Automotive

2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport Review: Well-Balanced For The Daily Drive

2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport Review: Well-Balanced For The Daily Drive 93Excellent 2019 Lexus ES 350 F SportOverall Impression Stylish and sleek.Powerful engine.Lots of standard tech.ProsComfortable Cabin Improved Handling ConsTouchscreen Interface The Lexus ES 350 has been a typical luxury sedan up until now, but it all changes for the 2019 model year. For one, the ES just got a lot more fun for driving enthusiasts. There’s a new F Sport version for 2019, which is a first for the ES. It also gets other updates that increase the ES 350’s luxury and functionality. We experienced these firsthand this week, as we’ve been driving the newly-redesigned, 2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport.
What’s New For 2019
The Lexus ES 350 is fully redesigned for the seventh generation. It gets a more powerful V6 engine, upgraded technology and safety features, and an all-new F Sport trim. The front-wheel drive ES is built on Lexus’ Global Architecture–K (GA-K) platform. As a result, the 2019 ES is longer (+2.6 inches), lower (-0.2 inches), and wider (+1.8 inches) than the prior generation.
Available packages, along with the F Sport, include Premium, Luxury, and Ultra Luxury.
Features & Options: Connectivity & Safety
Standard features on the 2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport ($44,035) include keyless entry and ignition, a sunroof, simulated leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and dual-zone automatic climate control. On the electronic front, you get an eight-inch central infotainment display, Bluetooth, navigation (Scout GPS Link), a Wi-Fi hotspot (Lexus Enform), three USB ports (one front, two rear), and satellite radio.
Standard safety features include forward collision mitigation, dynamic radar cruise control (with road sign assist), lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, automatic high-beam assist, and parking sensors, among others.
The new-for-2019 F Sport comes with 19-inch wheels and chassis dampers from the Ultra Luxury package; a special grille and rear spoiler; aluminum interior trim pieces and sport front seats; special gauges, a unique analog clock, and active noise control. Navigation and a 17-speaker, Mark Levinson premium sound system ($1,920); blind spot and rear traffic alert ($1,065); and Triple Beam LED headlights ($1,515) were the only extra options on our tester.
Total MSRP including destination: 50,575. By comparison, the 2019 Lexus ES starts at $39,750, with the hybrid variant (ES 300h) starting at $41,560.
2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport.
Interior Highlights: Inspired By History
Stepping inside the new Lexus ES 350 reveals a cabin with all the comfort you want in a luxury sedan. The leather upholstery is supple and the surfaces have the level of detail typical of Lexus models. The fit and finish is tight and Lexus made liberal use of soft-touch surfaces all throughout the cabin. From the driver’s seat, there is good all-around visibility for a sedan, and plenty of seat adjustments. In our test car, a power-adjustable steering column made it easy to set the perfect driving position.
The F Sport has an option for red seats and door panels for an even more sporty look. There’s also an all-new metallic trim that comes standard on the F Sport called Hadori Aluminum. Inspired by an ancient sword polishing process, Hadori Aluminum can appear three-dimensional, depending on how you look at it.
Technology abounds in the new ES 350. The 12-inch navigation and infotainment display is a highlight, as is the deep integration with voice commands. Verizon Wi-Fi is standard along with Lexus Enform Safety Connect for the first 10 years of ownership. The latter includes a stolen vehicle locator, emergency and roadside assistance, and automatic collision notification. As a bonus, Apple CarPlay is finally available.
2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport interior layout.
Related: One the road with the lion of the Lexus den.
Interior Highlights: Nice For The Commute
What we don’t like is the hypersensitive touchpad interface Lexus uses. It’s not easy to operate, nor all that intuitive, especially when you are driving. Shutting off the A/C, for example, requires a visit to a menu screen using the touchpad located on the console. We did praise the volume knob, though. It feels like an old-school stereo receiver.
We used the ES 350 for commuting to Denver every day and arrived relaxed and ready for the day’s work. In the back, your passengers will have plenty of room and will be comfortable on longer trips. Rear legroom is even enough for six-foot passengers. The ES 350 would make a great car for realtors to haul clients in when house-hunting. The rear doors are wide and it’s easy to get in-and-out.
The ES offers up 16.7 cubic feet of trunk space with underfloor side pockets for smaller items.
Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
Powering every ES 350, including the new F Sport, is a 3.5-liter V6 producing 302 horsepower and 267 lb-ft. of torque (up 34 horsepower from last year). The V6 comes paired to a new Direct Shift eight-speed automatic that replaces the previous six-speed. Compared to the six-speed, this new Direct Shift transmission offers a wider range of ratios. For instance, first gear in the six-speed was 3.30:1, while the new eight-speed offers a 5.51 first gear. A taller final drive ratio (2.56) helps return an EPA-estimated 22/31 city/highway and 25 combined mpg.
The 2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport delivers on the open road, especially with its V6 engine.
Driving Dynamics: Making Quick Work of The Roads
Getting underway in the ES 350 revealed a V6 with a little more power than the outgoing model. When pushed hard, the luxury sedan’s power comes quick and smooth, no doubt thanks to the new transmission. It even sounds pretty good when you dig into it too, like when needing more power to pass slower traffic on the interstate.
The F Sport’s suspension is tuned for sport more than comfort, but it’s not too firm for the average family either. It has just enough firmness to make quick work of the tight mountains corners we encountered this week, but you won’t feel rattled on a long trip. The larger 19-inch alloy wheels also contribute to a firmer ride, especially on broken pavement, but won’t be an issue if the road is smooth.
On the F Sport model, an Adaptive Variable Suspension is available.
We made use of the manual paddle shifters in Sport S+ mode to extract a little more control over the car’s driving character. It’s no sport sedan, but you can have fun with it on the commute to work, or to play on the weekends. The F Sport trim also offers Eco, Normal, Sport S, and Custom modes to suit every driver in the family. If you are looking for safety, the ES 350 comes with plenty for peace of mind. For example, we unwittingly approached a parking barrier this week and the forward collision mitigation system stopped us before we hit the concrete.
The 2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport hits 60 mph in 6.6 seconds.
Conclusion: F Sport or Otherwise
Altogether, the new updates increase the luxury and performance of the 2019 Lexus ES 350 over the outgoing model. We would recommend the F Sport if you want superior driving dynamics and want to have a bit more fun over the standard model. The F Sport offers a good blend of handling and performance, without sacrificing comfort. But the normal ES 350 sedan is still purposed for comfort, and offers isolation from the noisy world. It’s a car you won’t mind spending quality time in.
Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. All of his firsthand reviews are archived on our test drives page. Follow Denis on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy
2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport Gallery

