Ford, Lincoln,Mercury products developed to run on regular fuel

2009 Lincoln MKS

DEARBORN, Mich., July 28, 2008 - With per-gallon prices hovering around $4, customers are sensitive to every penny spent at the pump, and Ford Motor Company is leveraging technologies to help consumers avoid an even further hit to their wallets. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, including luxury models like the all-new 2009 Lincoln MKS, run - and run well - on regular unleaded gas, a true competitive advantage given today's skyrocketing fuel costs.



By developing vehicles that deliver both fuel efficiency and performance using regular unleaded gasoline, customers can save as much as $200 annually at the pump filling up a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury product rather than using expensive premium unleaded fuel as some other automakers require.

Yet, recent figures from Kelley Blue Book show that the number of vehicles that either recommend or require premium fuel at an average of $0.20 or more per gallon has grown from 166 in 2002 to more than 280 today. Some luxury models on that list even warn owners they can seriously damage their engines if they consistently fill up with gas below 91 octane.

No such disclaimers or fuel requirements apply to volume Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicles. Products excluding specialty performance vehicles such as the Ford Shelby GT500 can run on regular 87-octane gasoline - with great performance, said Stephen Russ, a technical leader with Ford Powertrain Operations. That includes products ranging from the 2009 Ford Mustang Bullitt to the Lincoln MKS.

"Our vehicles, including our luxury products, will run normally on 87-octane regular fuel," he adds. "Some customers may choose to use premium fuel to get additional horsepower, but our powertrains are designed so we don't have to require it."

The Lincoln MKS, equipped with the 3.7-liter V-6 and front-wheel drive, for example, delivers 275 hp and 274 lb-ft of torque on premium fuel. Fill up with regular unleaded, and the luxury sedan still delivers more than 270 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, along with maintaining 24 miles per gallon on the highway.

No Knock

Thanks to Ford's improved adaptive spark ignition system, Lincoln MKS owners that fill up with regular unleaded don't have to worry about the common engine knock and pinging often associated with using a lower-grade gas.

This system can sense what type of fuel is being injected into the motor, and communicates the information to the powertrain control module (PCM), which adjusts the spark accordingly. "We have improved the algorithms and software so the vehicle's PCM is better able to figure out what fuel is being used and quickly adapt," said Russ.

In addition to software changes, the ignition system features two knock sensors rather than one to further improve performance. These two sensors detect the presence of uncontrolled burning in the chambers more accurately, so the control module can retard engine timing as needed to eliminate the potential for engine knock and pinging.

Other vehicles that feature the improved two-sensor adaptive spark ignition system include the Mustang, equipped with the 4.6-liter V-8, Mustang Bullitt and the 2009 Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner equipped with the 3.0-liter V-6.

Dollars and Sense

Running on regular versus premium represents upwards of a $200-a-year savings in fuel costs for customers. Coupled with myriad other fuel-efficient technologies offered on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, such as Ford's new six-speed automatic transmissions, customers can save even more in fuel costs without having to sacrifice performance.

For example, in addition to its six-speed transmission, the MKS features a two-speed fuel pump that alternates between two flow settings. During idle or under certain conditions such as cruising at highway speeds, the fuel pump runs on the low setting, requiring less energy to run the pump. The lower voltage results in less of a draw on the engine, improving fuel efficiency.

MKS also features Aggressive Deceleration Fuel Shut-Off, a fuel-saving system that shuts off fuel flow to the injectors when the driver backs completely off the throttle with the vehicle in fifth or sixth gear, such as exiting onto a freeway off ramp.

[Source : Ford Group]

Toyota Focusing on Metal-Air Cells for Next-Generation Battery Technology

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TOKYO, 27 July 2008 - The Nikkei reports that Toyota's newly established department for battery research is focusing on metal-air cells as the next-generation battery technology for its vehicles.



In June at Toyota Environmental Forum in Tokyo, Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said that the company was setting out to develop an innovative next-generation battery that far outperforms lithium-ion batteries.

