Friday, April 30, 2010
KAWASAKI Z750 URBAN SPORT LIMITED EDITION
Kawasaki Z750 Urban naked bike Dubbed Urban Sports Edition, the amalgamation will additionally comprise official Kawasaki accessories. Coming with a two-year guarantee, the Urban Sports Edition joins the Ninja Performance Edition line, as a amalgamation of articles that sells for a absolute bulk that has been discounted over what they would amount separately.The Z750 gets an Akrapovic silencer,
2010 KAWASAKI VN900 Vulcan Classic Edition Revealed
New Kawasaki VN900 Classic Edition, the amalgamation is additionally accessible at a bulk that is lower than the absolute bulk of the added features. The Kawasaki VN900 Classic Light Tour Edition adds covering panniers additional bassinet brackets to the VN900 Classic, as able-bodied as a windscreen and angle leg wind deflectors, all official Kawasaki accessories that appear with a two-year
Driven: Nissan Leaf
Having announced that they were to be building the Leaf EV at their Washington plant in the UK, Nissan have been taking the car around the UK on a whistle-stop tour of Europe.
Whilst the car was on display at one of the few public showings, Tarmac managed to get a drive in the prototype. Whilst the test car is based on the Tiida model, the running gear is very similar to that which will be seen in the production Leaf in a few years time.
First impressions of the concept car are good. It looks, too all intents and purposes, like a regular car. This of course is for good reason, as regular cars are what people actually want. With the best intentions in the world, electric quadricycles like Reva's G-Wiz will never become commonplace as they can't offer the space and pace that people accept from the cars they're used to.
To this end then, the Leaf is off to a good start. It's a five-door hatchback with space for five, a good boot, and an inoffensive shape that manages to retain a bit of character. The front is modern and equipped with large headlights similar to those on the Ford Fiesta, and the rear has a hint of the last-generation Renault Megane about it. Even the interior is much like a normal car, with normal controls and two hooded instrument clusters. Only the large digital display in the centre console really hints at the Leaf's high-tech drivetrain.
From this point, the package starts looking quite different from regular cars. The shape has been specially designed for aerodynamic efficiency - those lights split airflow over the mirrors to reduce drag, and thanks to LED technology consume less power, too. The large Nissan badge on the nose sits on a hinged flap that opens up to reveal two charging points, one for quick chargers that can provied up to 80% charge in half an hour, and the other for a more leisurely charge. Range is around 100 miles which doesn't sound like a lot, but most research seems to suggest that the majority of journeys in the UK are over fewer than eight miles, so even if you didn't put the car on charge every night most people would still have enough for ten journeys.
The batteries themselves are stored under the cabin floor. The electric motor they power delivers 80kw of power, or around 107bhp. They also give a huge 280nm (206lb ft) of torque from zero rpm.
Sitting behind the wheel of the Tiida-based test car and moving off, this torque is immediately noticeable. Movement is instant and remarkably smooth in a way that even the best automatic transmission in a regular car can't manage. Throttle response can't be faulted. The silence is rather eerie at first but it makes the car seem supremely relaxing to drive - I suspect that the utter silence and smooth power delivery would make even the worst city driving seem far less stressful. As would the controls, which are simplicity in themselves - a tiny joystic selects drive (left and back), reverse (left and forwards) and a little button on the top selects park.
The test car didn't have regenerative braking but the production Leaf will do. As such, the brakes felt quite sharp, having probably been beefed up in the test car to make up for the lack of engine braking. Normally, simply backing off the power would see significant braking from the motor - to the point where using the car's brakes would be an uncommon occurence in town.
Propulsion aside, it again feels just like a regular petrol or diesel powered car. It's difficult to make too accurate a judgement on the finished product given that I only got a three laps of a very short circuit in which to test the car, but both ride and steering seemed fine - presumably no different from the petrol-powered Tiida. Again, this is important in attracting the buying public to the car - all the benefits of EV technology but with none of the drawbacks of cars like the G-Wiz.
Overall, I came away very impressed with the Leaf and itching to have another go. Electric cars are rapidly getting to the point where they can be considered serious alternatives to petrol and diesel cars for many people.
Of course, this is very much price-dependant. The number being thrown about at the moment is around £27,000 which is a lot for a small family car, but as with any technology the early adopters will bear the brunt of higher prices and this will bring down the unit cost for the manufacturers.
The Nissan Leaf is a good car even at this early stage, and a serious indication by Nissan that electric cars can walk the walk as well as talking the talk.
