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'At the Nurburgring the BMW M4 CSL' discussion in Automotive group
In the German magazine Sport Auto we very often see tests... -
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by
John Social
2 days ago
'You are drunk; Seized…' discussion in Automotive group
Impounded drunk driver cars from Latvia are being sent to... -
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John Social
3 days ago
'Bella Italia: This is the Ferrari Roma Spider doll' discussion in Automotive group
The creation of Maranello was received with particular wa... -
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John Taylor
3 days ago
'BMW: This is the first car that changes color (vid)' discussion in Automotive group
A prototype car that talks like a human, changes colors t... -
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Candice J. Stapleton Stapleton
about 2 months ago
'The smallest motorhome on the planet costs less than a cheap car' discussion in Automotive group
The custom Suzuki Jimny Camper is a studio on four wheels... -
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Albert Dillon
2 months ago
I'm looking to buy a used car these days, but...I'm puzzled!
If you want a used car to be as little used as possible, is it the year of construction or the mileage of a car that counts the most?
You would expect the mileage of a car to increase over the years, but some exceptions make buying a second-hand car more complicated. So how do you choose?
A 10-year-old car should have 150,000 kilometers, at least if you go with an average of 15,000 per year. However, you will also find some used cars that, despite their age, have fewer kilometers. And you want to believe that these are cars that just had less use. And let's say that these are cars have genuine mileage. Or maybe not?
If the car is not imported, a check at the kilometers of MOT Center is enough to convince you. On the other hand, you can have a car that is only five years old, mainly from leasing, which, despite its few years on the road, has covered many kilometers. Five years and 150,000 kilometers mean 30,000 a year, which is not unlikely in company cars.
What do you choose? The old with the few or the new with the many kilometers? The problem is, you have to decide which of the two, age or mileage, best reflects the condition of a car. Of course, the new one has the latest technology, design, and equipment, but it is more "tired".
But the few kilometers are not enough to ensure the condition of a car, when we talk about ten years, especially if the owner thought that due to little use, it did not need regular maintenance.
So how do you choose? With age or with kilometers? What is the most reliable parameter to get the best car? What do you think?
In your opinion, is it better to buy or lease these days?
I finally am able to afford a brand new car but I am reconsidering it. This is mainly down to the loss in value I would take soon as I drive it off the car lot. That and if I end up not enjoying it, I am stuck with it. At least with a lease, I could get a new car every 2 to 5 years. So to me, leasing looks like the better option but I could be overlooking some things. I need some input.
What auto insurance do you have and what do you pay?
I am debating on switching my insurance. I am currently with Allstate. I have not had any issue with them but they want to increase my monthly cost even though I have not had any accidents. It will be going up something like $32 a month which to me, seems rather high. I am currently paying $105 so that would be nearly $140 each month.
I am looking for other options that are $100 or less but I want good coverage. I don't want some bottom-barrel coverage. What insurance do you have and what do you pay?
Electric Scooters: Are they worth it or are they just dangerous?
They are cheap, economical, they have advantages when you move in the city, but they are also dangerous.
I decided to put aside the four wheels and go for a ride with them thinking both as driver and as potential user.
I see them everywhere. On every street, at all hours of the day, by people of all ages. During the holidays, several islands were flooded as I saw small children riding them, without many precautionary measures to be honest. However they did it, electric scooters are a new, modern alternative to the movements of either teenagers or adults who use them even wearing the suit to go to work.
Given the opportunity, I left (for a while) the four wheels and tried driving such a scooter, evaluating it both as road user and as prospective owner. After all, is it worth it to pay for one, or is it still dangerous? And I do not see it only from the point of view of a parent who is opposed to everything, bicycles, motorcycles, etc, but from a more neutral perspective. After all, what are their advantages and disadvantages?
I would love to know more about them. Has anyone tried them? Feel free to share your experience.
Here are my initial thoughts, I repeat very initial thoughts of advantages and disadvantages:
+ Financially easy to get one
+ Zero consumption, fast and flexible
+ Covid-free way of transportation (Avoiding mass transits, taxis)
- Doubling the exposure to risk of accident means you have to be four times more careful
Most probably I will update/edit this list as I'm thinking more and more about my driving experience. Sometimes it's better to leave enthusiasm and hype retreat before you decide.
Not doing so might result in what is called buyer's remorse. I wish I had a dollar each time I bought something out of enthusiasm and emotion prevailed.
These days, the fastest lap record for an FWD (Front Wheel Drive) production car was "broken" on the track in Suzuka, Japan, by a camouflaged Type R. And the limits are shifting. Again.
