The First Generation (1993-1997)

The 1993 début car that kicked off the Altima series was designed by the Nissan Design Center in California to replace the Nissan Stanza.

Interestingly, the new car wore the “Stanza” emblem of its predecessor on its trunk because Nissan was unable to come up with a model name to submit to US governmental agencies by the Nissan release deadline.

The Altima featured a 2.4 liter, 150 hp 4-cylinder engine, driver’s airbag, and 21/29 mpg, 5-speed Manual or 4-speed automatic transmission, and rear disk brakes, and was presented as an affordable and peppy luxury sedan. The goal was to improve Nisaan’s report with American consumers, and it resulted in an overall rating of 48 within its class during this debut year.

In 1994 a passenger airbag was added along with 3-point manual seatbelts.

The major changes made to the 1995 Altima were that they changed the grille pattern to horizontal bars (instead of the previous honeycomb design), along with redesigning the taillights and hubcaps.

Nissan decided to keep the same basic design in 1996 and made no significant changes to this year’s model.

The 1997 was about the same except that side-impact door beams were added to a 1997 ½ model after a federal mandate required them.

The Second Generation (1998-2001)

Altima got a whole new makeover in 1998. It shared some of the same basic features, but became available in four trim levels that were powered by 16-valve, 2.4 liter, 150 horsepower engine with 4-cylinders.  Each one, except for the GLE, had a 5-speed manual and optional automatic transmission. Automatic transmission, buckets seats, keyless entry, power accessories, and anti-lock brakes are some of the features that were standard on the GLE.

Only a few changes were made on the Nissan Altima’s line in 1999; the main ones being redesigned windshield wipers, power antennas, and added alloy wheels.

A major makeover took place in 2000 bringing the Altima lineup added features that included available side airbags, cross braces in the engine bay, redesigned front and back fascias, tweaked steering and suspension, rear cup holders, and standard 16-inch tires in the SE and GLE.

There were no significant modifications to the 2001 Altima line.

The Third Generation (2002-2006)

Another overhaul in design happened in 2002 with the Altima growing as a result, with the wheelbase becoming 7 inches taller, and the length increasing 5.7 inches. All models had power windows, standard manual, or automatic, transmission, foldable rear seats, standard anti-lock brakes, side-impact airbags, power door locks, and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel.

The 2003 lineup didn’t change much. The SE got a sunroof, rear spoiler, xenon headlights, and premium audio. The SL became exclusively an automatic transmission car and got wood trim, and heated seats and mirrors.

Altima remained unchanged in 2004.

The SE-R was added to the 2005 Nissan Altima model lineup, bringing with it manual and optional 5-speed automatic transmission, and a 260-horsepower V6 engine. A redesigned interior trim and an optional navigation system were added to all models.

In 2006 no significant changes were made to any model.

The Forth Generation (2007-2010)

Redesigned in 2007, the new models were given a whole new style in appearance as-well-as additional standard safety features. All Altima models received 4-wheel disc brakes (anti-lock with V6 engine models), and standard side and curtain airbags.  The Altima Hybrid was introduced as well, sold only in specific areas of the US, sporting a 4-cylinder engine with a 198-horsepower engine, and no required electrical plug-in.

Splash guards, a Diversity Antenna, and anti-lock brakes became standard in all 2008 models. Satellite radio became an option.

The 2009 Nissan Altima lineup was mostly untouched, with the only change being that they made the Hybrid a little more widely available in the US.

Only a few features were added to the 2010 series including, Standard VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Stability), and a redesigned optional audio system.

Safety and Some Trouble Spots

Over the years these changes have made the overall rating increase from 48 to 63, putting it above many of its counterparts in the same clase. This makes it easy to see why it has grown to be one of the best selling cars in America.