Watanabe was referring to what's known as a metal-air battery, according to Toyota Executive Vice-President Masatami Takimoto. In this type of battery, electricity is generated by a reaction between oxygen in the air and a metal like zinc at the negative electrode. The battery does not require the use of a combustible liquid electrolyte, so there is no danger of ignition as is the case with lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, an air battery has over fives times the energy-storage capacity of a similarly-sized lithium-ion battery...It may take some time before air batteries reach the practical stage, but Toyota believes that they will ultimately become the next-generation battery technology of choice.

...Toshiba Battery Co. has conducted research on air batteries for many years and knows their weak spot: they don't perform well when made in large sizes. Because of this experience the company has no current plans to develop air-batteries for cars. However, the company acknowledges the large latent potential. "If the performance can be improved they could end up finding use in a wide range of applications (including cars)," agreed Teiji Okayama of the technology development department.

Toyota founded a chair for research on advanced batteries at Kyoto University, and will carry out research in collaboration with chair professor Koji Nishio.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Stuart Licht at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, recently published a paper on the development of a vanadium boride (VB₂)/air cell that offers an order of magnitude higher energy capacity than lithium-ion batteries.

[Source : NIKKEI via Green Car Congress]

Taiwan’s CMC Lands Military Contract With New Outlander

2008 Mitsubishi Outlander ES

TAIPEI – China Motor Corp lands a contract to supply 250 4-wheel-drive vehicles to Taiwan’s military.

CMC was the surprise winner with a bid of NT$125 million ($4.11 million) for 250 of its new Outlander SUVs. The Outlander retails in Taiwan for about NT$900,000 ($29,585).

Analysts say CMC’s cut-rate bid of NT$500,000 ($16,436) per unit was a tactical move designed to garner publicity for the recently introduced model.

CMC also is expected to recoup much of the loss through maintenance contracts with the military over the lifetime of the vehicles.

[Source : WardsAuto]

2008 SUPER GT : TAKATA DOME NSX (Michigami/Kogure) wins for first time this season

No.18 TAKATA DOME NSX

On July 27, the “SUGO GT 300KM RACE," Round 5 of the 2008 AUTOBACS SUPER GT, was held at Sports land SUGO (one lap: 3.704 km) in Miyagi Prefecture and the GT500 class winner was the TAKATA DOME NSX driven by Ryo Michigami and Takashi Kogure.


Starting from the pole position that he won on Saturday, Kogure got a good start as the first-half driver of the TAKATA DOME NSX and opened up an early lead over the competition. But soon the ARTA NSX moved up from its 3rd position start to put the pressure on and turn the race into a fierce battle between these two Honda NSX machines.
The close battle between the two continued in the second half of the race after Ryo Michigami took the wheel of the TAKATA DOME NSX until late in the race when the ARTA NSX ran off the track. In the end, the TAKATA DOME NSX won the race after effectively maintaining its lead throughout.
This was the first win of the season for the Michigami/Kogure team and also for the Honda NSX. This victory also moved them into first place in the season point ranking with a good shot for the series title.

In the GT300 class the victory went to the ARTA Garaiya driven by Morio Niita and Shinichi Takagi. For this team it was their second win of the season following a victory at round two.

(Spectators: 34,800)

Winner Comments.

No.18 TAKATA DOME NSX [GT500]
Ryo Michigami: “If you want to know how I am feeling right now, I'm very relieved. Izawa (in car No. 1) put a lot of pressure on me (laughs). He is fast and we were carrying a load of handicap weights, so it was hard to shake him. When he crashed we were boxed behind two GT300 machines at the last curve. He was pressuring me from behind and I was thinking about passing the GT300 machines on the outside. But there was a lot of tire shredings over there, so I held firm on the inside. Then I saw the orange car (No. 1) start to make its move on the outside and I wondered if he could do it. That's when he suddenly disappeared [off the track] and I saw in my rearview mirror that he had crashed. Then I realized it had been a futile attempt (wry laugh). This win means that we are going to have to carry even more handicap weights at Suzuka (Rd. 6), which will make things tough. But I will be trying to get us at least a few points toward the title."

