Autos News

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Volkswagen has made it very clear that they want to be the number one automaker in the world by 2018. In 2011, they sold 8.3 million vehicles for the first time and are well on their way to meeting their stated goal. It looks like Audi, who is owned by Volkswagen, has plans to be the largest luxury brand in the world.

According to Auto Guide, Audi has recently filed papers with the European trademark office to protect seven brand new release car names. The seven names Audi protected are: Q6, Q8, R6, S2, S9, RS1 and RS8. While the Q6 is already known to exist and is still in the testing stages, the other models will likely be seen on future models. The S9 is a brand new release name that hasn’t even been known until now.

Reports say the the Q6 and Q8 models will be Audi’s brand new releaseest SUV crossovers with the Q6 being the brands answer to the BMW X6. The Q8 would likely be the biggest SUV and would be the luxury flagship in Audi’s lineup. The R6 could be a smaller version of Audi’s R8 supercar with a mid-engine design and would have a more affordcapable sticker price.

It’s not certain if Audi will have a brand new release luxury model that would slot above the current A8 luxury flagship, but the name S9 suggests that the brand will be introducing another brand new release model called the A9 into the lineup with the S9 being the performance model. The A2 could be another brand new release model with the S2 possibly being a brand new release exciting performance oriented coupe. The RS1 has been seen in spy photos and is a small hatchback, but it may not have a sport performance variant offered.

It looks like Audi has plans to stay on top of the luxury car market and is investing in the future in a big way. They are developing brand new release technologies like the Traffic Jam Assistant. The idea behind this technology is, instead of constantly crawling and braking in extreme rush hour traffic, you can sit back and let the car do the driving for you.

Audi also brought on 3,500 brand new release employees last year, breaking their own hiring record. This year, Audi plans to bring on another 1,200 specialists to the team. The German company also has plans to invest more money in expanding the infrastructure of the company with brand new release property, equipment and plant acquisitions between now and 2016. There is also a strong emphasis on investing in brand new release technologies like electric and hybrid drive.

We can expect to see some exiting brand new release models coming from Audi as they plan on becoming the number one luxury carmaker in the world.

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This brand new release Chrysler Group minivan recall affects 2012 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan models built between March 9th 2012 and March 12th 2012 with just 471 units possibly involved in total. In these vehicles, the right side rear liftgate pinch sensor may not be working properly and in the event that the sensor is not working correctly and the Strength rear door was trying to close – someone with a body part in the door opening could stand to be injured when the door closes.

These Chrysler Group minivans are equipped with these built-in pinch sensors that help prevent people from basically getting crushed in the Strength rear liftgate. When the rear gate of the 2012 Chrysler T&C and the Dodge Grand Caravan are closing, these sensors monitor the amount of pressure pushing back against the electronic closing mechanism. The back pressure must be never exceed the target amount and when it does, the sensor tells the rear gate to stop closing and swing back open. This way, if there is anything like a child’s hand or finger…or a dog’s tail…the door knows not to crush the object that is preventing it from closing. Unfortunately, with this sensor not working, the Strength rear gate system will not know to stop applying pressure and that poses a risk to anything around the door when it is trying to close.

Luckily, there have been no reports of injuries stemming from this Chrysler minivan liftgate issue but with the inherent risk to those people using the rear door of their 2012 Town & Country or Grand Caravan – the Chrysler Group has made the call to get them back to dealerships for repairs. Also, with only 471 units possibly fitted with the faulty sensor and the build dates less than two months ago, there is a good chance that no buyers have been injured as a result of this problem.

The recall is expected to formally begin later this month, when the Chrysler Group will ask the owners of these 471 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans to return to their local dealership where a certified technician will inspect and replace the right side rear liftgate pinch sensor. This work will be gived free of charge to the customer.

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I’ve talked about the artificial leaf many times before as a novel idea in which significant amounts of hydrogen could be produced. In fact, in March of 2011, I had talked about a researcher named Daniel Nocera, Ph.D. who had created such an artificial leaf and was putting the polishing touches on it.

Today, however that leaf is polished and ready for the spotlight. Nocera and his team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created an artificial leaf using cheap and common metals plus sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

According to ACS.org, “The key to this breakthrough is Nocera’s recent discovery of several powerful , inexpensive catalysts, made of nickel and cobalt, that are capable of efficiently splitting water into its two components, hydrogen and oxygen, under simple conditions. Right now, Nocera’s leaf is about 10 times more efficient at bringing out photosynthesis than a natural leaf. However, he is optimistic that he can boost the efficiency of the artificial leaf much higher in the future.”

Nocera’s idea was to use his artificial leaves in developing nations where homes are not tied to the national grid. Every home could be its own power plant. And while this is a good idea, another good idea is to use his artificial leaves in general to create hydrogen for cars, homes, fueling stations, home fueling stations and industry.

The sky’s the limit with Nocera’s artificial leaf. And when reaching for the sky, sometimes the sky reaches back.

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Although rumors have been circulating for month’s, Car and Driver is reporting that a soft-top Scion FR-S is coming in early 2014. The only surprise is that a convertible FR-S is not going to be in showrooms sooner than late next year or early 2014. Tetsuya Tada, Toyota lead developer for the 86 project, has told the car was designed from the start to be both a coupe and a convertible, and so it’s been planned all along.