Photos: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Check out these Automotive tips

http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/2019-lexus-es-350-f-sport-review-well-balanced-for-the-daily-drive/

2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 9: Moving On

2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 9: Moving On Tony Borroz opens up what has been dubbed “The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook” for an unedited look at The Greatest Spectacle In Racing. The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook is an unfiltered look and what makes the Indy 500 so alluring in the first place. The series concludes with this final installment, Part 9: “Moving On.”
The prologue can be found here.
Part 2: “Hey Hinchcliffe, Wanna Race? Then Go Faster!” here.
Part 3: “Carb Day” here.
Part 4: “By This Time Tomorrow” here.
Part 5: “On The Fly – Before The Green Flag” here.
Part 6: “On The Fly – Everything That Matters” here.
Part 7: “A Modest Proposal: The EV 500” here.
Part 8: “Letters” here.
The Indianapolis 500, as big as it is, is a thing of the past. Or at least now it is. The dust has barely settled and the teams have all moved on to the next round, a double-header race set on the beautiful Belle Isle Park in Detroit, with Will Power riding a wave of considerable momentum. At this point, I’d say Power is now the favorite to win the series championship, but this whole thing is far from over.
Power always seemed like he was running closer to an emotional edge than most other racers in the series. His last race, or few races, always seem to affect what’s coming next more with Power than with his competitors. That’s why winning this year’s 500 will have such a big impact going forward for him, both this season and in years to come. After chalking up a big win at Indy – two, actually, since you should also count his win on the Indy road course – Power will most likely be able to parlay that into enough wins, places, and shows to notch up another championship.
His joy at winning The 500 seemed like more than that, more than just elation at (finally) winning one of the crown jewels in all of racing. Along with all the screaming, gesticulating, furtive twitching and such, Power displayed a sense of relief that was almost worrying in its intensity. It became easy to stitch together a bunch of stuff in Power’s past with his Victory Circle response.
With his victory this year, Will Power became the first Australian to win the Indianapolis 500. Photo: IMS LLC.
Call Me Will
Up until winning Indy, you could see that it was Bugging him with a capital B; I mean Bugging him the way not settling the score with Moby Dick was starting to bug Ahab. We’re all complex creatures, we humans, and some of us are very complex indeed. Will Power seems to fall into that latter half of humanity. Having a certain level of drive and determination is part and parcel of being a racer at this level. Roger Penske or Michael Andretti or Josef Newgarden didn’t get to where they are because they had nothing else better to do. You don’t back into anything at this level. So having a certain amount of dogged determination to “succeed” is to be expected.
But, like anything else in life, it’s when you get on the other side of that power curve of determination that I start to worry. Captain Ahab is not a heroic figure. There is nothing fine and noble and valiant at attaining your goals at the cost of your humanity. I’m not saying that Power was going full Ahab here, but I am saying that his palpable sense of relief at finally winning worried me that he was edging closer to that.
Cats In The Cradle
I’ve seen it before, and far too many times at literally every level of this sport. I’ve seen drivers so blindly determined to win that they slowly lose everything along the way. Racing, as an activity, is riddled with broken relationships, snapped bones, burned out friendships, twisted frames, destroyed families. Some disabilities are not physical. Some drivers (and team owners) become so fixated, so focused on Winning, that literally nothing else matters to them.
Normal, healthy relationships with their spouses or children or close friends? They can be jettisoned with nary a backward glance if they are in the way of “winning.” Not winning can be the worst thing in the world. Not winning can Cost You, and you won’t know what the final bill is until it’s far too late in your life to be able to truly pay it.