You can follow updates on the Nissan Leaf on their twitter page: https://twitter.com/UKNissanLEAF
All photos: ©Tarmac 2010
Whilst the car was on display at one of the few public showings, Tarmac managed to get a drive in the prototype. Whilst the test car is based on the Tiida model, the running gear is very similar to that which will be seen in the production Leaf in a few years time.
First impressions of the concept car are good. It looks, too all intents and purposes, like a regular car. This of course is for good reason, as regular cars are what people actually want. With the best intentions in the world, electric quadricycles like Reva's G-Wiz will never become commonplace as they can't offer the space and pace that people accept from the cars they're used to.
To this end then, the Leaf is off to a good start. It's a five-door hatchback with space for five, a good boot, and an inoffensive shape that manages to retain a bit of character. The front is modern and equipped with large headlights similar to those on the Ford Fiesta, and the rear has a hint of the last-generation Renault Megane about it. Even the interior is much like a normal car, with normal controls and two hooded instrument clusters. Only the large digital display in the centre console really hints at the Leaf's high-tech drivetrain.
From this point, the package starts looking quite different from regular cars. The shape has been specially designed for aerodynamic efficiency - those lights split airflow over the mirrors to reduce drag, and thanks to LED technology consume less power, too. The large Nissan badge on the nose sits on a hinged flap that opens up to reveal two charging points, one for quick chargers that can provied up to 80% charge in half an hour, and the other for a more leisurely charge. Range is around 100 miles which doesn't sound like a lot, but most research seems to suggest that the majority of journeys in the UK are over fewer than eight miles, so even if you didn't put the car on charge every night most people would still have enough for ten journeys.
The batteries themselves are stored under the cabin floor. The electric motor they power delivers 80kw of power, or around 107bhp. They also give a huge 280nm (206lb ft) of torque from zero rpm.
Sitting behind the wheel of the Tiida-based test car and moving off, this torque is immediately noticeable. Movement is instant and remarkably smooth in a way that even the best automatic transmission in a regular car can't manage. Throttle response can't be faulted. The silence is rather eerie at first but it makes the car seem supremely relaxing to drive - I suspect that the utter silence and smooth power delivery would make even the worst city driving seem far less stressful. As would the controls, which are simplicity in themselves - a tiny joystic selects drive (left and back), reverse (left and forwards) and a little button on the top selects park.
The test car didn't have regenerative braking but the production Leaf will do. As such, the brakes felt quite sharp, having probably been beefed up in the test car to make up for the lack of engine braking. Normally, simply backing off the power would see significant braking from the motor - to the point where using the car's brakes would be an uncommon occurence in town.
Propulsion aside, it again feels just like a regular petrol or diesel powered car. It's difficult to make too accurate a judgement on the finished product given that I only got a three laps of a very short circuit in which to test the car, but both ride and steering seemed fine - presumably no different from the petrol-powered Tiida. Again, this is important in attracting the buying public to the car - all the benefits of EV technology but with none of the drawbacks of cars like the G-Wiz.
Overall, I came away very impressed with the Leaf and itching to have another go. Electric cars are rapidly getting to the point where they can be considered serious alternatives to petrol and diesel cars for many people.
Of course, this is very much price-dependant. The number being thrown about at the moment is around £27,000 which is a lot for a small family car, but as with any technology the early adopters will bear the brunt of higher prices and this will bring down the unit cost for the manufacturers.The Nissan Leaf is a good car even at this early stage, and a serious indication by Nissan that electric cars can walk the walk as well as talking the talk.
You can follow updates on the Nissan Leaf on their twitter page: https://twitter.com/UKNissanLEAF
All photos: ©Tarmac 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Mercedes in exciting estate shocker
WHO said estates can't be exciting? Not Mercedes, if this latest effort at a load lugger is anything to go by.The German firm might be harking back to the 1960s by calling its new concept car the Shooting Break but it isn't hard to see it for what it is; it's the CLS coupe reimagined for those who spend their weekends at IKEA instead of the golf club.
The original CLS, a coupe with the novel addition of rear doors, was a huge success for Mercedes from the moment it hit the showrooms in 2004, but since then it's spawned a succession of imitators. Bringing in buyers still forced to go with the strait-laced E Class Estate to carry bigger loads, the company reckons, is the answer to the Jaguar XJ and Audi's A7 arriving on CLS territory.
