Autos News

U.S. Senate has already approved the law that requires every vehicle sold in the U.S. after 2015 to be equipped with a data recording unit, and this helps investigate accidents faster.

“Black boxes” have to pass one hurdle to be mandatory on any vehicle sold in the U.S. after 2015. The Senate has already approved this law and will next the last step before implementation, ie to be approved by the House of Representatives. In the case of a favorcapable majority vote, each car in the United States will be equipped with a recording unit that will store the forces of acceleration, vehicle velocity, throttle position and time trigger of airbags.

Legally, the records of “black boxes” are belonging to the vehicle owner and police can have access to them only with a court order. In the case of a serious accident, medical services or extrication crews can search for data that might help to understand the causes of the accident without permission from the owner. In other words, the “black boxes” for cars will not be used by police to punish drivers who break the law, but will help in finding the causes of serious accidents.

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MINI has just announced details of the John Cooper Works GP which will be the fastest production MINI ever to be built. The JCW GP will begin production and arrive in showrooms later this year with a limited run of 2,000 units worldwide. This the second MINI John Cooper Works GP that the company has offered, but this all-brand new release version is much faster than the previous model.

This MINI lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife a full 19 seconds faster for a brand-best time of eight minutes and 23 seconds. The brand new release JCW GP will deliver extreme performance and the lap time at the Nurburgring was faster than a BMW 335i Coupe (8:26) and very close to the performance of the BMW E36 M3 (8:22) which shows just how exceptional the brand new release MINI JCW GP is.

MINI hasn’t released many details yet and we don’t know exactly how much horseStrength the brand new releaseest MINI John Cooper Works GP will have, but we do know that it will have considerably more than the 214 horseStrength that the previous model had for it to be capable to produce such impressive results. The twin-scroll turbocharged engine will produce plenty of torque and will be high-revving.

What we know about MINI John Cooper Works GP

We do know the brand new release MINI JCW GP comes with a full body aero kit including large front and rear aprons, side skirts, rear diffuser and a carbon fiber rear spoiler. It also gets an exclusive upgraded Strengthtrain, brand new release “race-spec” brakes and a special adjustcapable race suspension for track handling. Custom bespoke sport tires and other race-ready elements will be included meant for increasing grip during performance driving. Inside, the John Cooper Works GP has no rear seats, to save weight and to contribute to the cars inspirational racing feel.

With just 2,000 of the cars being built worldwide, including the U.S. allotment, we can expect the brand new release John Copper Works GP to be a sought-after collectors item like its predecessor was. We’ll have to wait closer to launch to learn how many JCW GP’s are coming to U.S. shores, what the final performance figures will be and pricing details. We may even see a coupe version of the brand new release JCW GP to join the hatchback at some point in the future.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP will be unveiled to the public for the first time at Le Castellet, France, during the MINI United festival this weekend.

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There are big changes coming in 2015 for the next generation Ford Mustang, and Ford is working on a design that will have global appeal. This brand new release design will need to have an appeal that goes well beyond buyers in the U.S. Because Ford will be marketing the brand new release generation 2015 Ford Mustang in a variety of brand new release markets around the world, the Mustang will need to be accommodating to a whole brand new release group of buyers.

The folks over at Inside Line have given us an idea of what that design will look like with an artists rendering of the front and rear view of the 2015 Mustang that they have taken from various sources. This could be a fairly accurate representation of what the brand new release Mustang will look like, but Ford has not officially confirmed that. Ford Evos Concept that made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year was a preview of the future Mustang with a brand new release global design.

We do know that the 2015 Ford Mustang will be marketed around the world and Ford is smart enough to know that buyers outside the U.S. aren’t attached to the old nostalgic look of the Mustang. They didn’t grow up with the pony car and won’t care if it continues on with the same styling. Ford knows the only way to appeal to a brand new release global buyer, is to give them a brand new release global car.

Even though Ford will be celebrating the Mustang’s 50th birthday when it comes out in 2015, look for a big departure from the current model. Not only will it get brand new release exterior styling, but the brand new release global car will weigh less, and also get a brand new release more responsive independent rear axle set-up in place of the current straight axle. This will improve the driving dynamics and also appeal to the European buyer who is used to driving through the curves as opposed to a straight line down a drag strip.

American muscle cars haven’t fared very well in foreign markets, and Ford is gearing up for the changes needed to be successful around the world. They will need to walk a fine line between keeping enough of the Mustangs design heritage for buyers in North America, and also give it a totally brand new release design to allow it to move into brand new release global territory.

Under the hood, we will likely see some changes there also. Some of the current Strengthplants could bring over to the next generation Stang, but look for a direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder engine to be introduced that will give performance and improved fuel-mileage that the global market will demand. It is thought that the current 5.0-liter V-8 will be offered here in the U.S. to help keep buyers in the U.S. happy with performance levels.

Look for the all-brand new release 2015 Ford Mustang to be unveiled at the 2014 brand new release York Auto Show where it made its debut 50 years ago on April 17th, 1964 at the brand new release York World’s Fair.

Source: Inside Line

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Not to be confused with flex-fuel cars and trucks, dual-fuel vehicles will be capable to work with two widely varied combustibles. Most fortuitously appliccapable to large trucks, the technology will require both petrol and natural gas storage tanks.

If natural gas is not availcapable, the truck could run on gasoline only. If petrol prices get too high, it could run on natural gas only, as well – a great advantage in places like Wyoming where it’s a 30-mile drive to the neighborhood WalMart and natural gas is everywhere.