Takashi Kogure: “I am really glad that we won. I'm relieved. I had a good start but No. 1 was soon chasing me and making it a tight battle. If it were only the two of us I could have held him off, but there he came after me when I was caught behind some GT300 cars on the last corner. The result was some dangerous braking on the first corner. Somehow I was able to hold him off and turn the machine over to Michigami san with our lead intact. I knew the conditions would be tough out there for him, but I had faith that he could keep the lead. But I got anxious when the No. 1 car started to try to get past him (laughs). But this win gives us a good shot at the championship title. From here on we will be thinking about the weight handicap and the season points with each race and try our best to win the title."


No. 43 ARTA Garaiya [GT300]
Morio Niita: “Things felt good during our tests but there were a number of situations where things just didn't fall into place. In the qualifying we weren't able to use the tires we wanted, for example. The strategy we went into today's race with seemed to be right on target, however. Though we got a lead in the early stages we knew that the tires would not last long, so the plan was to change drivers one-third of the way into the race. By starting with a full tank, we planned to shorten our pit time and get back on the track early. I trusted that if I was able to turn the wheel over to Shinichi in good position, he would be running on tires that were good for the conditions and we could get the win. The Garaiya car doesn't run as you would hope when it is carrying handicap weights, so we will have to think about unloading some of the weight as we win points steadily toward the title."

Shinichi Takagi: “I think things happened to go very well today (laughs). We were able to save time in the pit and push hard from the out-lap and then took the lead. After that, I was all alone in the front, so I don't really feel like I raced today (laughs). But it was still a tight race as the DAISHIN (No. 81) was moving up on me near the end."

SPORTSLAND SUGO : Race Report
Length : 3.704256km x 81Laps = 300.04474Km
Weather: Cloudy | Course : Dry

Po.	No.	Machine	Drivers	Times
GT - 500 Class - 81 Laps
1	18	TAKATA DOME NSX	R.Michigami/T.Kogure	1:50'12.743
2	35	houzan KRAFT SC430	P.Dumbreck/T.Kataoka	+00'19.751
3	38	ZENT CERUMO SC430	Y.Tachikawa/R.Lyons	+00'30.585
GT - 300 Class - 75 Laps
1	43	ARTA Garaiya	M.Nitta/S.Takagi	1:50'29.833
2	81	DAISHIN ADVAN Z	T.Aoki/T.Fujii	+00'06.485
3	31	DOUBLEHEAD avex apr MR-S	K.Mineo/Y.Sakamoto	+00'45.100

[Race Result]
http://ww2.supergt.net/gtcgi/prg/Nh1.dll/?No=NS010882

Images : 2008 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Round 5





Data & image : Copyright © 2008 SUPERGT.net

[Source : SUPERGT PR. sec.]

GM Prepares to Export Buick Enclaves to China

2009 Buick Enclave

LANSING, Mich.- Discerning vehicle buyers in China are another step closer to experiencing what their U.S. counterparts have been raving about for the past year: the hot-selling Buick Enclave luxury crossover. Chinese officials visited the Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant Thursday and Friday to observe operations in preparation for the manufacture of U.S.-built Enclaves crossovers for export to China. Pending approval, China-bound Enclaves could begin rolling off the assembly line as early as next month.



Buick announced last year it would expand its international reach following a four-year, $800 million (USD) agreement signed by General Motors and Shanghai GM (SGM) to export Enclaves to China beginning in the fourth quarter of 2008. Enclave will be imported by Shanghai GM and sold through a network of more than 400 Buick dealerships across China. The plant visit by Chinese Quality Certification Center and SGM officials is another step in this agreement.

Buick is one of the most well-known automobile brands in China, with more than 1.7 million Buick owners. Last year, Buick sold more than 300,000 units there and more than 567,000 worldwide, a 17,000-unit increase over 2006. Buick has a strong history in China, where Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary hero, and Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, both owned Buicks.

