Car Chute

Top Gear, Filming in Lincoln, England with 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Peugeot iOn. Reproduced with permission, The Lincolnite

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It’s the episode electric car enthusiasts have been itching to see- and now the guys at BBC motoring show Top Gear have tested two electric cars to see whether they make any sense for the car buying public.

Now we already know that Top Gear hasn’t had the greatest history with electric cars. First, they tested the Tesla Roadster in December 2008 and their assessment resulted in Tesla filing a lawsuit back in March for the harm done to its reputation.

Then, amateur videos started appearing in May showing Jeremy Clarkson and James May drawing a crowd in the UK city of Lincoln searching for a place to charge their 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2012 Peugeot iOn, a close cousin of the 2012 Mitsubishi i sold in the U.S. Were the lads going to ridicule EVs again? Had they learned their lesson after the Tesla debacle? Would the episode be anything like the amusing Top Gear EV spoof that an All Cars Electric reader pointed us towards back in June?

As it turns out, the test wasn’t as negative as we’d thought.

Driving the cars

Both the Nissan and the Peugeot drew initial praise. Clarkson said the Leaf felt like a normal car to drive, only without the sound you’d usually expect. “It just… hums” he noted, and the efforts Nissan had made to reduce noise such as the aerodynamic light clusters and quiet windshield wiper motors getting a mention.

May too seemed impressed by the car-like experience of the Peugeot. Although they remarked that neither is particularly fast, they felt comfortable driving them on the roads.

Peugeot iON Electric

Examining the electric duo

Any snide remarks or ridiculous assessments? Again, no. Both appreciated the Leaf’s large trunk volume and the optional solar panel for accessories was lauded as a clever idea. They even described the

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New MPG regulations have carmakers facing a new reality, connected navigation is #1 in tomorrow’s dashboard, Ford tries new sounds for electric
cars and we check out the next Honda CR-V.

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EPISODE 226

SHOW NOTES

• New EPA rules double MPG standards in 14 years

• How automakers will likely achieve the lofty new MPG targets

• Listen to the four sounds Ford is considering for their electric cars

• New Cadillac ATS gets the green light for production

• Check out the new 2012 honda CR-V

• CNET’s LOLCars gallery!

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More than a year of planning comes together today when the Concours d’Elegance of America, an exhibit of more than 300 classic, rare and antique cars, makes its Plymouth Township debut at the Inn at St. John’s.

The show, on the 27-hole golf course at the former seminary, has its roots in the exhibitions of luxury automobiles in early 20th Century Europe. Translated from the French, Concours d’Elegance means “competition of elegance.”

The Concours d’Elegance is open to the public; general-admission tickets are $25 each and available at the gate. General-admission parking is at the ACH plant on Sheldon Road at M-14, and a shuttle service will take visitors between there at the St. John’s grounds.

The Concours is coming to St. John’s after 32 years at Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester. Organizers say the new venue provides more space to socialize and display show cars.

There are more than two dozen exhibit classes for the 2011 Concours, including the Gas Light era (1900-14), two classes for Duesenbergs, one for Auburns and Cords, 100 years of Chevrolet, 125 years of Mercedes-Benz, the color and chrome of the 1950s, and muscle cars.

The city of Plymouth is ready for an influx of Concours visitors with a free shuttle service to St. John’s. The shuttle will run 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today (Sunday, July 31) between the Station 885 restaurant in the Old Village neighborhood, the Ironwood Grill downtown, the Hilton Garden Inn on Sheldon Road, and St. John’s. The Downtown Development Authority and the Old Village Association, along with several businesses, are sponsoring the shuttle.

Sunday’s Concours display is the culmination of several days of Concours events, including a motoring tour for exhibitors, an auction of vintage cars, a gala dinner and a display of automobile-themed art.

For more information, visit the Concours website, www.concoursusa.org.

mjachman@hometownlife.com | (313) 222-2405

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Jenson Button won a very wet Hungarian grand prix. Sebastian Vettel made a great start to the Hungarian grand prix and managed to keep ahead of both McLarens into the first corner. All cars on the grid started on Intermediate wet tyres, which meant the rule that states all cars must use both dry compounds in a race, does not stand anymore. Mercedes GP drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher managed to make a great start and overtake both Ferrari’s into turn three. Sebastian Vettel ran wide into turn two on lap five and Lewis Hamilton went straight past him, to lead the grand prix.