“The proportions are clearly those of a coup: the long bonnet, narrow-look windows with frameless side windows, and dynamic roof sloping back towards the rear create a basic stance with which it looks ready for the off. It is only when taking a second look that it becomes clear that the Shooting Break concept car actually has four doors and an estate rear,” a Mercedes spokesperson told The Champion.
“As such, this study in design reveals its philosophical links with the four-door CLS Coupe, a car which has established a new market segment since 2004 and today is already seen as a design icon which is likely to occupy a very special place in the history of the motor car.”
It's unlikely the Shooting Break will beat the load-carrying capacity of the more conventional E-Class Estate, but then the E-Class doesn't have a nose quietly borrowed from the forthcoming SLS supercar or its snazzy headlights, which ditch bulbs altogether in favour of an armarda of 71 LEDs.
It isn't clear yet whether one of the first coupe estates since the Reliant Scimitar really will hit Britain's roads, but watch this space. Alternatively, buy a secondhand Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon for the same sort of thing.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sesame Crepes: Maximum Calories, Minimum Dollars
Shortly after I published my article What Long Distance Cyclists Really Eat, my pal Joe "That's Rando!" Platzner revealed something that he believes may be the ultimate randonneuring fuel: Trader Joe's Sesame Crepes.
Today I finally got around to trying this amazing food and I can report that all of Joe's wonderful words of praise were right on the mark. At 99 cents, a package of two crepes is about the tastiest 1000 calories I've ever had. The crepes are chewy and not too sweet. The packaging is a bit big to fit in a jersey pocket (each crepe is about 7 inches in diameter, but you can roll the crepes up like tortillas or tear them into bite-sized bits before your ride. But having a pack of these things stashed in your handlebar bag could be just the thing to get you over that last mountain pass on a six-hundred kilometer ride.
The ingredient list is refreshingly brief. Certainly not a health food, but at least I can pronounce every ingredient. While I'm not a nutritional role model, I am trying to do my bit for the orangutans by avoiding products containing palm oil. I'd been looking for something to replace the palm oil rich Pay Day Bars in my diet and Trader Joe's Sesame Crepes fill that niche quite well.Keep 'em rolling,
Kent
P.S. No, I don't have any sponsorship from Trader Joe's, I just like their stuff.
Yamaha Xeon 125 or Yamaha Mio 125cc
The presence or familiarly called Xeon Yamaha Yamaha Mio 125 cc in Indonesia has been increasingly felt.
Even a special site about 125 cc Yamaha Xeon already appeared on the official site of Yamaha.
And what about this Xeon motor specs? So, how clear specification Xeon scooter Yamaha Mio Yamaha Mio 125 cc or cc.
Yamaha adopts liquid-cooled Xeon 125 that serves to control the temperature so the temperature at Yamaha claims the machine remains stable.
Yamaha Xeon compression pressure is higher and more maximum power. But not explained whether the compression is higher than its competitors or scooter variants lower class below him.
For that detikOto try to compare with the Yamaha Mio Soul. As a comparison, 113.7 cc Yamaha Mio Soul or the highest variant Yamaha's scooter is currently the compression is 8.8: 1 with a maximum of 8.9 ps energy in 8000rpm. While torque is 7.84 Nm at 7000 rpm. But if Yamaha claims 125 cc Yamaha Xeon higher, means it can be imagined how much compression Xeon Yamaha 125 cc.
In addition Xeon Yamaha 125 cc Cylinder DiASil also adopted a working quickly to keep the engine in order not to wear and machine condition remains stable.
Cylinder DiASil technology can also maintain long-lasting Forged Piston. Technology DiASil Forged Piston Cylinder and also immersed in Jupiter MX 135 cc.
Yamaha Throttle sensor pin on the Xeon 125 cc, so in addition to fuel economy, acceleration is also better because it fit with the opening of the carburetor, and RPMs.
While for the exhaust, 125 cc Yamaha Xeon contain elements of sportiness. Where pinned protective heat shock and the use of catalysts which function to reduce excessive exhaust emissions. With the Xeon's 125 cc Yamaha claims a very friendly environment.
Body size of 125 cc Yamaha Xeon is not much different from SkyDrive Suzuki gambotnya almost the same alias. And for a fancy, Xeon also uses the cover of dusk light handlebar.
Even a special site about 125 cc Yamaha Xeon already appeared on the official site of Yamaha.
And what about this Xeon motor specs? So, how clear specification Xeon scooter Yamaha Mio Yamaha Mio 125 cc or cc.
Yamaha adopts liquid-cooled Xeon 125 that serves to control the temperature so the temperature at Yamaha claims the machine remains stable.