The Last Viper Off the Floor

On July 1^st the last of the Viper series, a 2010 Viper SRT10 Coupe, rolled off the Connor Avenue assembly line in Detroit. This extremely customized and historic Viper boasted a House of Kolor gold paint job with copper racing stripes, aluminum five spoke wheels painted in dark gunmetal graphite, and bronze leather interior with gold trim.

Conceived in 1988 at Chrysler’s Advanced Design Studios, the Viper is Dodge’s take on the classic American sports car. The original conceptually designed clay models were presented to Chrysler president Bob Lutz, where the design was approved, and the design team proceeded to bring the Viper from the Shortly thereafter the first sheet metal prototype was made and showcased at the 1989 North American International Auto Show to gauge customers reactions to the proposed Viper design. It was a resounding success, and the design was developed as the proposed standard for the production Viper vehicle.

In 1990 the design team received final approval from the Chrysler chairman to proceed with finalizations on Dodge Viper production. In 1991 the Viper debuted to reviewers and two pre-production models raced in the Indianapolis 500 as pace cars to showcase the new line.

The first generation production line ran from 1992-1995 with a 2-door roadster body style, a 7.998 liter V10 engine with 400 bhp, 6-speed manual transmission, 96.2 inch wheelbase, and weighed in at 3,284 pounds. This generation completed the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds with maximum speeds of over 189 mph, and the tires made its close to corners rate among the highest of its sports car class.

Second generation (1996-2002) added few upgrades and changes. This generation had two available body styles (the 2-door roadster and 2-door coupe), the 7.998 liter engine ranged from 415-450 bhp depending on the model year, and Dodge added dual front airbags and anti-lock brakes as a safety features. The roof above each seat was slightly raised to give occupants the option of wearing helmets, since this generation was often used in drag and road racing.

Third generation Vipers (2003-2006) changed the engine to an 8.3 liter V10 with the horsepower ranging from 500-535 depending on the model year, the transmission was upgraded to a T56 Tremec 6-speed manual design, the wheelbase was upped to 98.8 inches, and weighed 3,380 pounds. . In addition to the mechanical changes, Dodge gave this series a serious facelift, redesigning the body to give it a more angular and sharp look.

Fourth generation (2008-2010) upped their horsepower to 600 bhp, added a TR6060 6-speed transmission, and the base model weighed 3,460 pounds. The major change in this generation was that the engine heads were redesigned to improve head air flow and overall power.

A Possible Future Generation

Chrysler says that although the current Viper has dissipated, that they are working under new management to design a new Viper. If this is approved for production, it is possible that the Viper could return, with a whole new look and feel, by 2012. We will just have to wait and see how things go until then.

The Introduction

The sporty body style of the Hyundai Tiburon, which means shark in Spanish, certainly reminds one of its sleek and maneuverable namesake.

 Whatever you call it (it’s also known as the Hyundai Coupe in Europe and the Hyundai Tuscani in Asia) the series has been successful in each of the three main markets it is sold in.

Since its introduction as Hyundai’s entrance into the sports-car market the base series has changed with the times, adjusting the body style, interior, engine, and assorted accessories to the ever changing needs of Tiburon owners.

The First Generation

1996-1998 – Hyundai Tiburon RD

The 1996 Hyundai Tiburon RD base model introduced the series with the choice of a 1.6 or 1.8 liter engine, manual 5-speed transmission, and a 14.2 US gallon gas tank.

In 1998, the engine was upgraded to a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and equipped with optional ABS, sunroof, and 2 airbags.

1999-2001 – Hyundai Tiburon RD2

The engine stayed the same in the 1999 Tiburon, but the body style changed to a sleeker and more aerodynamic design, and a CD player became a standard option.

For 2001 the interior was vamped up with a metal styled trim, adjustable bucket seats, a more durable dash, and new engine mounts.

Hyundai did not produce a model in 2002.

The Second Generation

2003-2004 – Hyundai Tiburon GK

The start of the second generation gave the 2003 Tiburon larger dimensions, an overall restyling, and an optional v6 engine. Front side airbags became standard and Anti-lock brakes (ABS) were added as options.