"Our customers in China are going to fall in love with the Enclave's beauty, luxury and functionality in the same way that this vehicle has captivated buyers here," said Susan Docherty, vice president, Buick-Pontiac-GMC. "Buick has been a revered brand in China for more than 90 years, and Enclave is going to enhance our strong presence in the Chinese marketplace, providing an elegant and premium vehicle built in a world-class facility."

Enclave is Buick's first luxury crossover. Known for its elegant design, well-crafted and library-quiet interior, Enclave has segment-leading fuel economy and space to transport up to eight passengers plus their gear. It is one of GM's hottest-selling vehicles in North America, having sold more than 55,800 since launching in 2007. GM recently announced it was adding 7,000 units of additional Enclave production for the United States for the remainder of this year.

The Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant, which opened in 2006, uses state-of-the-art manufacturing practices. Both the assembly plant and the contiguous stamping plant are certified to ISO 14001, an international voluntary set of environmental standards. In addition, it is the only manufacturing facility in the world that has achieved Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Green Building Rating System.

Images : 2009 Buick Enclave



[Source : Buick, GM]

Isuzu Achieves Highest Ranking in Philippines Sales Satisfaction Study

Philippines's Isuzu Alterra

SINGAPORE — Isuzu ranks highest in overall new-vehicle sales satisfaction in the Philippines, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2008 Philippines Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study released today.



Now in its eighth year, the study has been redesigned for 2008 and examines seven factors that contribute to overall satisfaction with sales experience. In order of importance, these factors are: delivery process; delivery timing; salesperson; paperwork; deal; sales initiation; and dealer facility.

Isuzu ranks highest in 2008, achieving an overall satisfaction index score of 853 on a 1,000-point scale. Isuzu performs particularly well in the areas of delivery timing and paperwork. Kia, included in the study for the first time in 2008, follows Isuzu in ranking with a score of 849. Also ranking above the industry average are Mitsubishi, Toyota and Mazda, respectively.

The study finds that while 85 percent of customers say they experienced no pressure during the purchase process, when customers report experiencing pressure, SSI scores are 37 points below the industry average. The types of pressure that have the greatest negative effect on customer satisfaction include: pressure to purchase a vehicle without the exact options desired by the customer; pressure to buy within the same day; and pressure to accept an inconvenient delivery time. By contrast, when customers experience no pressure during the sales process, satisfaction scores are 7 points higher than the industry average.

“In a pressure-free environment, vehicle buyers are able to make purchase decisions that will ultimately translate into higher levels of satisfaction,” said Taku Kimoto, general manager for the Philippines at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “For example, they are not hastened or pushed to accept vehicles that don’t meet their needs or expectations. In addition, when customers are able to discuss options with the salesperson, they are less likely to regret their decisions post-purchase.”

The study also finds that customers expect their vehicles to be delivered with all promised features, and that failure to do so can result in a considerable decline in satisfaction. Among customers whose vehicles do not contain the features they were promised satisfaction scores are 74 points below the industry average. Currently, 3 percent of customers report not receiving their vehicles with the promised features.

“The service standards that most vehicle manufacturers already provide set the stage for customer expectations regarding delivery of their new vehicle,” said Kimoto. “Customers not only expect to receive their new vehicle quickly and without hassle, but also, receiving their vehicles with the promised features is a ‘given.’ It is paramount that manufacturers ensure the fulfillment of their commitment to the customer. ”

In addition, customer satisfaction with the overall purchase experience has a strong impact on dealer advocacy. Approximately 75 percent of customers who report that they are highly satisfied with their overall experience say they ‘definitely would’ recommend the dealer where they purchased their vehicle to friends and relatives, compared with the industry average of 58 percent. Likewise, 71 percent of highly satisfied customers say they “definitely would” recommend their vehicle make, compared with the industry average (58%).