Yamaha Xeon compression pressure is higher and more maximum power. But not explained whether the compression is higher than its competitors or scooter variants lower class below him.
For that detikOto try to compare with the Yamaha Mio Soul. As a comparison, 113.7 cc Yamaha Mio Soul or the highest variant Yamaha's scooter is currently the compression is 8.8: 1 with a maximum of 8.9 ps energy in 8000rpm. While torque is 7.84 Nm at 7000 rpm. But if Yamaha claims 125 cc Yamaha Xeon higher, means it can be imagined how much compression Xeon Yamaha 125 cc.
In addition Xeon Yamaha 125 cc Cylinder DiASil also adopted a working quickly to keep the engine in order not to wear and machine condition remains stable.
Cylinder DiASil technology can also maintain long-lasting Forged Piston. Technology DiASil Forged Piston Cylinder and also immersed in Jupiter MX 135 cc.
Yamaha Throttle sensor pin on the Xeon 125 cc, so in addition to fuel economy, acceleration is also better because it fit with the opening of the carburetor, and RPMs.
While for the exhaust, 125 cc Yamaha Xeon contain elements of sportiness. Where pinned protective heat shock and the use of catalysts which function to reduce excessive exhaust emissions. With the Xeon's 125 cc Yamaha claims a very friendly environment.
Body size of 125 cc Yamaha Xeon is not much different from SkyDrive Suzuki gambotnya almost the same alias. And for a fancy, Xeon also uses the cover of dusk light handlebar.
Gelo Porsche
632
.
.
.
.acrylic on paper 6x8" sold
.
.
towards the end the 70's Georg Loos
entered 3 of these 935's in the DTM
they looked great and went fast in the hands of
John Fitzpatrick and Toine Hezemans
can someone remember the 3d driver?
.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Renault-Alpine A442
631
.
acrylic on paper 6x11" sold.
in 1978 Renault fulfilled a long held ambition
winning Le Mans and beating the Porsches
in 1978 Renault fulfilled a long held ambition
winning Le Mans and beating the Porsches
such a gorgeous car,
Didier Pironi and JP Jaussaud
.
Didier Pironi and JP Jaussaud
.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Forget the Financial Times, Caterham will let you know when the recovery comes
NICK, Gordon and Dave might be tearing out their hair at the thought of a hung Parliament knackering Britain's economic recovery but I know it's already started - Caterham sales have gone up!You could use what the three party leaders tell you to work out where Britain's beleagured bankers are headed but despite the success of our Champion twitter feed I still prefer to use the petrolhead method for working out all things monetary. I understand entirely if you'd rather stick to the FT but I promise, the sales figures of small sports car makers are perfect for predicting which way the country's heading. It's good news.
Take TVR. Anyone who reads Autocar too much might have blamed bad Russian management, slightly suspect reliability records or just the ongoing reputation for a Chimaera to kill you mid-corner for the Blackpool company going under, but it went under in 2007, just as the credit bubble burst. I reckon the economy did it.
You might have already read about the quandry the rest of the car industry's in but we'll leave Ford and GM out of this one - they were losing money before the credit crunch, so the world's economy collapsing since then just made a bad problem worse. VW and Toyota are equally enormous as companies go, but conversely they're on a roll right now.
Small sports car companies are far better arbiters of the economy because a Caterham, Morgan or Lotus aren't things you buy because you need them; they're fun things you buy because you got a bonus at work and fancy the wind in your hair on the way into work. So you won't buy them if things are tough.
But Caterham says its rise in sales, mainly on the back of madcap motors like the R500, pictured, is so overwhelming that it's actually had to ramp up production at its Surrey plant to cope, and it's the same story over at Lotus, Morgan and most of the other plucky car firms whose entire budgets wouldn't keep GM in business for a week.
After being bored solid with stories of petrol costing £1.22 a litre, depressed with electric cars which look apologetic in their anonymous styling and frustrated with Honda's refusal to let me test drive the new CR-Z, it's great to see some sunny optimism in the motoring world.
Gordon/Nick/Dave (delete as appropriate) please don't ruin it...