It is much easier to expose a chassis when loading it with more than 250 horsepower only "in front". That is when it is front-wheel drive. When doing two jobs at once: both accelerating and turning - the emphasis is on the two "ands". FWD has a dual role and this has its limitations. Coincidentally, there has never been a front-wheel-drive Formula 1? Those of us who love cars in recent years - I'm not talking about our grandparents - have become driving men with the doctrine that it is impossible to manage a front-wheel-drive with more than 200 horsepower. Back then, in the mid-1980s, that was the limit of power. Today; We just admire the way front-wheel-drive evolved so much.
Take the Nürburgring for example - we'll get to Suzuka later. If you take a look at the list of production car times, it is really impressive how some front-wheel-drive "throw" in clearly stronger, more expensive but also more coveted cars. For example; A BMW M2, even though it is more powerful, more pluralistic in driving behavior but also far more expensive at a purchase price than a Honda Type R, the latter is plenty of seconds faster in the lap. To be precise, it "turns" in just 7 minutes and 43 seconds. Faster than Pagani Zonda. Or from Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera. Or the BMW M2? It completes the round in less than 8 minutes, more precisely, in 7:58 ". We are talking about chaos. As you know, the seconds on the track are not nuts. Do not swallow for fun. He wants a lot of work. Well, something similar has happened with some more front-wheel drive.
The breaking of the taboo, more precisely the total shuffling of the power deck, of course, caused thesecond-generationn Focus RS (Mk2), the one with +300 hp "only in front" had left me, once, speechless when I first led it in the Ford press mission , on the special routes of Monte Carlo, in France. That green hatchback was something in a front-wheel drive M3. He passed mansions through the anomalies, but the "berry" inside, and knew how to attack the bends. The sequel to FWD came cumulatively. And now, last week, the much-anticipated Type R further broke the record in Suzuka, covering 5.8 km on the track in 2:23. Almost a second faster than the existing one. A small difference, yes, but that's the evolution of the species. It is not possible with mutations.
So I think in the midst of the hypercar, the infinite horsepower - we got to talk about 1,500 horsepower in exotic constructions - and all sorts of virals flooding YouTube, the dramatic improvement of strong front-wheel drive is often left out. And that's why it deserves a thumbs up to the engineers who in some cases, like the one here, the camouflaged Honda, manage the once unthinkable. Three hundred, and more, horses only "in front"? Yes, easily. Even if I was told to choose, I would take the M2. Even if it is slower. Chaos (of another type) in my brain.
What is the real speed of the car - How many kilometers does the counter "steal"
The actual speed of a car always deviates from what the driver sees on the counter. Let's see what applies in practice.
To begin with, we must remember that the velocity of a body is defined as the rate at which its position changes over time. The counters, however, do not measure how fast we travel from point A to point B, but how fast our car wheels spin.
And then, according to the website carandmotor.gr, some simple mathematical operations are performed to calculate the instantaneous speed.
However, if the dimensions of the wheels change, the tires wear out or their pressure decreases, then the speed calculation will be incorrect. For example, if we install new tires, or increase their pressure, then the diameter of the wheels will increase. Therefore, for each rotation of the wheel the car will travel a greater distance. So our speed will be higher.
On the other hand, if the diameter decreases (due to low pressure or wear), for each rotation of the wheel, the kilometers traveled will be less.
Another reason for the discrepancy between the actual speed and the indicated speed is the requirements of European legislation.
According to the ECE R39 article, the counters must not show speeds lower than the real ones. In addition, 110% of the real speed plus 4 km / h is required as the maximum display cap. In practice, then, if a car is moving at 100 km / h the counter could show up to 114 km / h.
So to ensure that they comply with the law and to make sure that they show a lower speed than the real one, the manufacturers adjust the counters in such a way that a higher speed is indicated.
Speed lovers have a new car to dream of, since for a few hours now the record for the fastest car on Earth has been held by a model of the American company SSC.
Specifically, the Tuatara model of the American company wrote 532.6 km / h (331 miles per hour) outside Las Vegas, breaking the record held by Bugatti with the Chiron.
The record was set on Saturday, October 10 near Parub, Nevada on a State Route 160 straight.
Along with the record for the highest speed, SSC also achieved the records for the fastest mile, the fastest kilometer and the highest speed on a public road.
The driver Oliver Webb was at the wheel of the vehicle and the records were recorded by 15 GPS satellites.
Cars that went through all the public and company preparation procedures to go into production but at the "last minute" it was decided to cancel them.