Hyundai gave the Tiburon another facelift in 2004 and changed up the lineup of the GS, GT, and SE models, making each model distinct in body style, interior, and available options.

2005-2006 – Hyundai Tiburon GK F/L

In 2005 the SE model got half-leather seats, and the GT and GS got twin exhausts and leather seats added as standard options.

The air filter resonator that was located behind the left fender was removed in the 2006 base model. The headlights were reworked, changing the clear light covers to sleeker smoke hued ones, and the tail-lights were redesigned. Also, Regatta Blue was added to the available color scheme.

2007-2008 – Hyundai Tiburon GK F/L2

The model for 2007 introduced a more aggressive grille and headlight design, added a 17 inch alloy wheel, and the rear light cluster became more refined by adding a chrome trim. A seat memory system was also added – taking away the need to readjust it each every time someone gets out of the backseat.   

New equipment highlights, like Satellite Radio, and a Kenwood stereo system were added as standard options to the 2008 Tiburon. It was rated five stars for driver protection in accidents with frontal impacts, and four stars for front passenger protection. The Tiburon was discontinued after this model.

Pros and Cons

The Hyundai Tiburon series consistently received praise from reviewers for its sporty bad-boy look, economical price, low repair costs, and overall safety.

Some of the 2003-2006 models have had clutch and alignment issues. Also, because of its front-wheel drive configuration, it ranks low among its competitors in the same class in terms of performance. To the aspiring race car driver, that may be a problem, but that’s not likely the case for the average car owner.

Following the dramatic success of the limited edition 288 GTO, underlined by the premium prices paid for such exclusivity, Ferrari knew the market would still absorb a larger number of even faster cars bearing the prancing horse. With the Evolution version of the GTO still born by the lack of anywhere to race Group B cars, Ferrari had a second base from which to work on the car that would celebrate 40 years of production. The chassis followed the tubular carbon fiber replaced the welded sheet boxing to give a lighter, stronger structure; body paneling and interior trims also benefited from modern companies – inside it was pretty Spartan with bare carbon fiber and little sound deadening.

While the suspension was similar to that of the GTO, it was modified to adapt to Pirelli’s latest Zeros which were considerably wider; so track and car width increased too. Power was also greater; using the same basic 308 unit larger bore and shorter stroke, but with the twin turbos producing higher pressures, the output rose to 478 bhp at 7000 rpm from the 2936 cc V8.

With all the weight reduction and near 20% power increase, it was not surprising that the F40 was very much quicker off the mark with 0-100 mph in 7.6 seconds against the GTO’s 11.0 seconds; the top speed, too, has risen from 189 to around 200 mph. on the road it is tremendously fast and responsive with levels of road holding that can only be explored on the track. But take the new F50 to the Ferrari test track at Fiorano an it is 4 seconds a lap faster; that is what the new car is all about – a little faster in acceleration with the same top speed, but with Grand Prix technology to give real race car road holding.

The chassis is a carbon fiber monocoque to which the engine is solidly bolted, acting as a stressed member to carry the rear suspension loads through the final drive casing, which doubles as an oil tank, between engine and the new six speed gearbox. Like a GP car, the springs are laid across the top of the casing an operated by push rods.

The front suspension also uses push rod operated transverse springs and is mounted directly onto the monocoque via aluminium inserts. Both front and rear damping is electronically controlled according to speed and dynamics forces. While the V-12 engine uses the same 65 degree angle between the banks as the 465, it is based more on the normally aspirated 993 Grand Prix engine with 5 valves per cylinder operated by chain driven camshafts – Grand Prix cars no longer use turbos. Developing 520 bhp from 4.7 liters, its output per liter is even higher than that of the 355.

