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Wednesday, February 10, 2010
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- RPMGO Answers: All-season tires, summer tires or winter tires – Which is best?
- Audi finally reveals 2011 A1 city car
- Video: Toyota’s Jim Lentz shows us the sticking pedal fix, reveals commitment ad
- Video: Hoon tries to do a burnout, fails miserably
- Future Ferrari models might get V6 engine, won’t go electric, says company boss
- Videos: 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 shows off its V8 sound
- 2011 Volvo S60 presents itself before its Geneva debut
- 2011 BMW X5 facelift M Sport package photos leaked on the web
- Hyundai boss fined with $60 million after weak management of the company
- Video: Hennessey takes the Cadillac CTS-V to 707 HP
| RPMGO Answers: All-season tires, summer tires or winter tires – Which is best? Posted: 10 Feb 2010 03:30 AM PST  Hello and welcome to another edition of RPMGO Answers, our own feature where we take various automotive-related debates or questions and try to explain everything in simpler terms. We’ve already talked about quite a few things, but this time it’s something which has really been bugging us, due to the massive snow falls we’ve been experiencing: All-season tires vs summer tires vs winter tires – Which is best and under what conditions? Although the question may seem trivial, some people just don’t have the money to sport different tires every season, and we thought we should explain what are the basic advantages and disadvantages of each type of tire, so that you will find the best compromise. Hit the jump to find out which is the best type of tire, and how do each of them fair in the snow, rain and dry road conditions. Summer tires, or performance tires, as they are known these days due to the prevalence of all-season ones in every new car, have the most basic rubber solution, which provides the best traction in average temperatures. There’s a medium number of grooves in such a tire, and you can also expect their depth to be quite average, in order to stick to the ground in dry conditions but also expel water on wet roads in order to prevent hydroplaning. Be aware that some summer tires can also be marked for high performance, and feature the minimum amount of shallow grooves, in order to get as much rubber on the road as possible. All-season ones are basically constituted of an enhanced summer rubber solution, modified so that it provides a decent amount of traction in snowy or muddy conditions. More and much deeper grooves have been added so that they will perform better in the aforementioned conditions and in lower temperatures. Due to the “jack-of-all-trades” aspect, this is the most common type of tires used, and the one offered by carmakers with new models. Last but not least, snow tires, which have a more concentrated rubber solution that can withstand freezing temperatures. Its surface is coated in deep grooves, as well as metallic studs in some cases, so that the best traction is ensured in muddy or snowy conditions. Let’s start with dry road conditions. Of course this is where the summer tires shine, as they get the most amount of rubber on the road, thus providing the best traction. All-season tires handle themselves pretty good, but due to the increased number of grooves and the different rubber concoction, fail to provide the same performance. In such conditions, where temperatures are quite high, it is absolutely imperative to not use snow tires. Their rubber solution wasn’t made for this, and their tread will wear out much faster. Needless to say, due to the large number of deep grooves, handling will also be impaired in such conditions. On wet road conditions, you may be surprised to hear that summer tires can beat the all-season ones, albeit by a limited margin. The fact that they can put more rubber in contact with the road, but still have a decent amount of grooves with an average depth, allow for water to be expelled while traction is maintained. All-season sets will get much closer to the summer ones, especially in terms of handling, but the increased number of grooves, especially in light rain conditions, will still prevent them from stealing the crown. Not even in the rain snow tires will redeem themselves, with the same big number of deep grooves being to blame. What’s more, these grooves will also mean less rubber in contact with the road, which may cause loss of traction and hydroplaning. Last but not least, the snow. Needless to say, the special tires handle like no other, fulfilling their niche purpose the best they can. The large number of grooves and their increased depth manage to find traction in the tough surface, while the rubber solution, adapted to the freezing temperatures, feels right at home. All-season tires also do a fair job, but you should expect some problems as the snow keeps falling. Also needless to say, summer tires do the worst job in winter conditions, partly due to the low temperatures and partly to the snow, on which it can’t find any traction. Unless you’ll want to see the wheels spinning indefinitely and burn out your gearbox, don’t use them. In the end, the conclusions are pretty simple, two sets of tires, summer and snow ones are the best combination you can have. You can switch them when temperatures decline and ensure the best amount of traction for your car. All-season ones are a fair compromise, but don’t expect the best handling in any condition, and, at least for the snow, an investment in tires or auto socks is highly recommended. