutes and the driver is always turned off the engine,  they had  been saving  1/6 liters of fuel..

If the engine has an injection system , the driver is expected not to step on the gas pedal  when turned on the engine back, because the engine has an own re-start management system. (While on cars made before 2000, in the hot engine condition the drivers sometime have to little step on the gas pedal  to re-start the engine).

Third,  is how to drive a way of cornering. Cornering with eco driving could be achieved through several factors such as speed, path direction and training. Look a ahead, slowdown the car gently, if it is safe without using the brake pedal try to use TITO (widening-narrowing-widening) thus the reduction factor of the small wheel rotation. Generally, the drivers should be able to anticipate the condition if it is secure or not in certain areas of the corner.

We all hope,  by understanding on how to a good driving, the  eco driving will be achieved. And may be there are more usefulness that can be found, especially in the fuel saving system.

Let’s Be The Eco Drivers!

The Cayenne, which is a Porsche SUV, has captured a lot of sales for Porsche. In fact the Cayenne is currently Porsche’s best selling model.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/25/officially-official-2011-porsche-cayenne-revealed-before-geneva/

Porsche unveiled a new version of the Cayenne at the Geneva Motor Show. The new version is a hybrid and can cruise at a speed of 97mph solely on electrical power.

Image via Wikipedia

The Porsche Panamero Turbo delivers a huge amount of power and seats four adults comfortably. It was named the hottest car of the year by Playboy magazine. However, some people don’t favor the styling of the 2010 version of the Panamero, disliking the use of plastic and the design of the cabin. Porsche receives competition for this model from the BMW 7-series and the Mercedes CLS and S-Class.

Porsche counts China as its third biggest market and to compete with other luxury car makers, such as Mercedes Benz and BMW, it has added Porsche dealers and introduced new models in China.

Currently, Germany is Porsche’s second largest market. Porsche expects this to change by 2012, at which point it estimates that sales in China should surpass sales in Germany, putting its market in China in second position. China is experiencing rising wealth, which makes luxury vehicles more affordable.

Though car sales have not been doing well, due to the economic climate, Porsche USA experienced a minor rise in sales in February of this year. Sales moved by less than 1% to reach 1,531 vehicles.

Porsche is a major shareholder in Volkswagen AG and is currently being traded at 38.56 Euro per share.

2.    You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you haveto go every other day to the gas station to fill up.

3.    You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: your car company has a recall on your SUV.

4.    You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when:  you realize that you have way to much space in there.

5.    You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you have a hard time weaving into and out of traffic.

6.    You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you back up into the other parked cars.

7.    You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you have to look everywhere just to drive your SUV.

8.    You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you wonder if your boat’s dingy, will fit inflated, in the back seat.

9.    You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you can’t see the little people.

10. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: snow becomes just a slight concern.

11. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you can fit 10 people into your SUV but only have a family of five.

12. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: people start graffiting your SUV for hogging street parking spots.

13. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: backing out of the driveway becomes a dangerous driving maneuver.

14. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when:  you have to worry about who you haven’t hit yet.

15. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you need to get a commercial driving license just to drive your SUV.

16. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you see the first car bill.

17. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: the cars around you can drive faster than you.

18. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: the post office uses your model SUV as the corporate car.

19. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: the post office uses your SUV as an example as to the way compressed natural gas can save the world.

20. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: your wife starts placing bumper stickers on the bumper.

21. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: even semi trucks tail you and you are in the slow lane.

22. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: even sports cars tail you and you are in the slow lane.

23. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: now they are coming out with electric models that would have helped you save gas.

24. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when:  you get a flat tire and have to jack up the SUV.

25. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you just lost your job.

26. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: your wife comes home and starts the conversation like, “Honey you know that mailbox on the corner?”

27. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: it snows and you have a 2 wheel drive SUV.

28. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: it snows and you can’t get it out of the driveway.

29. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: the local kids scratch their names into the hood paint.

30. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: the top speed is up to your imagination. And you don’t have much of an imagination.

31. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you can see over other cars at the miles of traffic.

32. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: your dad brags about his new sports car.And asks you how fast your SUV can go.

33. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when:  late at night you can go into the woods and go Off-Roading..

34. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you go off roading o nthe shoulder of the highway and get pulled over by a cop also in an SUV.

35. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: the price of newer models is cheaper then what you paid.

36. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you have a hard time climbing into it.

37. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you get into an accident with a cop car and do more damage to his car then yours.

38. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: your transmission goes one mile past its warranty.

39. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you get another car to use less gas.

40. You know you shouldn’t have bought that SUV when: you could have bought two cars for the same amount.

Thanks

It was one cold January afternoon in 1985, I was working in my first garage in Palmers Green London.  My friend and colleague Steve came up to me whilst I was under a vehicle changing the clutch, he said      “Mate do you want to be part of a Rally car crew, just me and you.  It will be on T.V. on Grandstand?”

Steve went on to explain that a rival garage owner in Enfield was taking part in an off-road Rally in Brighton and it will be televised that Saturday afternoon.  Steve went on to explain further that the car was a rally prepared MK2 Ford escort B.D.A. which stood for (Belt Driven A series Engine) This car was a version of the Rally winning factory prepared Escorts that had cleaned the boards in rallying in the late 1970s. 

The award winning Mk 2 Escort circa 1980.

The usual pit crew for the Escort had been taken ill with flu and the Driver and owner Mr Gray of (Gray’s Tyre and exhaust centres) was desperate for two replacement mechanics at extremely short notice.  Without too much thought I agreed and jumped at the chance to be on T.V. if only dressed in overalls and probably covered in oil!

The arrangement was for Mr Gray and his navigator for the Rally would pick us up outside our work at 6.00pm on the Friday night.  We would then be driven to Brighton from Palmers Green.  The distance was approximately 100mls in total.  We were picked up bang on time at 6.00pm. Mr Gray drove a brand spanking new Ford Granada Ghia X 2.8 Injection.  The Ford Granada had not that long been released in the U.K.

A white knuckle ride in the Ford Granada Ghia-X Injection.

The arrangement financially was that  Steve and I would not receive any payment for our services but we would be treated to free accommodation in a hotel in Brighton with dinner and all drinks paid for by Mr Gray. 

We set off with gusto towards Brighton in London’s rush-hour.  By our feet in the rear off the Granada was a green cool box, Mr Gray said    “Help yourselves there is cold Red-Stripe Lager in there, and you two aren’t needed until 9.00am tomorrow have a drink on us”   Only being 21 I didn’t need to be asked twice! My pal and me attacked the ice-cold Lager.

It was a great start to the evening.  All was going like clock worth until I noticed next to me the registration document for the Rally in Brighton, it said along the lines of, all entrants into the Grandstand open Rally must log in their entrance forms by 7.30 on Friday night prior to the Rally the following day!

I tapped the front seat passenger on his shoulder and passed him the entrance form.    His eyes nearly popped out of his head he shouted out to Mr Gray    “You said we had until 9.00pm to log our entrance in, well its bloody 7.30pm and look at the time its 6.20pm now and were about 80mls short of Brighton!”

Mr Gray said nothing but he put the main beam headlights on and floored the accelerator hard into the carpet!  My lager tipped backwards and went down my nice clean shirt as we sped down a dual carriage way.  I carefully clipped on my seat belt and crossed myself!  The speedometer quickly rose to over 125mph!  Steve whispered to me don’t worry David he’s a Rally driver remember.  I shakily asked my pal for another Red-Stripe lager I thought to myself if I’m going to be scraped off road somewhere on the way to Brighton I’m not going out sober!

Whether it was the lager or my confidence in Mr Gray was growing but a huge smile began emerging on my face.  We rounded bend after bend with tyres squealing for grip.  I think the weight of the four of us plus a toolkit in the back gave us extra traction.  Oncoming headlights seemed to blur into one stripe of light. 

I can honestly say I didn’t see that speedometer dip below 120mph unless traffic stood in our way.  We approached the outskirts of Brighton and we saw our first orange sign pointing to the Rally headquarters.  By my watch it was 7.25pm!  We flew up the approach road getting airborne over speed humps.  At 7.29 Mr Gray handbrake-turned the Granada on the gravel outside Rally headquarters and ran into the Stately home waving his entrance form!

Part two of “Rally cars and snake bites” to follow shortly.

Lord Banks