Carbon fiber, Kevlar and honeycomb are used for the bodywork, which is wind tunnel developed to provide a down force balancing that from the underbody venturis; the full width rear wing and high lighted panel joint line are features that link the F50 to the F40. Inside, there is naked carbon fiber with just a little soft trim while LCD instrumentation panel gives bar graphs for mirror display but needles for rev counter and a speedometer which reads a 360 km/h! The car comes in two forms, closed with an integrated roll-bar, or open with roll-hoops emerging from the twin head-fairings. It is a real racer for the road and will be extremely noisy for the occupants – not a grand tourer.
]]> http://blog.norcalcars.com/ferrari-f40/feed/ 3 http://blog.norcalcars.com/ferrari-512tr/ http://blog.norcalcars.com/ferrari-512tr/#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:53:38 +0000 Fahad Majidi http://blog.norcalcars.com/?p=711 Maybe the 512 is neither the most practical nor the nimblest of Ferraris, but it still has an almighty presence that shouts Ferrari; 78 inches wide, 44 inches low it still manages to be graceful in its Pininfarina clothes; and with 428 bhp from its flat 12 (boxer) 5 liter midships engine, it is also very fast but user-friendly with it. If Ferrari didn’t keep producing even more exciting but considerably less practical devices like the 288 GTO and the F40/ 50, ‘Berlinetta Boxer’ would have attracted the stronger following which its all-round ability deserves; that those that can afford them don’t usually buy a big Ferrari for its practically and the other offer more short-term exhilaration.

It started life back in 1973 when the Daytona was still in production. Ferrari was never one to leap into new technologies, although the company has always been good at perfecting them once proven – a sound small company philosophy. Thus Ferrari was beaten to the mid-engined road car draw by Lamborghini; such was the caution that both the mid-engined Ferraris were to be shown as styling exercises, well ahead of possible production, as a means of sampling public opinion before taking the plunge.

Its first public airing was at the 1971 Turin Show, two years before the production launch. At the time the Grand Prix and Sports, prototype racing cars were using a 3 liter flat-12 which gave a usefully low centre of gravity. It was a good configuration for a road car, too, giving a low rear deck height for better visibility but it dictated quite a wide car; however Ferrari preferred to keep the masses between the wheel-base and lifted the engine to put the gearbox within the rear of the sump – practically ruled over the last word in handling and the model has lived with that ever since.

While the engine followed the layout of 3 liter, its dimensions and many of its components came from the 365 V-12 Daytona unit, although its camshafts were belt driven; with 344 bhp, it was slightly less powerful than the Daytona with a lower compression ratio but would pull similar speeds – Motor recorded 172 mph.

Its style was unique, neither a big Dino nor a preview of the 308, with matt black below a line from the sharp nose to the rear bumper set under the short stubby tail. Its title was a mouthful 365 GT4BB, Berlinetta Boxer denoting the different layout from that of the 365GT B4 Daytona. The first model was usually known as the Boxer, even though all subsequent models used a boxer engine.

The first update came in 1976; in response to restrictive emission legislation the capacity was increased to 5 liter for no power increase, the engine was fitted with a dry sump, and the rear tyre size was increased – these had been the same size front and rear on the first car – adding also to body width; a front spoiler helped to keep the nose down at high speeds. This became the 512, following the new numbering system of capacity followed by number of cylinders; the fuel injection 512i followed in 1981 again with no power increase.

The first major change came in 1984 with a dramatically revised shape whose major feature was the side strakes leading to intakes for the radiators which had been moved from the front to just ahead of the rear wheels; the front intake stayed as a feed for brake cooling ducts. The 5 liter engine adopted 4 valves per cylinder to recover emission strangled outputs and generated 390 bhp; its heads were painted red to justify the revived Testarossa name. These changes, plus bigger rear tyres, widened the car by six inches, put another two inches in the wheelbase and increased the overall length of five inches – it had become a big car. It was faster too with a maximum speed around 182 mph.