Felipe Massa had a bad spin on lap eight and damaged his rear wing after hitting the wall softly, this didn’t slow him down though as the damage was only light.

Lap ten saw the first pit stops of the day with with Mark Webber and Felipe Massa changing onto the super-soft (red) compound, all drivers followed them onto the super-soft compounds within the next two laps.

Lap twenty saw the first retirement of the race with Jarno Trulli suffering from a suspected oil leak. Lap twenty five saw the second retirement with Nick Heidfeld suffering from an engine fire and a small explosion after he exited the vehicle.

Lap twenty eight saw the second pit stops of the race with all drivers changing to a fresh set of super-soft tyres, apart from Mercedes GP who put both of their drivers onto the soft (yellow) compound tyres.

Michael Schumacher retired from the race on lap twenty nine after spinning his car and stalling the engine.

Lap thirty six to fourty saw the third pit stops of the race with the majority of drivers going onto the soft tyres, apart from Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso who changed to another set of super-soft tyres.

Rain started to come down on lap fourty seven, which saw Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton change onto the intermediate wet tyres, no other drivers changed onto the intermediate compound tyres. This proved to be the wrong decision for both drivers as the rain stopped within two laps and didn’t really come down heavy, both drivers came in after two laps on the intermediate tyres and changed back to the soft tyres. Lewis Hamilton received a drive through penalty for forcing another driver to leave the circuit on lap 47 when he spun his car.

Lewis Hamilton came out behind Mark Webber and Felipe Massa after his drive through penalty, but managed to pull off two great moves to move up to fourth. Sebastian Vettel finished second followed by Fernando Alonso in third,

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Published on Sun Jul 31 13:32:31 BST 2011

A third of drivers have had their cars damaged by a pothole, according to the latest poll from road safety charity the IAM.

A further 16 per cent have been involved in, or have seen an accident caused by a road user hitting a pothole. Of the 2,600 respondents, 88 per cent voted pothole repair the top priority for local council maintenance.

Only 14 per cent of people think that their council’s current performance maintaining local roads is good or very good, with more than half rating it as bad or very bad. When asked what areas of road maintenance were being done well, 50 per cent responded ‘none’, and half also think that the roads in their area are getting worse.

Respondents from the South East are the least happy with local road maintenance, with only ten per cent rating it as good, although Londoners were an exception to this – 18 per cent rated their council as good.

Many comments suggested that local government spending cuts are the cause of these problems – respondents weren’t just negative about the authorities themselves.

Keeping foliage and grass cut back to preserve visibility, and annual surface dressing of worn out roads, were the second and third most important maintenance factors, at 64 and 58 per cent respectively.

IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: “The public is unhappy with the state of their roads, although many realise that spending cuts are the real problem. Eighty per cent of those polled thought that local councils should work more closely together to increase efficiency, and with no loosening of the public purse strings in sight it will take partnerships to ensure the backlog in road maintenance does not continue to stack up.”

Motorist David Kellie, 63, said: “Who needs ‘sleeping policemen’? The roads are in such a poor state of repair that most drivers are unable to keep up with speed limits. Those on two wheels are in constant danger of being thrown off whether it be a motorbike or cycle. We are fed up of hearing about cuts as the motorist is charged more at the pumps and through road tax. Where does the money go?”

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Japan’s Industrial Output Rose Less Than Expected in June

Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

Nissan Motor Co. employees assemble a Leaf electric vehicle on the production line of the company’s Oppama plant in Yokosuka City, Japan. Japan’s recovery is at risk from a slowdown in overseas demand and the yen’s appreciation, which can erode the value of profits earned by exporters such as Nissan Motor Co.

Nissan Motor Co. employees assemble a Leaf electric vehicle on the production line of the company’s Oppama plant in Yokosuka City, Japan. Japan’s recovery is at risk from a slowdown in overseas demand and the yen’s appreciation, which can erode the value of profits earned by exporters such as Nissan Motor Co. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

July 29 (Bloomberg) — Ryoji Musha, president of Musha Research Co. and an adviser to Deutsche Bank AG in Tokyo, talks about the outlook for Japanese technology companies and the nation’s economy.
Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. unexpectedly slashed their profit forecasts in response to the failure of their televisions and handheld game players to keep pace with products from Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc. Musha speaks from Tokyo with Susan Li on Bloomberg Television’s “First Up.” (Source: Bloomberg)

July 28 (Bloomberg) — Damian Thong, a Tokyo-based analyst at Macquarie Securities Ltd., speaks about the outlook for Japanese manufacturers and technology companies as they recover from the March 11 earthquake.
Thong speaks with Rishaad Salamat on Bloomberg Television’s “On the Move Asia.” (Source: Bloomberg)

Japan’s industrial production rose
less than expected as companies from Nissan Motor Co. to Toyota
Motor Corp. warned that a yen close to a post World War II high
threatens to drag down exports.

