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Source: http://melaju.com/2011-irmscher-opel-astra-gtc-highlight-and-picture
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The Germans from Audi decided to revise the 1.8-liter TFSI engine in the range in order to obtain better performance figures but also improved fuel efficiency. The reworked TFSI engine has been revealed in the same time with the new Audi A5, the facelift version to be more precise.
The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine is now able to develop 170 horsepower at 3,800 rpm and 320 Nm of torque from 1,400 to 3,700 rpm. This means that the German engineers managed to add extra 10 horses and 70 Nm of torque to the standard unit. With these improvements, Audi claims that the engine respects the Euro 6 regulations while despite the increased horsepower amount, it manages to return a fuel consumption improved by 21%.
According to the official details, the new 1.8-liter TFSI unit returns a fuel economy of 5,7 liters/100 km and is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7,9 seconds while being used on the A5 Coupe. The top speed of this engine with the same model is 230 km/h while the four-cylinder unit is now 3,5 kilograms lighter to a total of 131,5 kilograms.
“The engines in the updated A5 family set new standards for sportiness and efficiency. Even the base engine, the completely redesigned 1.8 TFSI, showcases the full extent of Audi's technological competence. The engineers have developed innovative solutions in numerous fields of technology to achieve surprisingly strong performance with minimal fuel consumption,” says Audi.
The German engineers also increased the rail pressure from 150 to 200 bar while the direct injection system is set to be active only at start and at higher loads. Audi also claims that besides the normal FSI direct injection system, a new indirect injection is used in the part-load range in order to reduce fuel consumption and emissions and help the engine to meet the Euro 6 requirements.
A new fully electronic coolant regulation system with rotating cores is also an important feature of the new engine, this system keeping the right temperature of the four-cylinder unit for optimum performance. Even the Euro 6 requirements will be mandatory starting 2015, Audi already starts revising their engines to fit the upcoming regulations.
Rikk 06 Aug, 2011There’s exciting news out there but then there’s stuff like this, recalls, problems and warnings from manufacturers or the NHTSA regarding the danger of owning or driving certain cars.
Honda products have a general reputation for being reliable, incredibly easy to use and generally foolproof. Not this time though, quite a sizable number of them will be tested for a serious problem.
Apparently there’s a decent amount of larger Honda vehicles that will need some checkups done to their transmissions, particularly the automatic ones.
Affected models from Honda include the 2005-2010 Accord only the four-cylinder ones though, the 2007-2010 CR-V and the 2005-2008 Element.
Quite the varied situation it would seem but actually it’s exactly the same sort of automatic transmission and the problem is related to a weakness it has.
I would say that the weakness is to be found in the driver and wrongful usage of the automatic as owners rush between Reverse, Neutral and Drive and eventually damage the secondary transmission shaft.
My estimates would be that it’s not really the responsibility of the car maker but that’s not stopping the NHTSA from baring down on Honda.
In all fairness, automatic gearboxes get this sort of abuse from owners not because they don’t know what’s going on with their cars but because it’s very difficult to get a car that’s equipped this way out of mud or snow.
Anyway, it seems like the problem would see owners have the surprise of engine stalls or some difficulty when trying to put the vehicle in Park.
While Honda’s situation isn’t very pleasant courtesy of this recall, the transmission’s control module software will be updated to ease transition between the gears.
That means that once the modification is done, there’s less of a chance to damage the aforementioned automatic gearboxes in any future situations.
Sounds a bit weird, but it’s what’s going on and Honda dealers will have a lot of trouble getting through all the work they have with the shocking number of affected cars.
The total number of Hondas about to be recalled is 2.26 million units with most of them being sold in the United States.
That’s where 1.5 million are found and that’s probably why Honda will not start calling in owners until the 31st of August with the recalled beginning just a few days past that point.
Rikk 06 Aug, 2011The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK gets a serious tuning package from a company which already is famous for their appetite to prepare models from the Stuttgart-based manufacturer. The new German roadster benefits from a bunch of styling improvements along some performance upgrades able to improve a bit the figures.
The specialists from Brabus decided to create an aerodynamic kit for the new SLK which include side sills, a rear diffuser, boot lid spoiler and a front bumper. The exterior appearance is also improved by a new set of alloy wheels with dimensions ranging from 17 to 20 inches.
Brabus also offers three tire choices, Pirelli, YOKOHAMA and Continental with dimensions of 235/30 ZR 20 (front) and 275/25 ZR 20 (back). At the interior, the German tuners provide new leather upholstery along aluminum pedals and stainless-steel scuff plates.
On the other hand, there are few performance stages for the new Mercedes SLK, the first one adding 26 horsepower and 30 Nm of torque to the SLK 200 BlueEFFICIENCY model. The Mercedes SLK 250 BlueEFFICIENCY is tweaked to develop 230 horsepower over the stock 204, while the second package squeezes 240 horses and 370 Nm of torque.
The additional power will make the model able to reach 100 km/h from scratch in 6,2 seconds and a top speed of 248 km/h. Even these figures are not quite impressive, Brabus claims that they are currently working on some more serious performance upgrades.
Brabus’ offerings end with a new sport suspension able to lower the ground clearance by up to 30 mm while a new braking system along a quad-pipe stainless-steel exhaust systems are available too. Official pricing is not available yet but getting in touch with the company will bring you all the details you need.
“Professional tuning und exclusive refinement for the latest Mercedes-Benz SLK: The customization program from BRABUS comprises performance tuning for gasoline and Diesel engines, sporty yet elegant body components, one-piece or multi-piece alloy wheels with corresponding suspension modifications and exclusive interior updates,” this is how they describe the tuning kit.
Rikk 06 Aug, 2011A few years ago the Jeep Grand Cherokee got a respectable facelift in the form of the WK Series and despite the pretty improper conditions around the world they came up with a high performance version.
Maybe that was part of the problem, anyway, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 struck a cord with a few of the tuning crowds, particularly with the Bulgarians at Vilner.
Vilner came basically out of nowhere and produced the Grand Cherokee SRT600 just under a year ago and it was met with great response from the public.
Somewhat capitalizing on their success, the Bulgarian tuner decided to refresh their SRT600 and brush up on the weakest link it had.
Well, weak isn’t the best description but let’s say it was a place where more work could be done, I’m talking about the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s interior.
Even with the considerably improved factory interior finish and the updates Vilner previously did, it wasn’t the best place to be.
If I’m honest, it’s not the best thing Vilner could have done with the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT600′s innards as far as the color scheme is concerned but the materials are as fine as they can be in this situation.
According to Vilner, the red and black stuff is Alcantara, the seams are now part of the ornamental decor and somehow, they’ve made the steering wheel really special.
Vilner’s Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT600 gets a very fine detailed interior and everything but making the steering wheel a center piece really sounds like they’ve been focusing more and more on the driving rather than the showing off of this crazy fast SUV.
The basic structure was remodeled to ensure the best ever grip while being as comfortable as ever for the driver of their SRT 600 and it was then covered in Alcantara and perforated leather.
Really, when it comes to the steering wheel, what more could you want?
On top of these pretty tasty finishes, the Bulgarians at Vilner didn’t really do much to the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT600 and that’s okay.
Mostly because the Hennessey perfected 6.1 liter Hemi V8 engine uses a Vortech turbocharger system to push out the number of horsepower that is part of the title. It is 600 and even in a big heavy car like the Grand Cherokee it’s substantial enough to feel like you’re in a Lotus Elise.
Other considerable parts of the refreshing Vilner gave their Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT600 a new light system, one that includes a vast array of new lenses and LEDs.
Lupica G. 06 Aug, 2011