And that’s why, in retrospect, I’m as relieved as Will Power over his 2018 Indy 500 win. Looking back, I can see how Power could have let missing another 500 win affect him. It would gnaw at him, and the pressure would mount, and build, and, like 90 percent of the other racers out there, he would have responded the only way racers know how: work harder, try harder, sacrifice more, risk more. When you buy into the mindset that your racing results define who you are as a human being, then results are all that matter.
Will Power in disbelief after winning the 102nd Indianapolis 500. Photo: Karl Zemlin.
Changing Places
That is, obviously, seriously unhealthy. Eventually, the results have got to stop. Eventually, the spotlight fades and the applause dies down and you are left with time on your hands. And if you’re one of those people who don’t know how to balance out all aspects of your life, even the big aspects of your life, like being a racing champion, then that time can stretch out before you like a yawning chasm. You can turn into one of those irascible old jerks at the local bar; one of the “remember-whens” and “I used to . . .” people.
No, Will Power finally winning The 500 wasn’t his “cure” for that. It never is. But what it hopefully will do for Mr. Will Power is give him some peace. Now that he has ticked off the “Win Indy 500” box, maybe he can get some perspective. Now, maybe he will realize he’s working, not from a place of accomplishment (although he surely is working from that as well), but from a place of peace and calm and quiet and he can move on and live a more balanced life.
Sure, this will make him a much stronger racer, especially in the short term, but eventually this will also make him a much stronger person, and we are all better off knowing that.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

Check out these Automotive tips

http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/2018-indy-500-notebook-part-9-moving-on/

FCA Expands Partnership With Waymo For Greater Autonomous Mobility

FCA Expands Partnership With Waymo For Greater Autonomous Mobility FCA US LLC and Waymo are expanding their partnership further, this time with an agreement to add up to 62,000 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo’s self-driving fleet. Vehicle deliveries are expected late this year, and both companies are discussing the use of Waymo’s self-driving technology, including potentially licensing it, in a FCA-manufactured vehicle available to retail customers.
Innovation & Accessibility
Earlier this year, FCA US LLC delivered 500 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo to boost the tech company’s autonomous driving program. To date, FCA has delivered 600 Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo.
“FCA is committed to bringing self-driving technology to our customers in a manner that is safe, efficient, and realistic,” said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. “Strategic partnerships, such as the one we have with Waymo, will help to drive innovative technology to the forefront.”
“Waymo’s goal from day one has been to build the world’s most experienced driver and give people access to self-driving technology that will make our roads safer,” added Waymo CEO John Krafcik.
Photo: FCA US LLC.
Future Goals
One of the goals for FCA and Waymo was to develop an autonomous vehicle for mass production. The partnership paired FCA and Waymo engineers together who devised ways to implement Waymo’s automated technology into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Leaders from both companies say leveraging each other’s strengths, experiences, and resources is critical for the successful and safe implementation of autonomous driving.
FCA and Waymo engineers have continued working together to support Waymo’s expansion, and to advance the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid with autonomous technology. Waymo’s self-driving system includes a powerful hardware and software suite honed over 6 million miles of on-road testing.
Later this year, Waymo will launch a self-driving transportation service, allowing the public to use Waymo’s app to request a vehicle.
“We’re excited to deepen our relationship with FCA that will support the launch of our driverless service, and explore future products that support Waymo’s mission,” Krafcik said.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
Photos & Source: FCA US LLC.