The 2008 Philippines Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study is based on the responses of more than 1,400 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicles between August 2007 and February 2008. The study was fielded between February and April 2008. The SSI study is one of two consumer-based studies conducted annually in the Philippines by J.D. Power Asia Pacific. The Philippines Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Study, which measures new-vehicle owner satisfaction with after-sales dealership service, will be released in late August 2008.

[Source : JD Power]

Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle Lease Program Begins with First Customer Delivery

Ron Yerxa : World's first Honda FCX Clarity customer

TORRANCE, Calif.,07/25/2008 - American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced that Ron Yerxa and Annette Ballester took delivery of their hydrogen fuel cell-powered FCX Clarity on Friday, July 25, 2008 at Honda of Santa Monica, one of three dealerships in Southern California that are part of the first fuel cell vehicle dealership network. Yerxa and Ballester are the world's first FCX Clarity customers and the first of approximately 200 customers who will lease the vehicle in the United States and Japan over the next three years, with the vast majority of vehicles being leased in Southern California.



"The FCX Clarity lease program is one more step toward meeting the societal goals of climate stability, renewable energy supplies and zero-emissions transportation," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "With this key step, we are advancing toward the goal of broader commercialization," Mendel added. "Establishing a dedicated sales network and service infrastructure provides customers with the best balance of convenience and the highest level of satisfaction."

Significant advances over Honda's previous generation FCX include a 25 percent increase in combined fuel economy to 72 miles/kg-H2* (74 mpg GGE ) and a greater than 30 percent increase in driving range up to 280 miles*. The FCX Clarity is a next-generation, hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle. Propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in the fuel cell, the vehicle's only emission is water, and its fuel efficiency is three times that of a modern gasoline-powered automobile.

*Based on official 2008 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle

[Source : Honda]

2008 SUPER GT : TAKATA DOME NSX grabs second pole position this season

2008 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Round 5
SUGO GT300KM RACE Qualifying

#18 TAKATA DOME NSX

On July 26, the qualifying for the “SUGO GT 300KM RACE," Round 5 of the 2008 AUTOBACS SUPER GT, took place at Sports land SUGO (one lap: 3.704 km) in Miyagi Prefecture. In the GT500 class, the TAKATA DOME NSX driven by Takashi Kogure won pole position as No.1 qualifier and will start from the front position in he race on the 27th.


In the morning's first qualifying session the track condition was complicated by wet patches remaining from last night's rain that caused a few machines to spin out. When the session had ended Takashi Kogure in the TAKATA DOME NSX had come through with the fastest lap time of 1 min. 16.935 sec. to put him tentative lead for the pole position and make him first among the ten qualifiers for the afternoon Super Lap (time trial run one machine at a time to decide the starting grid order).
After that, the rain that everyone had feared never fell and the track became completely dry for the afternoon Super Lap. Running last in the Super Lap, Kogure drove the TAKATA DOME NSX to an even faster time of 1 min. 16.697 sec. to keep his position as the fastest qualifier. This gave the TAKATA DOME NSX the pole position.
Or the TAKATA DOME NSX team this is their second pole position of the 2008 series, following the one in round three. It is also their second PP in two consecutive years here at the SUGO round.
In the GT300 class the pole position went to the WedsSport IS350 driven by Manabu Orido with a time of 1 min. 23.938 sec. This is also the first GT pole position for new Lexus IS350 since it began full-fledged competition in round three of this season.

SPORTSLAND SUGO
Length : 3.704256km | Weather: Cloudy | Course : Dry
SUPER LAP TOP 3

Po.	No.	Machine	Drivers	Times
GT - 500 Class
1	18	TAKATA DOME NSX	R.Michigami/*T.Kogure	1'16.697
2	17	REAL NSX	K.Kaneishi/T.Kaneishi	1'17.013
3	1	ARTA NSX	R.Firman/T.Izawa	1'17.534
GT - 300 Class
1	19	WedsSport IS350	*M.Orido/T.Abe	1'23.938
2	43	ARTA Garaiya	M.Nitta/*S.Takagi	1'23.985
3	41	JIMCENTER ADVAN F430	*T.Tanaka/M.Ueda	1'24.252

*=Driver running the Super Lap

[Full : Qualifying result]

Data & image : Copyright © 2008 SUPERGT.net

[Source : SUPERGT PR. sec.]