NEW APRILIA SHIVER 750 (2010) MOTORCYCLE
The 2010 Aprilia Shiver 750 are out and as with the new Dorsoduro, the new Shiver looks bigger than ever. No above changes actuality – a agilely revised fairing, 5mm lower bench height, altered (lower) handlebars, hardly college and added rear-set footpegs, bouncing anchor discs and a new paintjob is about it. The 750cc, 92bhp, 81Nm v-twin engine, with ride-by-wire tech and tri-mode (sport,
NEW APRILIA RS 125 (2010) MOTORCYCLE
The change of the Shiver activity has no limits. The APRILIA RS 125 (2010) MOTORCYCLE naked that has afraid the apple with its abstruse agreeable which is still not aural ability of its competitors, has able itself alike added with interventions that aim at accretion its personality, benumbed fun and ergonomic features. In agreement of appropriate features, Aprilia Shiver 2010 is after
Honda Vario Modification
NEW BUELL 1125CR ( 2010 ) MOTORCYCLE REVEALED
BUELL 1125CR ( 2010 )As Erik Buell's eyes of a avant-garde day bistro racer, the Buell® 1125CR blends class-leading achievement with adverse administration and a abandoned attitude to advance the boundaries of the streetfighter category. Buell Lightning models and the new 1125CR™ are at the amount of what Buell is all about - authentic achievement with a broad, seamless ability commitment in a
Autocar reveals first picture of Murray T25
Autocar have published the first picture of Gordon Murray's city car proposition, the T25.
The car has been seen testing in Surrey, and Murray expects the first cars to be ready for production in two years time. The T25 is smaller than a Smart and weighs in at only 650kg.
Judging by the photo it's not the prettiest of vehicles (though you can't go too far wrong with matt black paint...), but if the car lives up to expectations it could bring about a change of thinking in the city car market. We're already starting to see smaller vehicles being put forward for serious production, such as Renault's Twizy, which will form the basis of the next Smart itself.
Full story here. Autocar are, as yet, the only magazine to have driven a prototype of the revolutionary city car.
Image: Autocar
The car has been seen testing in Surrey, and Murray expects the first cars to be ready for production in two years time. The T25 is smaller than a Smart and weighs in at only 650kg.Judging by the photo it's not the prettiest of vehicles (though you can't go too far wrong with matt black paint...), but if the car lives up to expectations it could bring about a change of thinking in the city car market. We're already starting to see smaller vehicles being put forward for serious production, such as Renault's Twizy, which will form the basis of the next Smart itself.
Full story here. Autocar are, as yet, the only magazine to have driven a prototype of the revolutionary city car.
Image: Autocar
PROTON PERSONA ELEGANCE FACELIFT 2010
Proton Persona Elegance 2010 telah berjaya dilancarkan. Komen ProtonClub tentang kereta ni. Bodykit agak menarik, rasanya kereta ni diubahsuai utk menarik perhatian golongan muda kot...
Bahagian lampu belakang ada ciri2 mcm lampu Mercz baru tu... Not bad kerana rekaannya menarik. Harganya boleh lihat seperti senarai dibawah mana tau kalau anda berminat.
Base Line (M) RM46,499
Base Line (A) RM49,499
Medium Line (M) RM52,999
Medium Line (A) RM55,999
High Line (A) RM59,499
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
BUELL LIGHTNING LONG XB12Ss ( 2010 )
The Lightning Long XB12Ss BUELL Motorcycle delivers accurate archetypal American animal achievement and the bold, anxious attending of the aboriginal Lightning XB12S, with continued anatomy ambit and ergonomics for added size, abundance and convenience. Supermoto-inspired long-travel suspension, advancing streetfighter administration and American V-Twin beef acquire top marks for handling.Buell
NEW HONDA NT700V ( 2010 ) FIRST RIDE
Introducing the New Honda NT700V, anew accustomed actuality in the U.S., and the absolute aggregate of cross-town driver and cross-country adequacy that's been wowing Europeans for over a decade. Think of it this way: If the ST1300 had a little brother, it would be the NT700V. Affluence active to eat up around-town burghal assaults, and affluence costly and feature-packed for the comfortable
NEW HONDA SHADOW RS ( 2010 )
The 2010 Honda Shadow RS. This active and acknowledging V-twin auto motorcycle has clean, brittle curve and standard-style benumbed ergonomics that affiance affluence of fun times ahead. The Honda Shadow RS's college pegs enhance arena clearance, and its thoroughly avant-garde liquid-cooled 745cc V-twin agent with Honda's adult Programmed Fuel Injection adds to the benumbed pleasure. Savor the
2010 Ducati Motorcycle Modification Photos
Yamaha Scorpio z Modifikasi 2010
Suzuki Shogun 125 SP Modification Air Brush
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R Photo Design
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
KTM RC8R 2009 Pictures Design Gallery
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