Factory output increased 3.9 percent in June from May, when
it rose 6.2 percent, the biggest gain since 1953, the Trade
Ministry said in Tokyo today. The median estimate of 31
economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a 4.5 percent gain.

A plunge in Nintendo Co.’s share price today highlighted
challenges for Japanese companies including weakness in overseas
demand and the yen’s strength against currencies including the
dollar. Sony

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TOKYO —
Toyota’s first quarter results, expected Tuesday, are likely to be glum as the Japanese automaker has already warned first half profit will be minimal due to production disruptions from the March quake.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Like other Japanese manufacturers, Toyota Motor Corp. has been battered by shortages of parts after an earthquake and tsunami damaged key suppliers in northeastern Japan. That meant it made and sold fewer cars than normal.

Toyota is forecasting a 280 billion yen ($3.6 billion) profit for the fiscal year through March 2012, but only 10 billion yen ($128 million) of that is expected in the first half. A significant loss is likely for the April-June fiscal first quarter.

The maker of the Prius hybrid and Camry sedan is increasingly counting on robust sales in growing markets such as China, India and Southeast Asia to lift its bottom line, but a complete recovery isn’t expected until late this year.

WHY IT MATTERS: Toyota is expected to lose its spot as the world’s top-selling automaker to General Motors Co. this year, partly because of damage from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Toyota is expecting to sell 7.24 million vehicles for the fiscal year through March 2012, down from 7.31 million vehicles the previous year, although it may revise the projection upward. For the January-March period, Toyota sold 1.79 million vehicles worldwide — fewer than the 2.22 million vehicles GM sold.

Toyota says it is more intent on delivering good products to customers, not on being No. 1. But the symbolic dethroning follows a battering the brand has taken in recent years over massive global recalls.

Toyota is also fighting a surging yen, which erodes the value of overseas earnings. It faces uncertainty about the electricity supply after the disaster sent several reactors at a nuclear plant into meltdown, and safety worries have led to the shutdown of another plant.

Japanese automakers are producing vehicles during the weekend and taking Thursday and Friday off to even out power demand and prevent blackouts.

WHAT’S EXPECTED: A FactSet survey of analysts forecasts Toyota to report a loss of 93 billion yen ($1.2 billion) for the fiscal first quarter.

LAST YEAR’S QUARTER: Toyota booked a net profit of 190.47 billion yen for April-June last year, an improvement from the red ink the previous year when the global recession crushed car sales.

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Jul 31 2011
by Zoe Burn, Sunday Sun

THIS time next week the sights and sounds of yesteryear will be echoing around our local racetrack – and today we are giving Burning Rubber readers the chance to be there.

Next weekend, August 6 and 7, Croft Circuit near Darlington is hosting its second Nostalgia Weekend.

Following the success of last year’s successful inaugural event, organisers have pulled out all the stops to ensure the second one is even bigger and better than the first.

The event is a two-day retro festival featuring an action-packed bill of races for 200 rare and iconic saloon, single-seater, GT and sports cars from the forties through to the seventies.

From Ford Mustangs to Mini Coopers, Jaguar D-types to 170mph Formula 5000s and Formula 2s, the line-up is worth many millions of pounds with some cars alone valued at £250,000.

For those who are not particularly racing fond (although if that is you, I don’t know why you would be reading this column) there is probably even more for you to see and do.

The Nostalgia event is much more than just about motor racing – it is an opportunity for public to roll back the years and experience life in ‘the good old days’.

Visitors of all ages are encouraged to dress in period style – spanning the 1940s to the1970s – to add to the atmosphere and take a trip down memory lane with a whole host of off-track displays and activities.

There will be more than 400 classic cars representing some 60 different makes on show along with a sensational line-up of more than 100 WWII military vehicles.

Fashion, music and living history side shows will further add to the colour.

It is not just on the ground where it is happening.

Displays by WWII Spitfire and Hurricane fighter planes take to the skies on Saturday as well as a Jet Provost on Sunday.

