HarleyEarl

The turbocharger turns 100 years old this week The turbocharger , which has dominated the development of the internal combustion engine for the last 30 years, turned 100 years old this week. On 16 November 1905 Swiss engineer Dr. Alfred Buchi received patent No. 204630 from the Imperial Patent Office of the German Reich for a machine consisting of a compressor (turbine compressor), a piston engine, and a turbine in sequential arrangement. Porsche chose the occassion to introduce its very latest take on the turbocharger, this time with variable turbine geometry (VTG). This extensive article covers the development and major achievements of the turbocharger and the new VTG technology which realises even more efficiency, resulting in a significant improvement of engine flexibility and acceleration particularly at low engine speeds. In introducing the new 911 model some 31 years after it gave us the first series production sports car with an exhaust gas turbocharger (the 1974 Porsche 911 Turbo), Porsche will be presenting the world's first turbocharged gasoline engine with variable turbine geometry (VTG). The core features of VTG are the variable turbine blades guiding the flow of exhaust gas from the engine in exactly the direction required on to the turbine wheel of the exhaust gas turbocharger. The principle of variable turbine geometry thus combines the benefits of a small and large exhaust gas turbocharger all in one, with the combination ensuring both very good response and high torque at low engine speeds as well as superior output and high performance at high speeds. And the supreme level of torque is now maintained consistently throughout a much wider speed range. (gizmag)

Volkswagen developing coupe-style Passat to battle Mercedes CLS AUTOMOBILEWOCHE Posted Date: 11/21/05 WOLFSBURG, Germany -- Volkswagen AG is developing a coupe-style Passat that the automaker hopes will attract Mercedes-Benz customers. The unnamed four-door coupe, code-named the CC, will be launched in early 2008. It will be assembled at the Emden factory in northern Germany. VW hopes the coupe will compete against the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The base Mercedes CLS 500, powered by a 302-hp V-8, is priced at $65,675, including destination, in the United States. A VW executive said the Passat will beat the Mercedes significantly on price. To hold down costs, VW will use key modules from the Passat sedan and station wagon. The coupe's base engines will be a 140-hp diesel and a 150-hp gasoline engine, but a range-topping 3.6-liter, 280-hp engine will be available. -HENNING KROGH

The Ferrari F430, brutally gorgeous...

The Porsche Boxster...gorgeous.

What can I say...I love the Corvette!

I love the way this car looks....very crisp.....nice stance. It's for the South American market. New Chevrolet Vectra Limousine

You know what Flybrian....just the final straw.....remove my registration from this site. I'm done.

..seems the only one bent out of shape is you.....so calm down.

I love it!.....but it's way too literal...almost carbon copy of the original.

I hear ya 68....something profoundly sad about these very American industries, disappearing... they have become so much a part of the American culture...when they're gone, they are gone forever...I hate it.

Razor, too funny!...you Woody Wood Pecker. There is much disdain for the wood vinyl on station wagons of the past. But you have to consider the tastes of the time....it was something people wanted in those times. I like the look of an American wagon with wood vinyl sides, whitewalls and spoke wheelcovers....there is something strangely comforting about that look...everything is alright with the world. I like that.

Wouldn't it be neat if they completely covered a car in soft touch vinyl?!!....I'm getting aroused again.

I see the last generation Aurora fairly often, it still looks good. Only thing I would have changed on that car are those red lights in the rear bumper...they have no shape...just blobs of red plastic. Otherwise I love that car...beautiful interior.

...so maybe Chev and Ford should bring back pickup cars?

I always liked the 2002 also.....I think BMW has strayed too far from that elemental sports sedan tradition. It was so pure in it's intent.