Since then, it had minor styling changes with small power increases. For 1992 the 512TR had 428 bhp and anti-lock brakes, and the front showed a family identity that would be carried across to the 355. only two years later came the 512M, recalling the final version of the late sixties racing GT car, with 440 bhp in slightly less weight, new wheels and a revised front, with headlights now visible behind clear plastic, but the overall shape unchanged from the 512TR. The design has moved with the times, but the times may have overtaken the design.
]]> http://blog.norcalcars.com/ferrari-512tr/feed/ 1 http://blog.norcalcars.com/ferrari-288-gto/ http://blog.norcalcars.com/ferrari-288-gto/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:14:36 +0000 Fahad Majidi http://blog.norcalcars.com/?p=699 Smaller and a little more powerful than the flagship Testarossa, the 288 GTO was the fastest Ferrari is its day. It should have been, it was designed as a racer. GTO? Gran Turismo Omologato or, in somewhat less evocative terms, Homologated GT. Homologation is the process of certifying that a number of identical units have been made; road cars are homologated by transport, road based race cars are homologated for competition by the FIA, the ruling body of motor sport, once a specified number have been built.

Over 1959-61, Ferrari had been building the short wheelbase 250 GT for road and competition use; when the FIA announced a GT championship for 1962, Ferrari needed something lower and lighter. The rules of the day stated that 100 identical cars should be built in 12 consecutive months, but that special bodied versions could be made once the 100 had been completed; the 250 GT had already been accepted a GT car, so the new car was submitted for approval with the revised bodywork.

When the form came back stamped GT – Omologato, the name stuck. The 3 variation in axle ratio and states of tune; factory cars may have achieved over 170 mph at Le Mans, but 165 mph is about right for 280 bhp. Twenty years on and the FIA again introduced rules to encourage road going GT cars to take part in racing a rallying with effect from 1982. This time the minimum quantity was 200 in a year for Group B. Ferrari had racing in mind, Porsche planned to race and rally the 959 while the rest of the competitive manufactures built outrageous four wheel drive rally specials.

In event, Group B racing failed to capture any following and the Group B rallying stopped in 1986 when the cars became too fast for their own – and spectator – safety. However Ferrari introduced the 288 GTO at the 1984 Geneva Show as a Limited Edition of 200 started taking deposits there and then. While there was no homologation inspired need to develop a previous design, Ferrari started with the 308 GTB as the basis.

Turbo charging small engines had become the fashion for ultimate power to weight ratios and Ferrari already made a 208 Turbo for the Italian market to avoid the heavy tax on cars over 2 liters; so the engine chosen was the V-8, set at 2.85 liters such that, like Porsche, the car would fit into the 4 liter category once the FIA’s turbo correction factor of 1.4 was applied. With twin IHI turbochargers it would develop 400 bhp at 7000 rpm, but much more for racing, simply by adjusting turbo pressures. To allow a conventional racing gearbox behind the axle line, the engine was sited fore and aft which necessitated an extra 4 inches in the wheel base.

What had been the 308 GTB’s 225/ 50 x 16 rear tyres were used on the front of the GTO with 265/ 50 x 16 tyres on the rear – so the body was flared out to accommodate them and any later increase, to the tune of an extra 7 inches. The chassis was just a stretched version of the 308’s tubular frame, but the body was a mixture of materials using glass fiber, Kevlar for the bonnet, and carbon/ Kevlar for the roof. The car’s weight was quoted at 1160 kg: although production ones with full interior trim were nearer 1300 Kg they were still 50 kg lighter than the 308 GTB.

It looks the GTO was very similar to the 308, just longer and wider, until you came to the rear; the two or three near vertical slots, cut into the 250 GTO’s flanks behind the front wheels, became three similar cut outs behind the 288 GTO’s rear wheels, and tail spoiler, too, carried overtones of 20 years earlier. While the earlier car was designed for competition and won, the 288 GTO was designed for competition but never ran – that hasn’t stopped it from being another instant classic Ferrari.