Check out these Automotive tips

http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/fca-expands-partnership-with-waymo-for-greater-autonomous-mobility/

SoftBank Vision Fund To Invest Over 2 Billion In GM Cruise

SoftBank Vision Fund To Invest Over 2 Billion In GM Cruise The SoftBank Vision Fund will invest $2.25 billion in GM Cruise Holdings LLC, a move aimed at strengthening the company’s plans to commercialize and scale autonomous vehicle technology. General Motors will also invest $1.1 billion in GM Cruise upon closing of the SoftBank Vision Fund transaction.
“Our Cruise and GM teams together have made tremendous progress over the last two years,” explained GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Teaming up with SoftBank adds an additional strong partner as we pursue our vision of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.”
Increased Flexibility
The SoftBank Vision Fund’s first tranche of $900 million will come at the closing of the transaction. The second installment of $1.35 billion (with regulatory approval) will be completed by the Vision Fund when the Cruise AV vehicles are ready for commercial deployment. The SoftBank Vision Fund will then own a near 20 percent equity stake in GM Cruise. Officials say the relationship will allow increased flexibility with respect to capital allocation.
“We’re excited to be joining forces with a tech leader who shares our belief that AV technology will change the world,” said GM President Dan Ammann. “We look forward to partnering with SoftBank as we work toward deploying this technology safely and in massive scale.”
“GM has made significant progress toward realizing the dream of completely automated driving to dramatically reduce fatalities, emissions, and congestion,” added Michael Ronen, Managing Partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers. “The GM Cruise approach of a fully integrated hardware and software stack gives it a unique competitive advantage.”
General Motors President Dan Ammann (left) and GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra (right) give SoftBank Investment Advisers Managing Partner Michael Ronen a closer look at the Cruise AV on Wednesday, May 30th, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. Photo: Steve Fecht for General Motors.
The GM and SoftBank Vision Fund investments are expected to provide the necessary capital to reach commercialization at scale, beginning already next year. Earlier this year, GM filed a Safety Petition with the Department of Transportation for its fourth-generation self-driving Cruise AV. The petition says the Cruise AV would be the first production-ready vehicle to operate safely with no driver, steering wheel, pedals, or manual controls.
“We are very impressed by the advances made by the Cruise and GM teams, and are thrilled to help them lead a historic transformation of the automobile industry,” Ronen said.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
Photos & Source: General Motors.

Check out these Automotive tips

http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/softbank-vision-fund-to-invest-over-2-billion-in-gm-cruise/

