Action Car: July 2010

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Best Of Cars Wallpapers I Rinspeed UC Concept

Rinspeed UC Concept Rear Angle

Rinspeed UC Concept Train

Rinspeed UC Concept Dashboard

Rinspeed UC Concept Charging

Rinspeed UC Concept

Categories: Rinspeed UC Concept
Tags: Rinspeed UC Concept Urban Commuter 2010 Electric Vehicle European Geneva Motor Show
Description: Rinspeed combines Cars, Trains and the Web in a New Mobility Concept - "UC?" - Clever High-Tech Bubble with Electric Drive Filled with emotions and new ideas - that is the signature feature of the concept cars from Swiss car visionary Frank M. Rinderknecht that have added colorful bright spots to the Geneva Motor Show for many years. Rinspeed boss Rinderknecht always has a surprise up his sleeve and this year is no different. Once again he does what nobody would have expected from the whiz kid known in the past for his affinity for powerful machines: He's building a subcompact car. But that's not all: For the first time in the long history of its concept cars the Swiss automobile and concept powerhouse has developed not just a vehicle but an entire mobility concept. The cute two-seater with electric drive is aptly called the "UC?" which stands for "Urban Commuter." But the biggest surprise is that the "UC?" was designed to be ready for future series production. The little speedster measures less than 2.60 meters in length and is intended to help avoid gridlock in the inner cities. At the same time an advanced railcar loading system will add the option to cover long distances by train, comfortable, without traffic jams and stress-free. The goal is to create a new mobility concept that integrates individual car ownership and public transportation. A transverse loading system using custom railcars allows loading and unloading of numerous "UC?" vehicles simultaneously and in a very short time. Train passages are booked and reserved online directly from the vehicle. Harman International provides the permanent 3G internet connection as well as marvelous sound on wheels. VoIP2Car technology provides IP telephone service, video chat, video conferences, e-mail and many more features in the "UC?". Integrated charging stations on board the custom railcars ensure that upon arrival at the destination the "UC?" battery is once again fully charged for maximum operating range. During the train trip drivers can visit the train restaurant, use any of the other train amenities or spend time in the privacy of their cars. With this mobility concept Rinspeed elegantly circumvents the obstacle of limited operating range that so far has kept many interested parties from switching to zero-emission vehicles. As Frank M. Rinderknecht sees it: "I can make more efficient use of my time than spending it driving on a boring highway. I'd rather visit the train restaurant or retreat to work in my car." The Swiss visionary is already in discussions with international railroad companies about his new mobility concept. (Source: Rinspeed)

Inspected a Mercedes-Benz 600

Inspected a Mercedes-Benz 600 (short-wheelbase version - SWB) in royal blue and its up for sale at a princely sum of RM400,000. The car is on display at Meguiars on Jalan Templar. According to certain tell-tale sticker on the windscreen, the car has been detailed by Darren of Autodetailer hehe. These are rare cars since only 2,190 SWB units were built - accounting for 82% of total production for all variants (2,677).

"The Mercedes-Benz 600 was a large luxury automobile, intended to represent the absolute pinnacle of automotive engineering. When introduced in September, 1963, it had few competitors, except Rolls-Royce, the Cadillac Fleetwood 75, the stretched Lehmann-Peterson Lincoln and the Crown Imperial Ghia. It was also at this time the most expensive car in the world. Generally intended to be a chauffeur-driven vehicle many 600s featured a central divider incorporating a power window between the front and rear compartments" .

"The 600 was so heavy that the largest engine of Mercedes at that time, the 6-cylinder 300, was inadequate. Instead a new engine with more than twice the capacity was specially developed to move the vehicle and its hydraulically powered amenities, the massive 6.3L V8 "M100" engine with single overhead camshafts, and Bosch mechanical fuel injection" [Wikipedia].

Nothing needs to be done to it. Owner has painstakingly restored the car, like ordering two rolls of cream leather from Mercedes Germany to reupholster the seats and sending the interior wood fittings refurbished in Australia. The only thing that needs to be done is to rechrome a few exterior parts.

The car is so over-engineered that its not funny. The hydraulics (doors, boot), the suspension, the truly amazing seats, the way it drives - I can understand why it was the Maybach of its day - hence all those famous owners that ranged from royalty, to movie stars, all the way down to petty dictators (and even Jeremy Clarkson hahaha)! Like it was back then, its not a cheap car own - the hubcaps alone cost 3,000 euros to replace!