It is not the most common thing in the world for a company to develop a model and at an advanced stage "pull the plug".
The life expectancy of prototypes is as specific as the reason they are made. There are not a few cases that do not "progress" beyond the "static prototype" phase which usually does not even have a configured interior.
There are significantly fewer cases of those that came very close to production but ultimately did not proceed, and here we have collected some of the most "egregious" cases. We're talking about cars that "reached the spring but didn't drink water", since their course ended shortly before their production was approved.
Toyota GT86 convertible (2013) Audi R8 TDI Le Mans (2008) MG GT (2004) Ford Fiesta RS (2004) Lancia Fulvia (2003) Volkswagen W12 (1997) Opel Calibra Convertible (1992) Mercedes-Benz C112 (1991) Porsche 989 (1989) BMW M5 E34 convertible (1989) Nissan Mid4 (1985) Citroen 2CV Super (1974)
French refinement has found its ultimate expression in the new Peugeot 408.
Between the flagship 308 and 508 Peugeot decided to place one of the most beautiful and refined models ever to leave the Sochaux factory in France, the 408.
From the first moment that the new model of the French brand was presented, it made its presence felt by having a very strong design profile which is accompanied by elegance and luxury that make it stand out even more.
The shape of the new 408 leaves no room for doubt that it is a completely modern Fastback. Its lines are clean and ensure a very attractive appearance that does not go unnoticed. Particularly at the rear, the 3D Full LED lights form the characteristic "claw", while the subtle spoiler offers in addition to beauty and improved aerodynamics.
Things get even more impressive when we move to the interior of the 408. Peugeot has put a special emphasis on luxury by placing very good quality materials in every corner of the car, having taken care that every detail is at the top level of finish and elegance. At the same time, the spaces are particularly comfortable for both passengers and their luggage (boot from 536 to 1,611 litres).
The equipment of the Peugeot 408 impresses as it has all the modern systems that the most demanding modern driver would be looking for. So the first thing he sees is the 10.0-inch digital instrument panel of Peugeot's 3D i-Cockpit, which can be configured in multiple forms, each time giving a distinct note to the operator.
The placement of the air vents above the center console is very clever, while the large infotainment screen is accompanied by another thin screen at the bottom where you can choose the layout of the switches at will.
The smallest motorhome on the planet costs less than a cheap car
The custom Suzuki Jimny Camper is a studio on four wheels.
When in one of the most popular mini SUVs in the world you integrate a small house, a studio apartment with the basics - kitchen, bathroom, bedroom - in the back seats, you have just created the smallest caravan in the world.
The Suzuki Jimny Camper is just that. A Suzuki Jimny, which with absolute naturalness - as if its specifications and proportions were from the beginning - transformed into a self-propelled vehicle.
The small caravan on the market is, as you understand, a custom model that comes to us from Britain. It has a height of 2.6 meters and an internal height inside the "house" that is placed at the back of 1.5 meters.
This consists of a fully equipped gas kitchen, fridge, sink, toilet and a double bed that folds out to save space.
It also has an electrical circuit for the operation of the lighting fixtures and other electrical devices, a fresh water supply tank and an impure one.
Thinking of getting one! Any thoughts on this?
BMW: This is the first car that changes color (vid)
A prototype car that talks like a human, changes colors to suit the driver's mood and has no screens on its dashboard, BMW presented a few days ago.
The German automaker's BMW i Vision Dee was unveiled Wednesday night at the Las Vegas international technology show CES, with the company's CEO Oliver Zipse saying it will go into production in 2025. BMW plans to launch a new range of electric vehicles it calls Neue Klasse or "new class".
BMW's concept was very much an exhibition car, with elements that could be difficult to put into mass production and competitively priced. But Zipse told a packed theater at the Palms Casino that BMW "will bring this technology to our Neue Klasse ... in production."
The creation of Maranello was received with particular warmth and enthusiasm by the public, as it is generally accepted by all that it is a very beautiful and stylish car, which at the same time maintains the unique driving temperament of a Ferrari.
With a little delay - since Purosangue has been quite busy for the company lately - the time has come for the physical continuation of Ferrari's very special model. And the reason, of course, for the doll in the photos that accompany this text, Roma Spider.
The difference compared to the coupe version is obviously the return (after many years) of the fabric roof which can be folded in just 13.5 seconds and up to a speed of 60 kilometers per hour.
The existence of the roof has led to some aesthetic changes, such as the redesign of the rear window, while there is also a special arrangement for the storage of the roof, which according to the company does not affect the capacity of the trunk much.