2019 Acura RDX Hits Dealerships: A Brief Walk Around

2019 Acura RDX Hits Dealerships: A Brief Walk Around The 2019 Acura RDX, which debuted at the New York International Auto Show earlier this year, has landed on the showfloor. This new RDX is the product of an extensive overhaul, being designed and built under Acura’s Precision Crafted Performance mantra. The 2019 RDX features a VTEC Turbo engine, 10-speed transmission, and an available torque vectoring all-wheel drive system.
The A-Spec variant is there for those who want a bit more flash and flare.
Design & Technology
The 2019 RDX is the first to fully encompass Acura’s new exterior and interior design language – diehard fans may remember the Acura Precision Concept and Acura Precision Cockpit – it is, in essence, a combining of those two elements. Acura opted for a more athletic stance, achieved by the longer wheelbase, shortened front overhang, and overall wider track. The brand’s signature diamond pentagon grille is seen as are the NSX-inspired front air curtains.
Authentic brushed aluminum, stainless steel, and Olive Ash wood accents grace the inside to compliment the sport seats and panoramic moonroof. Opt for the Technology Package and the Advance Package and receive a literal boatload of amenities: 16-way power adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, a 10.5-inch full-color heads-up display, birds-eye view camera, and a 16-channel, 710-watt premium audio system among others.
On-board 4GLTE Wi-Fi enables a variety of cloud-based services like emergency roadside assistance, remote locking/unlocking, stolen vehicle tracking, and geofencing. Acura’s True Touchpad Interface combines conventional touchscreen and remote-based approaches from its perch atop the center console.
Photo: Honda North America.
Power & Performance
Every cake has icing and the 2019 Acura RDX is no exception. The icing here is the direct-injected and turbocharged engine under the hood. The 2.0-liter, 16-valve powerplant with its patented DOHC VTEC valvetrain creates 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque. It’s mated to the segment’s only 10-speed automatic transmission and delivers a whopping 40 percent more low-end torque than the outgoing V6.
Where the RDX cake really gets sweet is with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, an available torque vectoring system often written as “SH-AWD.” It’s not the most creative name but we give Acura props for being blunt. SH-AWD does exactly what it says: makes the handling superb.
This next-generation SH-AWD system ups rear-wheel torque capacity 40 percent over the prior model. Now, up to 70 percent of the available torque can be distributed to the rear wheels, and up to 100 percent of that torque can be distributed to either the right-rear or left-rear wheel. This will give drivers a feeling of stability, security, and control.
Available drive modes include Snow, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+, each one changing up the overall dynamics of the vehicle to suit differing road conditions. The drive modes utilize the Drive-by-Wire throttle, transmission, electric power steering, traction and sound control, and if equipped, the SH-AWD system accordingly.
Photo: Honda North America.
Pricing & Manufacturing
The 2019 Acura RDX is available now with a starting MSRP of $38,295. The new RDX was designed at the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, California, developed in Raymond, Ohio, and is manufactured in East Liberty, Ohio.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.
2019 Acura RDX Gallery

Photos & Source: Honda North America.

Check out these Automotive tips

http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/2019-acura-rdx-hits-dealerships-a-brief-walk-around/

2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 8: Letters

2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 8: Letters Tony Borroz opens up what has been dubbed “The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook” for an unedited look at The Greatest Spectacle In Racing. This new series will span the days leading up to and after the 102nd Indianapolis 500. The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook is an unfiltered look and what makes the Indy 500 so alluring in the first place.
The prologue can be found here.
Part 2: “Hey Hinchcliffe, Wanna Race? Then Go Faster!” here.
Part 3: “Carb Day” here.
Part 4: “By This Time Tomorrow” here.
Part 5: “On The Fly – Before The Green Flag” here.
Part 6: “On The Fly – Everything That Matters” here.
Part 7: “A Modest Proposal: The EV 500” here.
One of the things about being a car guy, and I’m sure this comes as no surprise, is that you become the de facto font of all car knowledge at the office, the bar-b-que or wherever. Once this year’s Indy 500 was over, I got a few emails from an old friend of mine, Blaine. We were in punk bands together and have worked off and on in the intervening years on video games and museum designs and a bunch of fun stuff. Blaine’s a great guy, but not what one would call a gearhead. Here’s what he asked:
“TB what was one of the most surprising things about this race, and what was one of the best things?”
Well, it was kind of unsurprising if you gave it some thought.
Hot & Heavy
The known parameters going in were this: completely new aero package that had never been run at these sustained speeds before AND had never been run in traffic. There weren’t many rookies, so that’s a blessing, but really, everyone was very pragmatic for the first 2/3 of the race. On top of the new aero questions, it was also hot as blazes – high 80s – so everything was going to be loose. And that follows through to most of the accidents.
Most people went out by themselves, usually in turns Two or Four; the back end would step out, the better drivers might have half-caught it, but eventually the whole thing let go and spun into one or more walls.
And one of the best things was actually two things.
The first was Alexander Rossi passing two and three-wide on the outside. That was impressive.
And the other was seeing Will Power win the thing. He seemed so relieved. I know this was his 10th try, and in retrospect, I can see it was weighing on him, like an incomplete mark on his school records.
Will Power upon winning the 102nd Indianapolis 500. Photo: Karl Zemlin.
Maybe It’s Time We Shake Up The Monaco Grand Prix?
“TB what do you think about this article? The comments of course are pretty funny, but in the serious world what do you think?”
Okay, here is an immutable fact: Monaco is a terrible place to have a car race. I don’t just mean currently, I mean it has always been a terrible venue to go racing.
That’s what makes it work, the complete batshit craziness of it all.
When he got out of his car after practicing for the first time, then-rookie Nelson Piquet was asked, “Well, what’s it like?”
“What’s it like? It’s like flying a helicopter around your goddamned living room, that’s what it’s like!”
But I get their point . . . did you know they used to race the same car at Indy that they raced on tracks like high school running tracks (1/4 mile crushed clay)? They don’t do that anymore, do they? No, they don’t, and with good reason.
What should they do at Monaco? You got me.