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Audi finally reveals 2011 A1 city car Posted: 10 Feb 2010 02:32 AM PST  After a couple of concepts and a huge amount of annoying teasers, Audi has finally revealed the 2011 A1 premium city car, a rival for models like the Mini Cooper or the Alfa Romeo MiTo. The entry-level vehicle faithfully recreates the concepts before it, and features a selection of high end options, in order to make it a player on the premium segment. From the LED lights, to the wide array of interior materials, like black, gray or even “wasabi” green, to the colored air vents and even the optional MMI system, which comes with a 6.5-inch screen. Other interior features include a 10-speaker, 465-watt Bose audio system, a 20GB hard drive and even bluetooth connectivity. In terms of engines it seems the A1 doesn’t really have anything to brag about, limiting itself to two TFSI gasoline units and two 1.6-liter TDI ones. The base model will use a 1.2-liter TFSI, capable of 86 HP and 118 lb-ft, while the other gasoline engine will be a 1.4-liter one, capable of 122 HP and 147 lb-ft. For oil-burner fans, the two 1.6-liter engines will develop either 90 HP and 169 lb-ft or 105 HP and 184 lb-ft. This power can be transmitted through either a five or a six-speed manual gearbox, while the optional seven-speed S-tronic dual clutch variant is also available. As we revealed at the end of 2009, the A1 won’t use the quattro all-wheel drive system, instead of relying on a FWD platform. The A1 will be available in Europe this summer, with prices starting at €16,000 ($22,000). Frankly, the A1 hasn’t really blown our mind, partly due to the amount of hype that was generated around it. Take a look at the photo gallery below and then share your thoughts on this new Audi entry-level model. Photo Gallery: 2011 Audi A1
Source: Audi Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: Toyota’s Jim Lentz shows us the sticking pedal fix, reveals commitment ad Posted: 10 Feb 2010 01:49 AM PST  In an effort to save face and to get the public to calm down about the huge sticking accelerator pedal recall, Toyota has issued a few weeks ago, the Japanese company, through its USA president and COO, Jim Lentz, revealed just how the sticking pedal is fixed. The solution was revealed a last week, but now a trained mechanic is being filmed while the fix is being implemented in the accelerator pedal assembly. The job looks pretty straightforward but you still should see your local dealership as soon as possible to get your unintended acceleration or, according to the newest Toyota recall, braking problems fixed as soon as possible. The company also revealed a new ad, entitled Commitment, in which it reveals to the public that things will return to normal soon, and that the quality of the vehicles will be as high as possible. You can check out the pedal fix video on Toyota’s YouTube page, as the company, in a pretty stupid move, prevented it from being embedded on other sites, while you can hit the jump to see the Commitment ad. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: Hoon tries to do a burnout, fails miserably Posted: 10 Feb 2010 01:28 AM PST  Hoons, sadly, are all around us. Young people, or not, they think they can do anything behind the wheel just as good as professional drivers or stunt men, and usually end up just embarrassing themselves. This guy thought burnouts can easily be achieved just by pressing the gas real hard and trying to mess with the handbrake on his “tuned” Dodge Neon, from what we can tell. What resulted is a failure of epic proportions. Hit the jump and see how burnouts are done by this “professional”. Source: EpicFail Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Future Ferrari models might get V6 engine, won’t go electric, says company boss Posted: 10 Feb 2010 01:14 AM PST  Talking about the future plans of his company, Ferrari boss Amadeo Felisa revealed some interesting facts about the direction in which the Italian supercar maker is going. He revealed that smaller engines, like a V6, might become a possibility in the future, but that the current focus is still on V8 and V12 engines. Felisa then tackled a pretty sticky problem, electric powertrains and how they are beginning to be associated, thanks to the Tesla Roadster or the future Audi e-Tron-based R4, with sportscars. He revealed that Ferrari won’t be going in that direction.