Automakers catering to aging baby boomers By Jeremy Cato So, you are a well-educated professional, perhaps in your 40s, but more likely in your 50s, and you want some luxury in your transportation. The world, as they say, is your oyster. Automakers have discovered – rediscovered? – 50-something buyers, and there are a lot of ‘em. So automakers are introducing a nice array of new models for aging baby boomers, all the while keeping in mind that old auto industry axiom: you can sell a young man's car to an old man, but you can't sell an old man's car to a young man. Well, "young" is a relative term here. By "young" we're referring to people who are at least two or three decades away from falling off the edge of the demographic table -- to borrow a line from General Motors vice-chairman Bob Lutz. Many of these buyers might be very interested in cars like the Toyota Avalon, the Buick Lucerne and the Cadillac DTS. Naturally these big, soft-riding cars hold absolutely no appeal to the kind of people who listen to Stop Die Resuscitate on their iPods. In fact, if you know their song Bad Night, if you're a fan of The High Dials and Girl + The Machine, you might as well stop reading right now. You're too young and probably too poor to be interested in any of these traditional upscale sedans. But if you grew up listening to Led Zeppelin riffs, overlooked that achy back to attend 60-something Paul McCartney's recent concert in Toronto and plan on taking in the Eagles final (yeah, sure!) concert gig, then carry on. 2006 Toyota Avalon. Photo: Bill Petro, Toyota Canada. Click image to enlarge Automakers say they understand that many buyers in the 50-plus range are very careful with their money, though they have quite a bit of it and they're willing to spend some of it on a car with loads of creature comforts, a somewhat softer ride and styling that doesn't scream "retirement village." They also know that despite a culture seemingly obsessed with youth or at least staying young, buyers 50 and older account for more than half of all passenger car sales in North America. Buyers more than 60 years old buy about one-quarter of all new cars in Canada and the United States combined. That's clout. Toyota's "affordable" luxury car for these buyers is the Avalon. It has reclining rear seats and "puddle lamps" that activate as the driver approaches so you won't dip a Florsheim into a puddle. Then there are the rear doors that open to almost right angles, compared with the 75-degrees of most vehicles. That makes it easier for middle-age folks to enter and exit the car. People like demographer David Foot have also noted that this age of buyer is very social, so Toyota redesigned the exhaust system to get rid of almost the entire hump down the centre of the floor. Being hump-less is better for carrying friends in back. And don't forget that big boost in horsepower, to a whopping 280. With prices ranging from $39,900-$46,825, the Avalon is a subtle luxury car with a manageable price tag for the right type of buyer. 2006 Buick Lucerne. Photo: General Motors. Click image to enlarge Among the Detroit-based automakers, General Motors, like Toyota, has seen the possibilities in the 50-something set, and is leading the charge among North American-based automakers. Most particularly through its Buick division. Buick sedan owners average more than 60 years of age, but Buick wants to add more 50-somethings into the mix. So Buick has introduced the new Lucerne which replaces the LeSabre in Buick showrooms. The Lucerne ($33,355-$42,685) features an available 245-watt, nine-speaker sound system that can hook up to an MP3 player. It also offers a V8 engine with 275 horsepower – the first Buick car to offer a V-8 in a decade. To give that extra level of comfort for older consumers, the Lucerne has GM's "QuietTuning" to help block out wind and engine noise. For safety six air bags are standard. And there is even a parking-assistance feature that warns drivers if they get too close to something. On the "little luxury" side of the equation, the Lucerne's windshield wipers are dead quiet and are available with heated washer fluid. 2006 Hyundai Azera. Photo: Greg Wilson, CanadianDriver. Click image to enlarge Another new vehicle in this category is the Hyundai Azera, which replaces the little-known XG350. The Azera is a roomy, stylish luxury sedan with a quiet, comfortable ride, eight standard airbags, a powerful new 263 horsepower 3.8-litre V6 engine, and a reasonable price-tag ranging from $34,495 to $37,495. Finally, for slightly richer buyers, Cadillac has the DTS, an upgraded version of the former DeVille. With a price range estimated to start in the low-$50,000s, stretching to the low-$60,000s, the DTS takes its name from the high-performance model in the old DeVille line-up. The basic mechanical bits and pieces underneath are about the same, but the styling inside and out is more in line with the rest of Cadillac's jazzy looking line-up. 2006 Cadillac DTS. Photo: General Motors. Click image to enlarge Cadillac has redrawn the DTS to pull in some of those 50-something buyers, without alienating older buyers, not to mention the many limousine companies which use these big sedans to pick people up from the airport. Power comes from two versions of the same 4.6-litre V8 in the Lucerne. One version is rated at 275 hp, the other 291 hp. Cadillac designers brought their now-common brand design features to the DTS in a slightly more subdued way than, say, with the Cadillac XLR roadster. The DTS does have the vertically stacked headlights and an egg-crate grille, but the overall package has been toned down. Inside, there has also been a makeover. At first glance the wood-and-leather ambience looks pretty traditional, but the details, fit and finish are far superior to the old DeVille's. The "zebrano" wood treatment has been turfed in favour of burled walnut and the dated digital speedometer has been replaced by a modern-looking analog gauge. Naturally, the DTS offers six-person seating, though a five-passenger model with front bucket seats is standard. All four of these cars are after the same sorts of buyers, though in the case of the DTS the target is the wealthiest of the bunch. Ah, to be 50-something, with a full wallet and looking for a new car.