Indy 500 Car Leaves Pits On Fire But Extinguishes It With Speed
One more from Blaine: “The guy on the right with the fuel line is awfully casual about BEING ON FUCKING FIRE!”
Oh yeah, Zach Veach.
He could be a real problem, and I mean a problem of prodigy-esque proportions.
He’s 23-years-old, stands less than 5 foot 4, weighs around 140, and looks like a child:
Zach Veach, Twitter.
Boy Wonder
He is preternaturally fast, has tons of mechanical sympathy, and is as cool under pressure as Neil Armstrong. I am not fucking kidding.
If I was racing against him, I’d be worried.
One of these days I want to go to The 500 with someone who knows absolutely nothing about it. Somehow it makes me notice things I’d otherwise take for granted.
Part 9: “Moving On” concludes the 2018 Indy 500 Notebook and can be found here.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

Check out these Automotive tips

http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/2018-indy-500-notebook-part-8-letters/

2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 7: A Modest Proposal: The EV 500

2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 7: A Modest Proposal: The EV 500 Tony Borroz opens up what has been dubbed “The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook” for an unedited look at The Greatest Spectacle In Racing. This new series will span the days leading up to and after the 102nd Indianapolis 500. The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook is an unfiltered look and what makes the Indy 500 so alluring in the first place.
The prologue can be found here.
Part 2: “Hey Hinchcliffe, Wanna Race? Then Go Faster!” here.
Part 3: “Carb Day” here.
Part 4: “By This Time Tomorrow” here.
Part 5: “On The Fly – Before The Green Flag” here.
Part 6: “On The Fly – Everything That Matters” here.
Do you know why they have the Indianapolis 500 physically in Indianapolis? It’s because, back in the day, Indianapolis was pretty much right in the middle of where U.S. car manufacturing was concentrated. At that time, 1909, there were more than one-hundred independent automotive manufacturers within a certain radius of the middle of Indiana. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built as a test track and then it turned into a race track. And I think it is high time to use it as a test track and a race track simultaneously.
I think we should hold a 500 mile race for electric vehicles.
No. I’m serious.
Photo: IMS LLC.
You want people to drive EVs? Yes, yes we do. Then we have to make them more fun, we have to make them drive farther, and we have to let people know that. Racing is the best way to do both with one swing. Racing improves the breed, right? That being the case, then it’s obvious we should start racing electric vehicles. Yes, we already are. Yeah, I know, Formula E, but who cares? Sprint races on city streets where you have to swap cars due to battery drain? Yawn. They’re just trying to cram existing technology into an entertainment format.
I say go at it the other way around. We already have a pretty entertaining racing format, let’s just have EVs compete in that, it’s the best way to force the electric technology to be practical.
The spec we race under is this:
All EV drivetrain
No battery swapping
1st car to run 500 miles wins
Winner gets a great big pile of money
All EV Drivetrain
No hybrids. No internal combustion engines. It’s got to be batteries and electric motors; as many batteries as you want, as many motors as you want, but they have to be electric.
No Battery Swapping
None. The batteries you start with are the batteries you finish with. Period. You have to go the entire race distance with these batteries, charging and discharging, and recharging them over and over and over again. Figure out a way to do it. If you figure out a way to do that better than your competitors, you’ll win!
1st Car To Run 500 Miles Wins
Simple. No sliding scale, balance of power, index of efficiency type stuff. Just go out and race.
Winner Gets A Great Big Pile of Money
And I mean a great big pile of money. Millions. Many millions. Why? If you dangle a big enough prize out there, the big money will attract big teams and big manufacturers. You get manufacturer involvement, then the technical improvements you gain in racing (longer range batteries, faster recharge times, etc.) will make it into the everyday EVs we can buy.
Set the technological bar stratospherically high, and dare teams and car makers to beat it.
That’s what happened at the first Indy 500 mile race more than a century ago, and look at how it improved the cars we all drive today. Apply that same mindset to electric vehicles, and 10 years from now, we’ll have hot rod EVs to tool around in. Let’s make it happen.
Part 8: “Letters” is forthcoming.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