Ferrari’s first recognition of the American market potential came very shortly after the company was set up in 1946; where the European market expected small efficient engines, the American wanted big horsepower figures from big capacity engines.

Ferrari’s first engine had been the Colombo designed V-12 which had been used in supercharged 1500 cc form for the post war GP formula; as the formula also accepted 4.5 liter unsupercharged cars, 1950 saw a change of tack with the bigger V-12 designed by Lampredi. These two basic engines would power Ferraris for a considerable time to come.

The 340 American used a 4.1 liter version of the Lampredi unit; with road going simplification it produced 220 bhp and was fitted in some 25 cars of mixed road and track intention during 1951. Four 240 Mexicos were produced for the 1952 Carrera Panamericana with 280 bhp, three coupes and a spider. Despite 340, these were actually 12 x 342 cc; the 342 American had emerged in 1951 as Ferrari’s first real road car, a 2+2, which unfortunately marked one of Pininfarina’s less appealing designs, only six were built.

This was quickly superseded by the 375 American with 4523 cc, 300 bhp and amore appropriately styled body similar to that of the 250 Europa, a dozen were built this time. Shorter wheelbase open and closed competition derivatives were produced as 340 MM and 375 MM with the 375 Plus using a 4.9 liter version through 1954, just in time for a Le Mans victory.

Then came the replacement for the 375 American as the 410 Super American, also a 4.9 liter but with different bore and stroke from that of the 375 Plus. Against its predecessor it was lower and wider, the front suspension adopted coil springs instead of the transverse leaf, and 37 were to be produced in purposeful rather than graceful style over the period 1955-59.

Two of these were used by Pininfarina for show cars; the striking 1956 Superfast 1 (the one was added when 2 came out) was a somewhat uncomfortable marriage of Ferrari front to American tail fins, while Superfast 2 was the 1960 forerunner of the new 400 Super America coupe, long, slender, elegant and one of Pininfarnia’s best.

Under this was a 340 bhp 4 liter Colombo engine stretched to its ultimate, it should have been 330, but that seemed like a backward step from the 410 whereas the two were very closely matched; some 30 coupes and a dozen other were built from 1960 to 64, including three more Pininfarina show cars, Superfast 2 (a second version), 3 and 4. Just to confuse everyone, Ferrari bought out a final coupe in the series, the 500 Superfast which was even better than the 400 Super America.

This too failed to match the single cylinder dictum by having a 4.9 liter of the same dimensions as the 410; its design was actually a unique cross using the bottom half of the fixed head Lamperdi engine with Colombo style detachable heads, it was the final fling of the big block. With 400 bhp and a more modern shape, the 500 Superfast should be quicker than the 410 Super America, but none of the 36 cars produced from 1964-66 seems to have been tested. By this time Ferrari was into comparative volume production; Americas, Super Americas and Superfast were the last of the hand-built GTs when each was different from its nominal brother.
]]> http://blog.norcalcars.com/ferrari-410-super-america/feed/ 0 http://blog.norcalcars.com/new-hybrid-vehicles/ http://blog.norcalcars.com/new-hybrid-vehicles/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:33:37 +0000 Fahad Majidi http://blog.norcalcars.com/?p=593 A hybrid vehicle is that type of vehicle that uses two or more different types of power sources to move or drive it. In most cases people refer to them as the hybrid electric vehicles or the HEVs which are actually a combination of internal combustion engine and one or even more electric motors.

The powers sources for hybrid vehicles include use of onboard or out board rechargeable energy storage system that is abbreviated as RESS. The vehicle also uses gasoline or diesel fuel as well as hydrogen, compressed air, wind, electricity, wind and liquid nitrogen. The hybrid vehicles use as many sources of energy and power as possible.

The engine types also vary with the types of hybrid electric- petroleum vehicles. These are internal combustion engines using gasoline or diesel engines that re powered by variety of fuels and electric batteries to power motors. Hybrid vehicles are grouped into these classes that include the parallel, mild and power split hybrid series hybrid and so on.