Final 14th stage : 2008 Transsyberia Rally updated!

July 25th, 2008, Mongol Els - Ulaanbaatar,368 km.

Christian Lavieille & Francois Borsotto Team #17 (France)

Team France captures overall victory of the Transsyberia Rally 2008 powered by Sony Ericsson

Final 14th stage
Liaison 1: 75 km
1. Special stage: 85 km
Liaison 2: 178 km
2. Special stage: 14 km

The morning program of the last leg contained a fast special stage of 85 km length. The route led from the Mongol Els sand dunes, through the green steppe past yurts and droves, into the nature-sanctuary Khustayn Uul.



Team Germany 1 won today's special stage in 54:53 minutes, ahead of Team Russia 1 (+ 0:06:00). For Schwarz/Schulz this was the sixth daily victory during the Transsyberia Rally 2008 powered by Sony Ericsson. The experienced pilots had resolved a lot for the final leg. With 170 km/h (106 mph) they swept past the nine cars which had started ahead of them and exhibited their skills. They didn't catch up with the Spaniards though. "Fortunately the stretch was only 85 km long, or Armin Schwarz would probably have caught up to us", said Pau Soler at the finish. With a lag time of 7:15 minutes Team Spain came in third in the evaluation. The French Christian Lavieille and Francois Borsotto ended the special stage in sixth place (+ 0:10:47) and confidently defended the lead in the overall standings.

During the course of the day a liaison of 75 km followed, before the last segment of the rally finally began. Eleven kilometers through winding, hilly off-road terrain and a spectacular crossing of the Tuul Gol River. Team France drove across the finish-line ahead of Team Spain. The Danner Racing Team followed, not by land, but afloat in the river, from which Christof Danner could free his Mercedes G 320 only narrowly. "That wasn't a show, but real work. We navigated wrong and before we knew it, the water had carried us away", said Danner after the completion of the stage.

Team France with Christian Lavieille and Francois Borsotto, who were able to defend their lead in the overall standings for five stages till the finish, celebrated their Transsyberia premiere. "We're super happy that we won and want to thank Porsche France for making our participation possible. The Transsyberia ist something special. Many different stages for driver and navigator. The Transsyberia is wonderful", beamed pilot Christian Lavieille, who maneuvered his Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia securely, fast and with little wear through valleys and over mountains, through swamps and across steppe.

Team Spain captured second place in the overall standings with a lag of about two hours to Team France. Navigator Laia Paneido was beside herself with happiness: "I can't believe it yet and I didn't dare hope for it either." Driver Pau Soler was also visibly pleased with the outcome: "I am totally happy. Before the rally we resolved to be at least as good as last year, where we were fifth. That was difficult, because the Transsyberia had ten very good teams this time, which were all capable of driving in the front. The standard was much higher than in 2007. That we're now second, ahead of Armin Schwarz, is excellent." The Transsyberia Rally 2008 powered by Sony Ericsson had however started with some adversities for the Spaniards. "When we were towed to the destination on the first day, we naturally thought it was a disaster. But we stayed calm and we knew our stages are yet to come. In Russia the trials are short, there's less to navigate, but more to drive. I'm not a professional rally driver, so the stages in Mongolia were more our thing.", said Soler.

Team Germany 1 (+ 2:21:14 hours) landed in third place and is on the podium of the rally for the first time. "The key to our success was that we drove fast continiously. Damage can occur quickly, as we experienced yesterday. That's why it's important to always keep at it and never give up", analyzed pilot Armin Schwarz. His navigator Andreas Schulz added: "All in all we liked the rally. Ultimately it wasn't difficult to navigate, provided one was concentrating."