"Apart from the Pope and governments, famous owners of the 600 include celebrities such as Coco Chanel, Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, George Harrison, Jay Kay, Aristotle Onassis, Jack Nicholson, Simon Spies, Bob Jane, Frank Packer, Elvis Presley, Rowan Atkinson, and Jeremy Clarkson[2], Communist leaders include Nicolae Ceauşescu, Josip Broz-Tito, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Enver Hoxha, Leonid Brezhnev, Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-Il also owns a landaulet (as seen on a parade in Pyongyang with Chinese prime minister, Oct. 2009) and religious leader Guru Maharaj Ji. African revolutionaries Idi Amin Dada, Jomo Kenyatta and the former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos had four 600s including a Landaulet, a 1981 bulletproof and a six-door version. Iran royal court and Iran's Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi owned multiple 600 models that were used for official and personal use of the late Shah and his court. Some of them were sold after the 1979 islamic revolution and about a dozen of them are in the National Car Museum of Iran in Karaj" [Wikipedia].

In conclusion, I have to say that you'd make more of an impact, by pulling up to a function or major event, in this beauty, than arriving in say a Bentley Flying Spur. General upkeep / repair bills is the killer but what a car! Tempting!

Rendahnya nasionalisme dan patriotisme ATPM merusak kemandirian industri otomotif Indonesia

Banyak hujatan yang dilontarkan kepada Indonesia akan ketergantungan yang luar biasa kepada asing dalam industri otomotif.

Beberapa menyalahkan sikap korupsi, mental kuli, dan sikap tidak kreatif Indonesia. Namun sebenarnya yang paling bertanggung jawab dalam kemandegan tersebut adalah ATPM.

Di India dan China, ATPM sangat berperan penting dalam motor penggerak pengembangan industri motor setempat. ATPM juga menjadi sarana alih teknologi yang sangat mumpuni.

Hanya saja di Indonesia, ATPM malaha kepanjangan tangan brand asing, hal ini diakibatkan karena asing juga menjadi pemilik mayoritas saham dalam ATPM tersebut.

Alih-alih menjadi penegah dalam alih teknologi, ATPM malah digunakan oleh asing untuk memonopoli pasar otomotif, mendikte kebijakan pemerintah dan mengaruk semua potensi bisnis turunan industri otomotif.

Pada zaman dimana era nasionalisme dan kebanggaan tehadap negara sudah bukan sesuatu yang tabu, asing dan ATPM seharusnya mengubah diri dari perilaku neo-kolonialisme seperti ini. Imperialisme ekonomi ini akan membuat konsumen menjadi objek dan bukan subjek dari pengembangan pasar. Usaha-usaha untuk melepaskan diri dari cengkeraman asing ini akan terus diddengungkan dan brand asing akan menjadi musuh dalam selimut.

Sebenarnya kalau asing misalnya toyota, ingin mengembangkan sayap, mereka harus ikut serta dalam pengembangan kemandirian industri otomotif nasional yang murni, bukan seperti kijang, sehingga penghormatan dan penghargaan kepada asing atau toyota akan semakin mempribumi.

Just because you drive a Koenigsegg CCXR and a Lamborghini Murcielago SuperVeloce...

Qatari royal family's matching Koenigsegg CCXR and Lamborghini Murcielago SuperVeloce (Riviera Blue) got themselves clamped outside their new store (Harrods) on Brompton Rd (its a street in Knightsbridge, London).

The Swedish-built Koenigsegg CCXR puts out a staggering 1,018bhp – making it 20 times as powerful as a basic Ford Fiesta. With a price of around £1.5 million it’s also 180 times more expensive than the blue oval :).

At £350,000, the Lamborghini is a bit cheaper than the Koenigsegg but its matching Riviera Blue paintjob makes up for it :P.

FYI - The Qatari royal family bought Harrods from Mohamed Al Fayed in May for £1.5 billion under its company name Qatari Holding, becoming only the fifth owner of the store since its 1850 creation.

The funny thing is that the owners could have taken advantage of Harrods’ valet parking service which charges a £8 for the first hour or £40 for 8-9 hours with an additional £50 charge to store a car overnight. [Source: SWNS]

Friday, July 30, 2010

Best Of Cars Wallpapers I Toyota Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept

Toyota Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept

Toyota Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept Rear

Toyota Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept Dashboard

Toyota Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept Front Angle

Categories: Toyota Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept
Tags: Toyota Auris HSD Geneva Motor Show 2010
Description: Exclusively designed for the European market, the Auris HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive) introduces full hybrid technology to a core model at the heart of Toyota’s model line-up. (Source: Toyota)

2010 Ford Fusion

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Specifications:

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE: $28,350
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve 2.5-liter inline-4,156 hp, 136 lb-ft; AC permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, 106 hp, 166 lb-ft; combined system, 191 hp
TRANSMISSION: continuously variable automatic
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 107.4 in Length: 190.6 in
Width: 72.2 in Height: 56.9 in
Curb weight: 3800 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 41/36 mpg