The parallel hybrid has its electric motor and internal combustion engine installed so that they can both power the vehicle individually or together. The internal combustion engine, the gear box and the electric motor are coupled by mechanically controlled clutches. For electric driving the clutch sandwiched between the internal combustion engine is open while the clutch to the gear box is busy. In combustion mode the motor and engine runs at the same speed.

The mild parallel hybrid use packed in electric motor that gives extra production during speeding up and also to generate on the deceleration phase. While the power split hybrid there are two electric motors and one internal combustion engine. One motor is the generator while the other motor acts as a generator. They are connected through a planetary gear set. On the open road the main power used is the internal combustion engine so that the battery’s life is maximally used while when maximum power is to be used for instance when overtaking then electric motors re used to produce that maximum power a short period of time. Examples of these hybrid vehicles include the Toyota Prius for the powers split hybrid and Honda Civic Hybrid or Honda Insight for the mild parallel hybrid

The Series hybrid uses electric motors that are powered by a single speed internal combustion engine. When operating at its most efficient single speed the engine drives the electric generator instead of directly driving the wheels. This engine can also do the following charge a battery, direct power to the electric motor and charge a capacitor. Incase large amount of power is in demand then the electric motor can drew power from a combination of batteries capacitors and generators. One phenomenon is that the series hybrid does not need batteries in its design because the capacitor can act as storage device.

Another subtype in the market now is the plug in hybrid electric vehicle or PHEV. This is a fuel –electric hybrid with increased energy storage capacity which in most cases is the use of li-ion batteries. These engines may also be plugged to mains electricity supply at the stop of the journey to avoid charging using the onboard internal combustion. This is an environmental preservation measure because the vehicle will emit a minimum amount of emissions or even avoid doing that at all.

Then lastly there is the fuel cell electric hybrid which is an electric vehicle that is equipped with a fuel cell. The fuel cell acts as the power source which makes the vehicle hybrid. These engines uses liquid hydrogen as fuel and powers the electric battery when it is depleted some of the examples of these vehicles include the Chevrolet equinox and Honda FCX

As Hybrid vehicles advance to have greater features, reliability, and affordability, we should see these vehicle become more and more popular with the common consumer.

Currently, the GM is offering two types of hybrid systems the first was used in the Saturn vue and Saturn astra which is called the BAS hybrid system which is a type of hybrid canceled in 2009. Then the GM together with BMW and Daimler AG co-developed a Two- Mode Hybrid which is currently used on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC’s Yukon

Currently the introduced the concept cars which are electric with backup generators powered by gasoline, E85 or fuel cells. It is documented that the GM is the first American company to have released a full all electric automobile. It was the first car with a zero emission that was marketed in America for three decades. It has also announced that it is producing a two set electric vehicle with Segway.

Plans are underway for the GM to build battery packs with LG Chem in Michigan and also build automotive battery laboratories in Michigan. Then again GM has prided itself in the production of hydrogen powered vehicles. But still this is not the end because the GM has managed to produce flexible fuel vehicles that are able to operate and travel on E85 ethanol fuel or even gasoline or still a blend of both. The GM is the north Americas leading in E85 flex fuel vehicles. By 2009 the GM was or had produced over 18 ethanol enabled flexfuel cars and trucks in the US and more Than a million new flex fuel vehicles.