Check out these Automotive tips

http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/2018-indy-500-notebook-part-7-a-modest-proposal-the-ev-500/

2018 GMC Terrain: Some Anonymity For Not Much Coin

2018 GMC Terrain: Some Anonymity For Not Much Coin

Have you ever noticed how many GM SUVs and vans there are on the road? It seems like the bulk of bigger SUVs are from The General, and it also seems like most municipalities buy GM when it comes to their service vehicles.
If I was one of those rich oligarch guys you see in movies driving a convoy of Ranger Rovers or something else sleek, black, tinted, and flashy, I think I’d go for a fleet of GMCs instead.
Blending In
As much fun as it is to show off what an insufferably rich jerk you are, and how much security you have, there’s another form of security these types are overlooking: Anonymity. You think the CIA and other law enforcement agencies want to stand out? Of course not. That’s why they all seem to tool around in GM SUVs and such, especially in the movies.
So, if you are an oligarch on a budget, or just getting wise to the whole concept of hiding in plain sight, then I’ve got good news for you: GMC just announced the prices for their Terrain line of midsized SUVs, and they are as inexpensive as they are anonymous. When it goes on sale this summer, pricing for the all-new 2018 Terrain will start at $25,970 and end up at a tick above $40k, which is actually pretty reasonable when you think about it.
The 2018 GMC Terrain SLT (left) and Denali (right). Photo: GMC.
Performance Tech
GMC says the all-new Terrain presents greater sophistication and flexibility to adjust to customers’ needs, and that it’s packed with more available features and advanced safety technologies than before. There are three all-new turbocharged engines for the 2018 GMC Terrain too. First off, there’s a 2.0L that will be available from the get go and, later on, customers can order a 1.5L or a 1.6L turbo-diesel. That new 170 horsepower, 1.5L turbo plant is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, meaning things should be smooth from the flats and up long grades.
The diesels of course being the go-to choice for preppers, TEOTWAWKI-types, and doomsday hopefuls.
And it’s not just engines either. There’s a host of standard premium features such as a driver-controllable Traction Select system, LED daytime running lamps as well as taillamps, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a flat-folding front passenger seat. The latter is handy for longer cargo and those runs to the lumber store.
Photo: GMC.

Creature Comforts
The Terrain Denali, which is the full-zoot, all the comfort and convenience features an oligarch could want model, gets a standard 252 horsepower, 2.0L turbo engine along with 19-inch “ultra-bright” machined aluminum wheels. LED headlamps, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel – which will be great in northern winters – and a hands-free power programmable liftgate are included. Yes, that’s my question too: What can you possibly program in a liftgate? Don’t those things live in only one of two states: Open and closed? Well, whatever, you can program this one.
The Terrain Denali also gets a standard 8-inch diagonal infotainment display with navigation, plus a Bose premium seven-speaker audio system for your tunage. There’s a gigantic batch of “connectivity technologies” (as GMC puts it) including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a standard in-vehicle OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. Standard safety features include Side Blind Zone Alert with Lane Change Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Park Assist, and Safety Alert Seat.
2018 GMC Terrain Denali interior. Photo: GMC.
Price Points
Pricing breaks down thusly, with the Terrain SL FWD at $25,970, on up to the SLE Diesel AWD ringing up at $34,315. The high end is, of course, the Terrain Denali that starts at $38,495 for the FWD model and tops out with the Denali AWD at $40,245. Between those two are the Terrain SLT models, with the SLT FWD costing you $32,295 and the SLT Diesel AWD setting you back $36,890.
So there you go, upcoming oligarchs on the move, or soccer moms on a budget: The GMC 2018 Terrain. It works, there’s dealerships all over the place, it’s pretty anonymous but stylish, and reasonably priced.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
2018 GMC Terrain SLT. Photo: GMC.
Photos & Source: GMC.