Team Portugal with Pedro Gameiro and co-driver Pedro Figueiredo, who had been leading for a long time while in Russia, reached the 4th place in the overall standings with a lag time of almost three hours. Pilot Gameiro gave a positive review: "The long stages in Mongolia got to us. We took part in the Transsyberia for the first time and didn't have any experience. In addition, Pedro and I drove as a team for the first time. It worked out really well! With the Spaniards and us, Porsche Iberica has two teams in the Top 4. We're proud of it."

After 15 days, 14 stages, 12 special stages and 7200 kilometers, 21 of the 34 teams, who originally set out, reached the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. There the winners will be elected this evening and plans for 2009 might be made, when the Transsyberia Rally will once again run through Russia and Mongolia.

Result : Overall results

Daily Standing | Overall Standing | Daily Standing by Cat.| Overall Standing by Cat.

Images gallery : Final stage : Mongol Els - Ulaanbaatar






All images are copyright © Transsyberia Rally 2008 powered by Sony Ericsson

[Source : Official 2008 Transsyberia Rally]

Toyota, Nissan differ on green

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British International Motor Show : Nissan and Toyota are pouring resources into eco-friendly car programmes in a bid to become the 'green' brands of choice for 21st century consumers. And while both manufacturers are working on a variety of battery-electric, hybrid and fuel-cell programmes, the Japanese rivals are taking a subtly different approach.



For Toyota, hybrids are the future as it continues to build on the success of the Prius. But Nissan is concentrating on battery technology through its partnership with Japanese battery-maker NEC.

Toyota UK managing director Miguel Fonseca said future Toyota hybrids would continue to use petrol rather than diesel for the internal combustion element of the drivetrain. "Petrol has better efficiency at high RPM than diesel, while electric motors are better at low revs," he said. So, while European rivals such as Volkswagen and Peugeot are pursuing diesel hybrids, Toyota is sticking to petrol.

Fonseca said Toyota was still working on a 'miniaturised' hybrid drivetrain for its new iQ city car, which will go on sale before the end of the year with conventional petrol or diesel engines. "The problem with iQ is it's so well packaged for its size it's difficult to accommodate a full hybrid drivetrain," said Fonseca.

Meanwhile Nissan displayed a battery-electric prototype of its Japanese market Cube city car. This won't be coming to Europe - but Nissan will commercialise an electric car before the end of 2010, thanks to advances in lithium ion battery technology, said Pierre Loing, vice-president of product planning.

"European sales will start in 2011, and we would like to be mass producing electric cars - not just one or two hundred - by 2012," he said. Nissan has already piloted an electric city car in Japan called the Hypermini, and much of that technology will transfer to the new car - which will be an all-new model, not just an EV derivative of an existing model.

Bringing EVs to market relies on "one or two technical breakthroughs" taking place - principally in terms of recharge cycles for the lithium ion batteries. Also part of the plan is Nissan's so-called "supermotor" - effectively two electric motors in one that can drive both front wheels, rather than having separate motors driving each wheel.

"Nissan's first-generation European EV will be able to seat four or five adults and have a range of 100 miles [160km]," said Loing. Plus Li-Ion batteries will allow an 80% recharge in around 20-25 minutes. Ultimately, Nissan will have a line-up of electric cars, as well as plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell cars, which will not be available until "no earlier than 2015".

[Source : Just Auto .. sub req.]

Audi looks to win sales from volume brands with new SUV

The New Audi Q5

VALENCIA, Spain - Audi hopes its new Q5 SUV will help win new customers to the brand from volume manufacturers.



The German automaker expects to win sales at the expense of volume brand models such as Toyota´s RAV4, Michael Renz, Audi head of central marketing, told Automotive News Europe at a press event here.

"Obviously we are still targeting the premium SUVs like the BMW X3 or the Mercedes-Benz GLK, but we expect to draw some customers from the volume segment as well," Renz said.

He identified the Volvo XC 60 as the other main competitor for the Q5. Renz said that volume-brand customers would be attracted to the Q5 because of its "sporty design and handling."