The other biggest and largest GN subsidiary is the GM do Brasil which started by producing the flexible fuel vehicles since its inception in the brazilin market in 2003. The light trucks are supposed to run on any mix of E20-E25 gasoline and up to 100% power just 6 months after another first flex was introduced in the Brazilian market. While still basing invention on the hybrid and with aims of avoiding emissions and environmental pollution the brazilin subsidiary of the GM introduced the Multipower engine in august of 2004. These engines are capable of using natural gas or (CNG) Ethanol and gasoline E20-E25 as fuel. This is the engine that was used in the multifuel Chevrolet Astra 2.0 model of 2005 which was aimed at local cab business and market

The GM Brazil also developed the EconoFlex technology which was used for the first time in the Chevrolet Prisma 1.4. These engines allow the flex fuel to maximize fuel economy and power. The vehicle had success hence the GM sold close to 200,000 flex vehicles and 140,000 gasoline powered automobiles in 2005. These figures jumped to about 520,000 for flex fuel vehicles, while 950 cars and 7000 light trucks powered by gasoline were also sold in 2007. By the end of 2008 about 97 per cent of all cars and light trucks were sold in that same year

Generally the GM can now produce vehicles that use both the E85 and gasoline as fuel that power them. It is also remembered that it is the GM that was the first to use turbocharger which was a proponent of V6 engines but dropped the interest because the muscle car took hold of the market

Check for more information at Saturn Vue Hybrid review or to purchase one contact NorCalCars Dealer Bailey Motors

In the ‘fifties BMW were struggling for an identity, making big V-8 powered saloons and little motorcycle powered Isettas with nothing in between. The 507 was the two seater sports coupe, using the running gear of the bigger saloons in a somewhat different style, the traditional twin intakes on a horizontal plane – very much a period classic.

Came the 1961 resurgence of BMW with the launch of new generation heralded by the 4 door 1500 and the Munich firm embarked on the line that is recognizably still with us clean, modern lines characterized by the ever present twin radiator intakes in a variety of proportions, and always classically front engined rear drive. The basic single overhead camshaft engine configuration was unchanged for many years, but all expect the smallest 4 cylinder engines now have twin camshaft four valve heads. The first coupe in this range was the 2000Cin 1966, the top of the range at that time.

When the 6 cylinder engine arrived for larger cars in 1968 the 2800CS came too, slightly shorter and with two doors. This became the 3.0CS in 1971 and on into the competition 3.0CSL, the same, only lighter, with some aliminium body panels. By 1975 BMW had embarked on the new model designation, a type number preceding the engine size, as 525 – 5 – series with 2.5 liter engine.

Form then on, the coupes have had their own series and more distinctive styling to set them apart form their saloon cousins; the first was the 630CS in 1976, a range enlarged two years later with a new cylinder block for the 635CSi, its 218 bhp making it a 140 mph car. When BMW introduced the M range, the 1983 M635CSi had a twin overhead camshaft 4 valve engine to give bhp 286 bhp and over 150 mph, still a very desirable car 12 years on.

The coupes were always the top of the range and were produced in smaller numbers but, by using many body panels form the saloon series, they were not too much more expensive; the 6 series used a 7 series front end and running gear, and continued to use the old parts when the new 7 series arrived in 1986; part of this new range was 750i using a 5 liter V-12 with 300 bhp which could obviously outperform the 635CSi, which was also looking a bit dated.

So to get coupe back on top of the range, BMW created the 850i using the same magnificent V-12 in a style that stood well apart form the other models still a beautiful car several years after its 1989 launch. The late ‘eighties was the heyday of the very fast car and it was appropriate that BMW should have one capable of 160 mph. Greener thoughts brought in a smaller engine, the all new 4 valve, 4 liter, V-8 with 286 bhp which was added to the 7 series range in 1992. The lighter, more efficient unit made the car almost as fast as those with the V-12, so a 5.6 liter 850CSi version was added with 380 bhp, and the 850Ci was enlarged to 5.3 liters and 326 bhp; those who wanted the looks and less power could have the 286 bhp 840Ci which was added to the range at the beginning of 1993.

Performance figures taken on the 300 bhp 850i produced a maximum speed of 159 mph. Although BMW now limit the maximum to 155 mph, another 27% of power should certainly yield 170 mph, so the acceleration figures below have also been adjusted. Some have described the 8 series as anachronistic, a car with only style, even more performance and less space to separate it form the 7 series; but it is a superb style
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