Last but not least, Felisa confirmed that a replacement for the Enzo hypercar and a Spyder convertible edition for the new 458 Italia are being worked on, but declined to reveal any release dates. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Videos: 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 shows off its V8 sound Posted: 10 Feb 2010 01:00 AM PST  Ford presented yesterday the 2011 Shelby GT500 model, based on its popular Mustang muscle car. With a new and improved 5.4-liter supercharged V8, complete with an enlarged exhaust system, you can be sure that this all-aluminum unit will produce a great sound. Now, the company presented two new videos, one showcasing the regular Shelby GT500 coupe and the other focusing on the convertible model. Sit back, relax, crank up your speakers and hit the jump to indulge yourself in some muscle car pleasure. Source: Carscoop Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| 2011 Volvo S60 presents itself before its Geneva debut Posted: 10 Feb 2010 12:35 AM PST  Automakers are getting ready for the Geneva Motor Show which will be held at the beginning of March, and Volvo is no exception. Even though it is currently switching owners, from Ford to Geely, the Swedish brand will debut the 2011 S60 model in Switzerland next month. Before that, the company has revealed it on the web, and from what we can see, this car will impress a lot of people, not only through its advanced safety systems, but also through its great design, which vectors in not only making the car look good, but also making sure that things like the front hood is pedestrian-friendly, in the unlikely possibility of an accident. I do say unlikely as the new S60 will make use of the new Pedestrian Detection system, which uses the City Safety crash avoidance system to detect pedestrians in front of the car and, if need be, remotely apply the brakes so that a tragedy can be avoided. Future customers will also be thrilled to hear that a twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine will be available in the US, outputting 300 HP and 325 lb-ft of torque, together with a six-speed automatic and a Haldex all-wheel drive system. A front-wheel drive model, together with a wagon variant, might arrive at the end of 2010, but don’t keep your fingers crossed just yet. Europeans, on the other hand, will have more choices available, including a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, as well as a diesel option and the possibility of a dual-clutch gearbox. Further down the road, Volvo might even add the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine from the S40, which will offer 227 HP and 236 lb-ft of torque. Customers will also be able to choose from three suspension systems: the Base one, the Dynamic, which includes stiffer springs, tuned dampers and thicker piston rods, and the Four-C, which uses the new Volvo adaptive damping system. Overall, with some clever marketing, Volvo might have a winner on its hands. Take a look at the photo gallery below and then share your thoughts with us about the new 2011 Volvo S60. Photo Gallery: 2011 Volvo S60
Source: Volvo Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| 2011 BMW X5 facelift M Sport package photos leaked on the web Posted: 10 Feb 2010 12:00 AM PST  BMW made a big splash last weekend when it announced the 2011 X5 mid-cycle facelift. We presented to you the formal announcement, a side-by-side comparison between the old and the new X5 and even a batch of videos showcasing the Bavarian SUV in the snow. Now, thanks to a leaked photo on the German BMW Car Configurator, we now have the first look at how the M Sport package will look on the luxury model. From the pic attached above we can figure out that it will include a body-color bodykit, adding to the aggressive look, as well as 19-inch wheels.  You can expect various M badges to decorate the interior, alongside sport seats and a special M Sport leather-wrapped steering wheel. No other details are known as of yet, but we might see some new things at the official reveal this March at the Geneva Motor Show. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Hyundai boss fined with $60 million after weak management of the company Posted: 09 Feb 2010 11:46 PM PST  Here’s something you don’t hear everyday: the chairman of Hyundai, Chung Mong-koo, has been fined by a Seoul court in South Korea with a whopping $60 million, after his managerial decisions caused profit loss for the company and misled some of its shareholders. The ruling comes after a 2008 trial in which he was accused of embezzlement and breach of trust, for which he was given a three-year suspended jail sentence. The executive was pardoned afterwards by the South Korean president. Now though, the new sentence arrives after a group of minority shareholders, together with the Solidarity for Economic Reform association, accused Chung of managerial misconduct, and that he didn’t fully admit that the financial crisis would affect the company as hard as it did. Chung reportedly tried to invest in other areas of Hyundai, besides the car branch, which resulted in major losses.
All in all, a manager actually paying for the harm he caused to a company is quite a novel thing, but we’d be extremely optimistic if such things happened in our sides of the world. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: Hennessey takes the Cadillac CTS-V to 707 HP Posted: 09 Feb 2010 11:21 PM PST  The Cadillac CTS-V is one superb model, offering great performance and wrapping it in one aggressive all-American package. But while its 556 HP extracted from the supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V8 is plenty of power for the average consumer, the tuners at Hennessey still saw enough room for improvement. As such, the company released the V700 upgrade package, which, as you might have guessed, takes the output of the engine to over 700 HP. This massive increase is due to a new cold air intake system, a smaller supercharger pulley, updated ECU, longer tube headers, a three-inch exhaust system complete with high-flow cats and an upgraded intercooler, among other things. All these changes take the CTS-V’s output to a whopping 707 HP, with 701 lb-ft of torque. The 0 to 62 mph time is now rated at 3.3 seconds, while the top speed is 211 mph. Just to give us a treat of that power, Heneessey also took the car out for some drag racing, and caught it on film. Hit the jump to see a video of the tuned Cadillac CTS-v run the quarter-mile in 11.14 seconds. Source: Hennessey via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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