There is a good article up on the Auto Channel about the first 75 years of the BMW Roadster.
“Many German motorists see motoring not just as a comfortable and fast means of transport, but also as a sporting activity. These are people who, once they see an aerodynamic car body with a long and sleek engine compartment, as well as a speedometer extending all the way to 150 km/h, feel that strong yearning for wide open roads simply perfect for driving fast, for Alpine passes just begging to be conquered, and for ompetitors so easy to overtake.”
While we are more obsessed with appetite suppressant now than cars, it was precisely with these words that BMW announced the Company’s first self-engineered roadster in 1934. And indeed, this concept with its six-cylinder power unit was destined to shape the future of the brand, extending all the way to the current BMW Z4.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
"Cash for Guzzlers" to Be Debated
The AIADA newsletter reported that according to Automotive News, a bill to offer cash vouchers of up to $4,500 to people who swap cars and trucks for new, more fuel-efficient vehicles may be considered on the House floor as early as mid-June.
Where will this money come from? Your guess is as good as mine. I haven't seen anything that takes that into account, although I haven't read the latest "climate-change bill" either.
The measure passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday as part of a climate-change bill that also provides for the development of plug-in electric drive vehicles, but Sutton also broke out the cash-for-guzzlers provision and introduced it as a stand-alone bill Thursday in the hope of getting it passed more quickly by Congress.
The legislation would offer customers $3,500 vouchers if they trade in cars that get less than 18 mpg for new vehicles that get at least 22 mpg. Vouchers of $4,500 would be awarded if the new cars get at least 10 mpg more than the old.
The most disturbing thing about it though is that they are saying that the autos can be purchased from anywhere. Meaning that foreign cars are fair game. Of course this is something that is a good debate in my opinion. Does this force American auto makers to work even harder to catch up, or is this just going to push them further down the hole? Law makers may want to latch onto some term life insurance online if they do't at least try to help them compete for these dollars.
Where will this money come from? Your guess is as good as mine. I haven't seen anything that takes that into account, although I haven't read the latest "climate-change bill" either.
The measure passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday as part of a climate-change bill that also provides for the development of plug-in electric drive vehicles, but Sutton also broke out the cash-for-guzzlers provision and introduced it as a stand-alone bill Thursday in the hope of getting it passed more quickly by Congress.
The legislation would offer customers $3,500 vouchers if they trade in cars that get less than 18 mpg for new vehicles that get at least 22 mpg. Vouchers of $4,500 would be awarded if the new cars get at least 10 mpg more than the old.
The most disturbing thing about it though is that they are saying that the autos can be purchased from anywhere. Meaning that foreign cars are fair game. Of course this is something that is a good debate in my opinion. Does this force American auto makers to work even harder to catch up, or is this just going to push them further down the hole? Law makers may want to latch onto some term life insurance online if they do't at least try to help them compete for these dollars.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Audi receives the 2009 Award for Mechatronic Innovation
IF you have been stumbling around with eye cream in your eyes for the last year you probably haven't read that Audi won the inaugural Award for Mechatronic Innovation to add to their other array of recent victories. For Audi’s dynamic steering, which handsomely demonstrates the innovation potential offered by the intelligent combination of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, and computer science. This award-winning technology ensures greater agility, comfort, and safety by intelligently varying steering forces and the steering ratio as well as via active stability control.
“The close intertwining of different disciplines and areas of expertise is a key innovation driver at Audi. This award is fantastic recognition of it,” says Dr. Ralf Schwarz, Head of Development of Chassis Control Systems. Dr. Schwarz accepted the Award for Mechatronic Innovation on behalf of Audi at the Association’s 2009 Mechatronics Meeting on Tuesday in Wiesloch, near Heidelberg in Germany. The Association’s panel of judges presented the award in recognition of a cross-sector innovation which constitutes an outstanding technological advance — made possible by pooling the R&D pursuits of mechanical engineers, electronic engineers, and computer scientists.