According to a report by Mark Koebrich on 9brand new releaseS, a brand new release dual-fuel production model of the Dodge Ram has a load-bearing compressed natural gas (CNG) tank immediately behind the cab with the normal gas tank in the usual place.

Reportedly, dual-fuel Ram Heavy Duty trucks, along with a competing pair from GM, will be in select showrooms this summer. They will take on Ford’s CNG trucks that have been availcapable since 2009. Dual-fuel sedans are expected to follow later in the year.

Natural gas prices range from $1.49 to $2.59 in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah producing dramatic savings on large trucks that can require up to $200 to fill with petrol at today’s rates.

Koebrich talked with David Padgett, who owns a Honda Civic CNG sedan – Honda has been selling a few of these natural gas vehicles annually for years.

“It’s costing me one-third of the cost of commuting with gasoline as it does to commute with natural gas,” he told. “I wouldn’t drive anything else.”
He pays $2.59 for the equivalent of a gallon of gas at a commercial refueling pump on the outskirts of town.

“If I was buying gasoline, it would have cost me over $30 to fill up this car,” Padgett told. “The actual cost of the natural gas was about $12, and if I do it in my garage, it’s going to be about $4.”

At home you can install a natural gas hook-up in the garage from your home gas line. You pull the hose from the wall and refuel at home for a fraction of the commercial station price.

“You’ll burn natural gas when you can, and if you need to back it up with gasoline, it’s there for you as well. Same engine – no difference,” Padgett concluded.

Automotive pundits foresee this technology catching on over the next few years, just as hybrids are beginning to now. Toyota Motor Sales more than doubled hybrid sales in April (compared to last year), on the heels of over 50,000 hybrids of all makes selling in March.

Dr. Jennifer Miskimins, a professor in petroleum engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, told 9brand new releaseS the technology is a game changer that could emStrength a brand new release economy, just because it’s so plentiful and cheaper than gasoline.

Colorado has thousands of active natural gas wells, both in Weld County (Colorado’s third most populous, stretching from Denver’s suburbs to the Wyoming border) and on the Western Slope. They are just a hint of a potentially enormous natural gas based economic model.

“The energy needs of the world are expected to go up something like 50 percent over the next 20 to 25 years,” Miskimins told. “Hydrocarbons will still make up about 80 percent of that energy demand and that energy supply. Natural gas is clean burning. It’s something people are starting to get a lot more comfortcapable with, so you’re going to see those car systems and everything else start to continue.”

There are always environmental concerns to extracting any form of fossil fuels, without even getting into the controversy surrounding fracking. Just like with BP massive Gulf disaster, problems with wellheads are always possible. Extraction techniques can sometimes release of orphan emissions from wells, which may include noxious gases.

Nevertheless, the U.S. economy has always thrived on low energy costs Miskimins remains convinced dual-fuel vehicles give an attractive and vicapable solution.

As a country, we spend over $1 billion daily for foreign oil that mostly goes into our trucks and automobiles. It is high time that changed.

The projected reserves of natural gas from methane hydrates are simply staggering. The energy contained in these methane hydrates are thought to vastly exceed the energy found in all the coal, oil and conventional natural gas nationwide – the equivalent of a 9,000 year supply at current U.S. consumption levels.

At Torque brand new releases we told it before – energy is all around us. The trick is learning to produce and consume it in more efficient and sustaincapable manner.

Several thousand years is a good start – not even the Mayans have predicted Earth events beyond 4347.

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Chrysler has announced the recall of 119,072 model year 2011 and 2012 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger vehicles due to possible electrical system problems. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents indicate that such electrical failure could lead to certain vehicles losing ABS/ESC system function. Reports also point out that Chrysler’s electrical issues are likely the result of an overheated distribution center. The consequence of losing ABS/ESC function is loss of vehicle control, which may increase the risk of a crash.

Chrysler had originally thought that this electrical problem was exclusive to its Dodge Charger police vehicles, but reconsidered when civilian complaints were reported. In fact, the automaker discovered 43 reports relating to civilian vehicles. That told, there were no incidents of crashes, injuries or fires according to Chrysler.

“Despite a small number of incidents, we concluded it was in the best interest of our customers to repair the vehicles and eliminate the potential for this condition to occur,” told David Dillon, head of Product Investigations and Campaigns for Chrysler.

Chrysler will begin notifying customers of the recall later this month. Owners of affected vehicles will receive free ABS/ESC system fuse relocation from their Chrysler dealer. Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger drivers who do not wish to wait until the recall begins may contact Chrysler Customer Service at 1-800-853-1403. Concerned customers may also get in touch with the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 or online at www.safercar.gov. The NHTSA Campaign ID Number is 12V197000.

Despite the recall brand new releases, both the 2012 Chrysler 300 and 2012 Dodge Charger were named Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Picks. Furthermore, the 2012 300 ranks 4 out of 7 on U.S. brand new releases’ list of Affordcapable Large Cars with an overall score of 8.3. Reviews specify that the all-brand new release 300 “offers a refined interior and a strong list of standard features.” On the other hand, the 300 is pricier than other affordcapable large cars when adding options.

The 2012 Dodge Charger earned a lower overall score on U.S. brand new releases’ Affordcapable Large Car list, ranking 5 out of 7 based on 14 published reviews. The 2012 Charger earned high praise for its performance and interior space. According to Edmunds, “The 2012 Dodge Charger fares well as a large sedan. But when it comes to affordcapable performance, the Charger has no peer.” Although the Charger received high marks for its Strength, it lost points for its lack of rear passenger room.

Photo: Chrysler

Also read: Chrysler recalling almost 10,000 Dodge Charger police cars

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