At the same time, the section behind the seats has been shaped with a new patented air deflection design to minimize turbulence in the living room.
Ferrari will provide customers with the ability to choose the color of the roof fabric from a wide range of personalization options.
Under the hood is the 3.9-liter turbo V8 gasoline engine that produces 620 horses at 7500 rpm, its maximum torque is 760 Nm at 3000-5750 rpm and works with the 8-speed DCT transmission to transmit the drive to the rear wheels through the Ferrari's highly sophisticated electronic traction control systems.
Performance is on par with the coupe, with 0-100km/h done in 3.4 seconds, and 0-200km/h in 9.7 seconds. The top speed is also in this case at 320 km/h.
According to the company, the Spider is 84 kg heavier than the coupe, which is due to the roof mechanism and some reinforcements in the body for additional rigidity.
The salon remains the same as that of the Roma coupe, being very special and uniquely styled. The space for the two passengers is distinct and divided into two independent parts, while the impressive digital instrument panel remains as well as the multifunction steering wheel with the manettino adjusting various engine and transmission functions.
In the central console, which is particularly thin, there is another touch screen, with a vertical arrangement, while in front of the passenger there is another screen with additional information about the multimedia system.
The Ferrari Roma Spider will be available in the summer, with its price being as it happens in these cases slightly above the closed version.
Impounded drunk driver cars from Latvia are being sent to Ukraine under a new law to help the Russian-invaded country.
Already eight vehicles have started from the capital Riga which are part of the first convoy of cars sent after the approval of the relevant legislation by the Parliament of Latvia last month.
The MPs agreed, among other things, on the delivery of state cars to the Ukrainian army and hospitals.
Seizure of cars
Last year, Latvia changed its drink-driving law so that drivers with 1.5mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood (three times the limit) could be punished, among other things, by impounding their car, which in will then be sold by the state to third parties.
Latvia has one of the highest rates of drunk driving incidents in Europe, according to state broadcaster LSM, which reported around 3,500 such cases each year.
After the legislation, there was an escalation of seizures and state pens were filled within weeks. Against the background of the large number of cars that ended up in the state, the authorities decided to donate a few dozen vehicles to Twitter Convoy, a charity that sends vehicles to Ukraine.
"No one expected that so many people drive drunk," commented the founder of the non-governmental organization, Reinis Poznaks. "They don't have time to sell them at the rate they (the offenders) drink. That's how I came up with the idea to send them to Ukraine."
It should be noted that in the first two months of implementation of the new legislation, 200 cars have been confiscated from their owners as they were found to have alcohol in their blood above 0.15%.
The 200 seized cars the state has pledged to send each week to Ukraine will test the limits of his largely voluntary business, he said.
What is Twitter Convoy?
Twitter Convoy has already shipped nearly 1,200 vehicles following the appeal for donations it made following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Through 2022, it has raised €1 million for repairs and logistics needs of the vehicles.
Latvian Finance Minister Arvils Aserandens said the government was inspired by the NGO's success to abandon the idea of auctioning them off. "We are ready to do anything to support the Ukrainians," he commented.
Recently the police blocked off a road in the capital Riga for half an hour in order to subject the drivers to breathalyzer tests. No one was found drunk, but last year 4,300 drivers had consumed more than the legal limit of alcohol and they were involved in almost 1,000 accidents...
In the German magazine Sport Auto we very often see tests that include laps on the world's most famous circuit, the Nurburgring Nordschleife. This time, the BMW M4 CSL had its due and proved that its differences from the "simple" versions of the M4, do the job they should.
This is also proven by the 7:17.08 "written" by Christian Gebhardt of Sport Auto, which was slightly slower than that of the official BMW tester. It was Jorg Weidinger who, on behalf of the factory, stopped the clock at 7:15.677 which was also the fastest lap ever recorded at this track by a road legal BMW model.
The M4 CSL under the front hood has the 6-cylinder in-line twin turbo with the capacity of 3.0 liters, producing for the occasion 550 hp and 650 Nm of torque. This power is transferred to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission and sends the 1,618 kg of curb weight into sustained acceleration, up to 307 km/h of the electronically limited final.
The M4 CSL needs only 3.7 seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standstill, while when the timer reads 10.5", it "has" 200 km/h on its counter. The "diet" it has undergone has reduced the weight by 240 kg, as there are too many parts of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, such as the engine hood, the roof and some parts of the cabin.
BMW plans to build only 1,000 M4 CSLs for the global market.