Cataloging the Past: BMW Mobile Tradition builds an “original” 2002tii from its own parts book MATT DAVIS Posted Date: 11/18/05 BMW has worked for more than a generation developing its “Ultimate Driving Machine” reputation. In 1959 its three-box body cars were the ones to have, and today the potent V10 M5 sedan carries on the tradition. Back then, though, the most sought after by enthusiasts was the 2002tii, whose designation means “Touring International (with) Injection.” Of some 39,000 2002tiis sold between 1971 and 1975, 7500 came to the States between August 1971 and December 1974. As you read this, BMW Mobile Tradition (the vintage caretakers of the marque) in Munich is holding a kind of living exhibit in its temporary museum facility. A huge new museum nearby should be completed by mid-2006. Here you can watch two craftsmen build a “1973 tii” from the tires up, using the Mobile Tradition’s catalogue of original parts. Part publicity stunt, part marque preservation, the effort demonstrates that you can order practically any original part for your project Bimmer—nearly 90 percent of all 2002 parts are available. Not only is this a cool show, the completed car will be auctioned for charity in the spring. On this project car, mechanics used an available 1974 body-in-white, and opted to modify it. They cut the ’74 rear trunk panel (with rectangular taillight sections) and replaced it with the classic, smaller, circular ’73 taillights. With perfect welds beneath new-original Colorado orange paint, who could have noticed the switch-out had chief mechanic Arthur Heimann not pointed it out? This tii comes with an optional five-speed ZF manual gearbox and standard Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection system. These account for added performance from the longitudinal 2.0-liter four-cylinder. This setup puts horsepower at 140 at 5800 rpm, torque at 130 lb-ft at 4500 rpm and a 0-to-60-mph time of 9.3 seconds. On one hand, yes, this means you could do all this work at home yourself. On the other, you might choose to have a new catalog car built, but “…it’s not terribly practical in and of itself,” Heimann said. “I’d estimate [cost at] roughly e 80,000 ($97,000).”

Anything can be made cool again, if done right....even vinyl roofs. When interpreted in a new way, a newer generation see's it very differently. Bring on the vinyl roofs and big honkin' wheels and tape treatments....maybe pinstriping will make a comeback!

Exactly. Well said.

Very interesting they are still making VW pickups. Another thing I learned on C&G.

Don't you love people's sense of fun...love that!

Yes, but what about the VW Rabbit pickup?!.....VW Caddy ]

Buick will not even be remotely on the younger radar screens....I worry that Buick will never be able to turn around it's senior citizen image. The Lucerne will not change those perceptions. I predict you will see older people driving that car. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Autosinsider.com Sneak Peek 2007 Chery Crossover By Paul Lienert / Special to The Detroit News Chinese automaker Chery first unveiled a concept crossover vehicle at the 2004 Beijing show and followed up earlier this year with a production-ready concept at the Shanghai show. Now, as the company prepares to bring its first products to the United States in 2007, it is testing prototypes of the crossover vehicle, which is known by its internal program code, B14. Aimed at the Chrysler Pacifica and similar family haulers, the Chery crossover will seat up to seven passengers and will be powered by a family of four-cylinder and V-6 engines. Chery wants to price its crossover under $20,000.

Paying tribute to General Motors About 15 new GM vehicles are parked at the press conference site. By DAVID SKOLNICK CITY HALL REPORTER YOUNGSTOWN — Officials with the city, convocation center and General Motors Corp. will announce an agreement today to name the facility in honor of the automotive company, according to various sources. Most sources say the new downtown arena will be called the Chevrolet Center, in honor of the Chevrolet Cobalt produced at the Lordstown GM complex, with a few saying it would be a variation of that name. One source said the center's logo would feature the Chevrolet bow-tie trademark. City, center and GM officials declined Wednesday to confirm the deal or the facility's new name because of a confidentiality agreement to wait until today's press conference to disclose that information. GM workers at the automotive company's Lordstown plant were told Wednesday about the naming rights. Tom Mock, Lordstown GM spokesman, confirmed that local company management talked to workers Wednesday about an issue of interest, but he declined to disclose information about the discussions. Also, Jim Graham, president of the United Auto Workers Local 1112 at the facility's assembly complex, declined to discuss the issue. But Mock and Graham said they were to attend this morning's press conference at the convocation center. Press conference The city issued a press release Wednesday inviting city officials, the press and others to the center today for "an important press conference" about the facility. About 15 new GM vehicles, including Cobalts, were parked Wednesday in front of the center, where the press conference was to be held. The vehicles had dealer plates and factory stickers. The financial arrangement for the naming rights couldn't be confirmed Wednesday. The center's management firm had budgeted $1 million to be paid by the sponsor to the center over five years for the facility's naming rights. In late 2004, city and center officials said an announcement on naming rights was imminent, but none came. City and center officials spent months negotiating with various companies about the facility's naming rights. By this past summer, city and center officials were in talks with DaimlerChrysler and KeyBank with GM interested, but not as much as the two other companies, sources say. A program at a recent event at the facility incorrectly stated it would be named after various DaimlerChrysler divisions including Dodge and Jeep. Center officials had tentatively scheduled a press conference about two months ago to announce the naming rights, but canceled it. Sources didn't know what brought GM back to the negotiating table and to eventually outbid the two other companies, but that was the reason the press conference was canceled. In the dark Today's announcement was so hush-hush that city council members weren't given information about it. Councilman Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st, whose ward includes the center, and Councilwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti, D-4th, said they were asked by city administration officials to show up today at the center for a big announcement. "I think it's definitely about naming rights, but they wouldn't even tell me that," Rimedio-Righetti said. Finance Director David Bozanich, the city's point person on the naming rights, refused Wednesday to even acknowledge that the press conference was about the facility's naming rights. The center opened last month, and the facility's construction cost is estimated at $45.38 million. A final construction cost of the center won't be available until December.