The Q5 is positioned below the larger Q7 and will share a platform with Audi´s upper-premium A4 sedan.

It goes on sale in Europe this autumn. U.S. sales begin in the first quarter of 2009, with China following in the second quarter.

Prices start at 38,300 euros in Germany.

[Source : Automotive News Europe .. sub req.]

Volvo announces full technical specification for the New XC60

2009 Volvo XC-60

MARLOW - July 24, 2008: Volvo Car UK can now announce full technical and specification details for the new XC60 crossover which arrives in dealer showrooms this autumn1. The XC60 is available to order now with prices starting at ?24,750 OTR for the 2.4D S model and offers innovative standard features such as a low speed autobrake City Safety and versatile 40/20/40 split folding rear seats as well as sub 200g/km CO₂ engine options.



Performance and technical specifications
The new Volvo XC60 launches with three engine variants - two diesels and one petrol. Six speed manual transmission is standard on both the 2.4D and D5 turbo diesel powerplants with six speed Geartronic available as a ?1,400 option, while the high performance T6 petrol engine is available in six speed Geartronic guise only.

The frugal 163PS 2.4D and 185PS D5 variants with manual transmission both deliver 37.7mpg on a combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 199g/km. Joining the manual in VED band F is the Geartronic version, at 219g/km. The popular D5 diesel engine generates 400Nm torque at 2000-2750rpm, while the entry level 2.4D offers 340Nm torque at 1750-2750rpm. The 285PS T6 petrol is capable of a top speed of 130mph and offers a brisk 0 to 60 performance of 7.1 seconds, while delivering 400Nm torque from 1500 to 4800rpm. Fuel consumption is 23.7mpg with CO₂ emissions of 284g/km.

Equipment levels
With three trim levels, S, SE and SE Lux, available, the entry-level S model comes with all the high quality features you would expect from Volvo including front fog lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails and rear spoiler; while interior details include electronic climate control, information centre, cruise control, leather steering wheel with remote audio controls, brushed aluminium trim and a performance sound audio system with aux input and CD player. The award winning Volvo City Safety technology is joined by a full suite of standard safety equipment including RSC (Roll Stability Control), ROPS (Roll Over Protection System) and WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System).

The SE specification enhances equipment levels with the addition of Hill Descent Control, electric driver's seat with three memory functions and Autofolding power door mirrors with ground lights. Added luxury also includes Eriksberg T-Tec/Textile upholstery and autodimming rear view mirrors with compass and chrome window trim.

The SE Lux is the ultimate in Swedish luxury, featuring chronographic instrument dials, leather upholstery, Nordic Light Oak natural wood trim and both front seats are both powered and heated. Further enhancements include luxury floor mats and chrome detailing. 18-inch alloy wheels, active bending headlamps, power tailgate and rear park assist are also all standard.

Styling and options
The Volvo XC60 will be available in 13 different exterior colours including the new Terra Bronze and Lime Grass Green metallic and the interior benefits from the finest materials and superb stitching to give a high quality finish. Upholstery includes Lomma textile available in S models, Eriksberg T-Tec/Textile in SE specifications and leather-faced in the top of the range SE Lux. Colours include Off-Black and Soft Beige, while those opting for leather-faced will have the choice of Off-Black with the new striking Lemon Green and Soft Beige with Espresso Brown. To complement the interior themes, three inlays are available to choose from including Brushed Aluminium, Classic Wood and Nordic Light Oak.

Volvo's popular option packages are also available, including the Communications, Family and Winter Packs, plus the new Driver Support Pack which includes a host of Volvo's safety aids including BLIS (Blind Sport Information System), ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LDW (Lane Departure Warning).

Go configure!
Customers can configure their own Volvo XC60 online in the 'Build Your Own' section of the Volvo website. The configuration tool allows customers to build and price a vehicle to their personal choice of engine, trim level, colour, upholstery and options.

Images : 2009 Volvo XC60








[Source : Volvo UK]