The Scion FR-S which was developed in partnership with the Subaru BRZ, and the Toyota GT 86 which is sold overseas, are well priced, and just what sports car enthusiasts have been asking for. The Subaru BRZ has been selling so well that demand has been pushing prices at dealerships higher and deliveries have been pushed into 2013. When you give buyers what they want, they’ll respond by opening up their wallets.

The Scion FR-S convertible must be also be a good seller for Toyota. What could be better than a reasonably priced, sporty, rear-wheel-drive sports car with the top down. There aren’t a lot to choose from in this segment other than the Ford Mustang and the Mazda MX-5. The expenditure of building a brand new release platform must be prove profitcapable for Toyota, and keep everyone happy.

When Akio Toyoda, who is the president of Toyota, took over the reins a few years ago, Toyoda asked himself, “where is the passion in our lineup?, I want to build a sports car.” Toyoda was instrumental in developing the Toyota GT 86 that will be sold across the globe, the Scion FR-S and the recent launch of the LFA supercar. So it will be no surprise that he would also be behind the development of the Scion FR-S rag-top. The fun is definitely back at Toyota and it looks like they are not done yet building sports cars. A brand new release 400 horseStrength Toyota Supra successor is also told to be in the works.

Car and Driver predicts that the brand new release Scion FR-S convertible will have a back seat and at least be considered a four-seater. The addition of a folding mechanism for the roof would mean trunk space would be minimal. Look for the same 2.0-liter, 200-horseStrength naturally aspirated boxer four to bring over with a choice of six-velocity transmissions in either manual or automatic configurations. But don’t look for a turbo anytime soon.

Reports say the FR-S convertible must be be arriving in showrooms sometime late in 2013 or early 2014, with a sticker price a few thousand more than the coupe’s $25,000 MSRP. C & D also says that Toyota may be considering other models basing a small four-door sedan and larger coupe off the brand new release platform. Although nothing has been confirmed by Toyota yet.

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While the recent announcement of brand new release M Performance Parts for the 2012 BMW 3 Series and the 2011-2012 BMW 5 Series pertain to both vehicles; the brand new release 3 Series gets the majority of the attention in this list of brand new release performance components.

First of all, the BMW M Performance division has added a brand new release set of forged 20” aluminum wheels that are constructed using a special forging process that allows these slender spoke wheels to weigh 2.4 pounds less than a similar wheel using a standard construction. Lighter wheels allow for more Strength to the ground, improved acceleration and improving handling with less weight at each corner. The brand new release M wheels for the 2012 3 Series and 2011-2012 5 Series feature an alternating color design with high gloss black and “Ferric grey” paint so a striking, sporty look. These brand new release wheels, which are availcapable for both the 3 and 5 Series sedans, are the largest wheel and tire combination officially approved by BMW.

Next, the M Performance group has added a brand new release Brembo big brake package for the 2012 BMW 3 Series and the 2011-2012 BMW 5 Series sedans. This package adds 4-piston calipers up front with lightweight cross drilled / slotted brake rotors measuring 14.5 inches while the back stoppers feature 2-piston calipers and 13.5” drilled /slotted rotors – all of which are clamped down on by high friction brake pads. Those who opt for the brand new release M Performance Brembo brake package can select from red, yellow or orange calipers for an extra measure of customization.

There are a variety of exterior dress-up items availcapable for the 2012 BMW 3 Series and 2011-2012 BMW 5 Series thanks to the M Performance division. This begins with a set of high gloss kidney grille inserts and carbon fiber mirror caps for both German sport sedans. 2012 3 Series owners can also add a set of PVC film stripes (shown in the image on the right) that is offset to the passenger side – availcapable in either black or white. Owners of the 2011 and 2012 BMW 5 Series sedan can now add an M Performance designed carbon fiber deck lid spoiler; adding to the attitude and aerodynamics of the 5 Series sedan.

Inside, the brand new release M Performance division items include a brand new release trim package that adds lots of carbon fiber and Alcantara trim throughout. The carbon fiber trim features an open pore matte finish, proving a nice contrast to the high gloss trim typically found in the standard 2012 BMW 3 Series that includes trim on the dash and the shift knob; whether it is a manual or automatic transmission. The brand new release 3 Series sedan also offers a brand new release race inspired steering wheel with a flat bottom, angled sides and integrated grips along the top – all of which are trimmed in black Alcantara. There is also a red stripe in the top-middle of the M steering wheel for a point of reference while driving.

Finally, the BMW M Performance group has developed a brand new release high performance stainless steel exhaust system for the 2012 335i and 535i. The announcement explains that this high flow exhaust system improves the sound of the twin turbocharged inline 6 cylinder engine while also reducing backpressure. This typically adds some Strength as well but BMW hasn’t quoted any Strength gains from the brand new release M exhaust system. Out back, the brand new release M exhaust system for the 335 and 535 feature 80mm exhaust tips with laser etched BMW logos so the system is noticecapable even when the engine isn’t running.

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