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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- Rolls Royce preparing hybrid Ghost version, will save rich people’s reputation
- Peugeot retires GTI badge, says no more hot hatches will appear
- Study shows filling your tires with nitrogen can expand their life span
- Toyota confirms first all-electric model, based on FT-EV II, for 2012
| Rolls Royce preparing hybrid Ghost version, will save rich people’s reputation Posted: 10 Nov 2009 12:00 AM PST  Many Rolls Royce owners have been expecting the new Ghost luxury saloon for quite some time, especially its massive 6.2-liter V12 engine capable of delivering 563 HP and 575 lb-ft of torque. But with that performance comes a pretty big spot on their reputation, as may eco-friendly will frown upon getting such a big car which produces a lot of bad emissions. But fear not rich people, as the British brand, currently owned by BMW, will use some of that German engineering and the fact that both the Ghost and the BMW 7 Series share the same platform. As such, it will borrow the mild-hybrid system used on the BMW ActiveHybrid 7, meaning that it will use smaller electric motor to power up the big V12 and help it be more efficient. The electric unit will output 20 kW and 155 lb-ft of torque, and together with a special Start Stop system, will improve both the emissions and the fuel consumption of the big limousine. Pairing the two engines together will be a special ZF automatic gearbox. While this won’t drastically improve the eco rating of the Ghost, Rolls Royce’s effort should be applauded. Hopefully these endeavors will continue into the future and we’ll see some more initiatives. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Peugeot retires GTI badge, says no more hot hatches will appear Posted: 09 Nov 2009 11:45 PM PST  The hot hatchback market definitely has many members these days, from the Golf GTI to the Ford Focus RS or Honda Civic Type R. But an iconic series of models paved the way for these models in the hearts of many people: Peugeot’s GTI lineup. Mostly remembered due to the fantastic 205 GTI, which made history not only on the streets but also in rallying, the brand has made many fans up until now. And it seems like they will be in for quite a disappointment, as the French carmaker announced that it will not be using the GTI badge for any other hatchback models.
Although Peugeot made lots of heads turn when it introduced the RCZ, in my mind they should still focus on the GTI badge and many other hot hatchback models. What do you think? Should the French carmaker revive the “dead” GTI badge? Leave a comment with your thoughts. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Study shows filling your tires with nitrogen can expand their life span Posted: 09 Nov 2009 11:29 PM PST  After seeing yesterday that some so-called scientists have way too much free time on their hands and spend it on some awkward studies, the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) from the US has revealed a new one, which says that filling your tires with over 90% nitrogen can help improve their life span and also improve fuel consumption.
Although such a rumors existed for quite some time, the NHTSA conducted some specific studies, and found out that tires with over 90% nitrogen in them lost around two thirds of the pressure that normal tires lost. Even though that might not seem as an improvement, it shows that it can prolong the life span of a tire by about 25% and improve fuel consumption by around 5%. This is certainly some great news for companies that manage large fleets of cars but also for the average car owner, which can save some more money, especially in these troubled times. Source: FleetNews via Automarket Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Toyota confirms first all-electric model, based on FT-EV II, for 2012 Posted: 09 Nov 2009 11:01 PM PST  After making a big name for itself in the hybrid market, Japanese carmaker Toyota has announced through the voice of its US spokesperson, Bob Carter, that the first all-electric model will be based on the FT-EV II concept and will appear around 2012. Although Toyota highlighted more than once its commitment to the hybrid market, saying that such types of models are the future, it seems that it couldn’t leave fellow rivals Mitsubishi or Nissan gain an advantage over it. For those of you who don’t know, Mitsubishi is already marketing the i-MiEV in many countries and Nissan has some very big plans in the following years for the electric vehicle market. Considering these things, Toyota’s decision makes a lot of sense but until 2012, it still has many things to work out, like the cost of batteries and developing a technology which is both efficient and cheap to produce at a large scale. Source: CarTech (in French) via Automarket Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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