Check out these Automotive tips

http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/2018-gmc-terrain-some-anonymity-for-not-much-coin/

2017 Honda Civic Type R Sets Nürburgring Lap Record

2017 Honda Civic Type R Sets Nürburgring Lap Record

Okay, three things here: 1) Honda’s latest hotrod Civic, the Type R, set a time on the Nürburgring of 7 minutes 43.80 seconds, which is a very fast time indeed; 2) That is a record time for any front-wheel drive car; 3) Nürburgring records are not to be trusted.
Okay, so maybe number 3 is a bit arch, but there is a growing opinion on racing websites and sites maintained by track-tards of one stripe or another that Nürburgring lap times, especially ones claiming to be “records” are to be considered suspect.
Ring of Fire
The reasons for this suspicion are many, but they all break down to the fact that a time on the ‘Ring is more or less done on the honor system. And in the past, various manufacturers have been rumored to be using special compound, one use tires, and monkeyed up ECUs that were far from factory stock and the like so they could set a quick time and get some free PR for a while. All that said, 7 minutes 43.80 seconds is a really quick time for a lap of the Nürburgring, especially for something with all the handling faults of a front driver.
The new Type R will be launching in two months, so this is a very well timed bit of record setting. At 7 minutes 43.80 seconds, that lap is an advance of nearly 7 seconds over the previous-gen Type R, although Honda graciously points out that was the European market Type R, which was hotter than the North American version. And overall, the new benchmark lap time beat the previous record by over 3 seconds. Naturally there’s a video of the lap, which we have included below.
The 2017 Honda Civic Type R in action on the Nürburgring. Photo: Honda North America.
Power & Performance
Honda chalks up the record, first and foremost, to the new engine in the 2017 Civic Type R. After all, they are called the Honda Motor Company for a reason. Said plant is a 2.0-liter VTEC TURBO engine turning out 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. of torque. Which, let’s face it, is a lot for such a little mill. No specs were given on the amount of boost being produced, but they’ve got to be squeezing the bejeebers out of that little four-banger. It is also worth noting this engine makes the new Civic Type R the most powerful Honda ever sold in America. Also of note, the lump is made right here in the U. S. of A. at Honda’s Anna, Ohio engine plant.
That 2.0-liter VTEC engine is hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission with new, lower gear ratios to improve acceleration, which is what this thing is going to be all about, because something tells me top speed is not going to be stratospheric. Oh, and speaking of outright speed, the new Type R’s aerodynamic package is there to deliver stability and balance.
Weight Reduction & Suspension Tech
Honda says the all-new Civic Type R is over 35 lbs. lighter than the previous-generation model, again from the European market, which are lighter than “ours” anyway. Honda does not say what the all up weight is, which is a pity, and also makes me wonder even more about that lap time.
The new Type R, has an all-new multi-link rear suspension for enhanced stability under braking and for reducing the total roll movement. This makes for further late braking into corners and helps to achieve higher cornering speeds during the lap. Again, obviously focusing on the car’s strengths – braking, cornering, and acceleration – since it’s not going to top out like a McLaren. The new Type R features a wider track and tires and a longer wheelbase, with that new multi-link suspension out back. The new R also boasts a 38 percent gain in torsional stiffness.
“The cornering speed achieved in the new Type R is higher because the car features a wider track and tires, a longer wheelbase, a new multi-link suspension in the rear, and optimized aerodynamics that improve stability,” said Ryuichi Kijima, Lead Chassis Engineer. “With improved cornering performance, we can increase the speed throughout the lap, helping the new Type R to achieve a much quicker lap time.” Photo: Honda North America.

Caveats & Quickness
And speaking of equivocating and hedging of ones bets and raising of eyebrows, check this out from Honda’s press release: “The pre-production development Civic Type R that achieved the lap time was technically representative of production specification. A full floating roll cage was installed for safety reasons, but did not provide any additional rigidity to the body frame. The extra weight of the cage was compensated for by the removal of the Display Audio system and rear seats. The car was using street legal, track-focused tires.”
Let me just break that down a little: “Pre-production development” sure, but that’s not the same as “production” is it? “Technically representative” Really? That doesn’t sound like a loophole you could drive a track record through, nope. “Full floating roll cage . . . did not provide any additional rigidity.” Horse manure! “The removal of the Display Audio system and rear seats,” which weigh how much, in total in comparison to the weight of a full roll cage? And my personal favorite: “street legal, track-focused tires.” If I have to explain why that last one is just as big of a loophole as “technically representative” . . .
Anyway, those cavernous caveats aside: 7 minutes 43.80 seconds. That’s quick. Real quick. Dial up your own Type R in Forza on your Xbox and see if you can hit those marks, because I couldn’t.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photos, Video & Source: Honda North America.

Check out these Automotive tips

http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/2017-honda-civic-type-r-sets-nurburgring-lap-record/