There will also be WWII encampments and an army kitchen serving up food of the day, while a booming WWII Chaffee tank will fire its gun to signal the start of each race on Sunday.

Adult tickets can be purchased in advance for just £10 for Saturday and, £12 for Sunday or £22 for the weekend via the website or by calling 01325 721 815, and tickets will be available on the gate.

As usual at Croft, admission is free for children aged 15 and under, and more details are available by visiting the official Croft website: www.croftcircuit.co.uk. You can also look up Croft Circuit on Facebook as well

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Bahrain’s Euro Motors is celebrating a surge in popularity of the all new MINI Countryman with the arrival of a new batch of the first four door MINI, six months after its official arrival in the kingdom.

The fourth model to join the MINI portfolio, the new MINI Countryman is the first MINI model with four doors, four individual seats, an all-wheel drive option measuring four metres in length.

While still retaining the unique spirit of what a MINI is renowned for, this new addition to the MINI family bridges the gap between the classic MINI and a modern Sports Activity Vehicle, said a statement.

MINI also unveiled ‘MINI Connected,’ a new connectivity feature that further enhances the driving experience by keeping the driver connected with the outside world through a USB interface. This technology includes web radio, a world first for any vehicle which allows radio programmes from across the world to be played in the vehicle.

Available as an option, MINI Connected also allows for a high level of integration with smartphones enabling social media platforms such as Facebook be controlled in the on board display system, it said.
 
“Providing even greater freedom and space, the new MINI Countryman offers a versatile and comfortable ride every time.  Its increased length and the option of all-wheel drive offers the perfect solution for getting around town during the week as well as providing enough room for weekend getaway trips. In fact, the MINI Countryman has claimed the top 5-star score in the latest Euro NCAP crash test results, making it one of the safest cars on the road,” the statement said.

Paul Yates, general manager of Euro Motors, said: “The MINI Countryman has taken the Bahrain market by storm as it appeals to a whole new audience who appreciate MINI but require more space in a vehicle. We are delighted to see such a great response from Bahraini customers.”

As the fourth model within the range and the first premium car of its kind, the MINI Countryman is a pioneer in many respects. Its opens up that characteristic MINI feeling for new target groups and at the same time transfers individual design and the unique fun of motoring into a segment with greater demands in terms of available space, diversity and motoring comfort.

“Like all MINI models, the vehicle will be available, with a wide range of exterior and interior customization options available for owners to give their car a pesonalised and different look,” added Yates. – TradeArabia News Service

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Detroit knows how to do cars shows. Perhaps no area in the country outside of Pebble Beach can put on a multi-day, multi-event festival of sheetmetal in the manner in which the Motor City can. It’s intrinsic. At times it’s altruistic–but it’s always about the cars.

Detroit actually does it several times a year, with the major international auto show, followed by a hot-rod show, Autorama, in the winter. In the summer, it’s the nationally renown Woodward Dream Cruise, and of course the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance. But this year, Meadow Brook has a new name and a new venue. It’s now the Concours of America at St. John’s, and this weekend the same impressive vintage car show is expanded and re-located to the other side of town.

If you’re not from Detroit, swapping out one lush green stetting for another might not mean much to you. But, Meadow Brook was known around the country as one of the premier concours, behind Pebble Beach, but little else. And to change the site–especially moving from its namesake–could be wrought with potential pitfalls.

But so far, so good. Organizers say there are more hotel rooms and better facilities. And after experiencing a day of concours-related activities, early indications are the event has a fitting new home.

First on the agenda was a stop by RM Auctions’ annual sale on the eve of the concours. It was always a highlight at Meadow Brook, and this year it was again a top attraction. Where else can you see immaculately restored, ultra-rare Packards, Cadillacs and Mercedes for sale? There’s a few places–but your options are limited.

The sale was energetic and interesting, as usual, with RM founder Rob Myers himself even in the front confirming bids. A 1955 Mercedes 300SL coupe with gullwing doors fetched $615,000, and a 1939 Packard Twelve nabbed $162,500, not including the buyers’ premiums. Several impressive wares, including a 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster, were not immediately sold on the block when the reserve was not reached, though there’s always potential for buyers to broker a deal after the bidding.

The auction was well attended, with a near-capacity crowd filling the room at St. John’s, a picturesque former Catholic seminary surrounded by a golf course.

Before the sale ended, a

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