“The close intertwining of different disciplines and areas of expertise is a key innovation driver at Audi. This award is fantastic recognition of it,” says Dr. Ralf Schwarz, Head of Development of Chassis Control Systems. Dr. Schwarz accepted the Award for Mechatronic Innovation on behalf of Audi at the Association’s 2009 Mechatronics Meeting on Tuesday in Wiesloch, near Heidelberg in Germany. The Association’s panel of judges presented the award in recognition of a cross-sector innovation which constitutes an outstanding technological advance — made possible by pooling the R&D pursuits of mechanical engineers, electronic engineers, and computer scientists.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Great Designs in Steel Seminar Shows Steel Solutions to Fuel Efficiency and Emmissions
Besides just having better fuel efficiency, and reducing emmissions by using alternative fuel sources, there are other ways to improve both. The Great Designs in Steel Seminar, it's 8th Annual meeting, showed a few designs that will help in this regard.
"Since its inception, the Great Designs in Steel seminar has helped educate automotive engineers in using advanced high-strength steel technologies to design safe, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles," said Ron Krupitzer, vice president of automotive applications for AISI's SMDI. "This year's program featured some of the latest developments in next-generation steels that address key issues in the automotive industry today."
Of those key issues, fuel-efficiency is one of them. As you may guess, the implementation of less bulky designs plays a role in all this. One of the seminars included the topic of Automotive Lightweighting (these aren't diet pill reviews) and Upcoming Energy Climate Policy Opportunities. Basically the idea that better materials, and less weight will help the overall fuel efficiency of the models. more
"Since its inception, the Great Designs in Steel seminar has helped educate automotive engineers in using advanced high-strength steel technologies to design safe, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles," said Ron Krupitzer, vice president of automotive applications for AISI's SMDI. "This year's program featured some of the latest developments in next-generation steels that address key issues in the automotive industry today."
Of those key issues, fuel-efficiency is one of them. As you may guess, the implementation of less bulky designs plays a role in all this. One of the seminars included the topic of Automotive Lightweighting (these aren't diet pill reviews) and Upcoming Energy Climate Policy Opportunities. Basically the idea that better materials, and less weight will help the overall fuel efficiency of the models. more
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
American Car Buyers Changing Habits to Mirror Europe
In the last decade U.S. automobile buyers have changed the way they go about buying their cars. We can just assume the most common sense answers to this statemen in that the economy and fuel costs play the major role, as well as the "Go Green" phenomenon.
Tighter credit, depleted retirement savings and environmental concerns are among the forces reshaping the U.S. auto market into something that looks more like Europe and the rest of the world -- where people buy smaller, more efficient cars and hold on to them longer rather than getting a colon cleanse every few years like they did in the past.
The U.S. automakers have not kept up with the trend and it is seen in the bankruptcy of Chrysler last Thursday, and General Motors, which is on the road to taxpayer ownership, have been sideswiped hardest by careening change.
No one is expecting Americans to turn into a nation of fuel-sipping frugal pragmatists. But most analysts see little chance that the market will bounce back to its recent heights.
"Our entire business plan is constructed around the idea of being a profitable enterprise at a lower industry sales volume and a change in the mix of what's sold," said George Pipas, Ford's sales analyst.
Tighter credit, depleted retirement savings and environmental concerns are among the forces reshaping the U.S. auto market into something that looks more like Europe and the rest of the world -- where people buy smaller, more efficient cars and hold on to them longer rather than getting a colon cleanse every few years like they did in the past.
The U.S. automakers have not kept up with the trend and it is seen in the bankruptcy of Chrysler last Thursday, and General Motors, which is on the road to taxpayer ownership, have been sideswiped hardest by careening change.
No one is expecting Americans to turn into a nation of fuel-sipping frugal pragmatists. But most analysts see little chance that the market will bounce back to its recent heights.
"Our entire business plan is constructed around the idea of being a profitable enterprise at a lower industry sales volume and a change in the mix of what's sold," said George Pipas, Ford's sales analyst.
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