The Reality of Racing

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is “What’s it like to be a race car driver”? Most people are shocked or think I’m kidding when I start to explain what being a professional race car driver truly means.

From the outside looking in, driving race cars seems like living the high life. Money, women, parties and fast cars seem to be the name of the game when stereotyping a race car driver. But this is about as true as saying that a Canadian is someone who’s a lumberjack, wears plaid, and can talk to beavers.

Let me briefly give you a glimpse into the reality of life as a race car driver, and let me preface the following by saying that this is not a sob story nor am I looking for pity, as I truly am living a “dream”, but rather these are the choices I have made and chosen to live with in order to succeed.

Racing is a business first and foremost! If you can’t beat someone in the boardroom, you won’t even have the chance to beat them on the track. It is unlike hockey, baseball, football, etc where if you have the talent, chances are you will at least get a shot. Racing is the only sport in the world where talent guarantees you nothing!

Unless your parents, relatives, or a great friend are billionaires, the sport is extremely difficult to break into. In order to get a spot in many of the entry level professional racing series, young drivers are expected to find upwards of $250,000 to fund their race season. This cost sky rockets as a driver advances through the ranks and can reach multiple millions of dollars for a season in a series such as IndyCar.

As a race car driver with a considerable amount of talent you have 2 options, go home to cry and complain about how unfair things are … OR go out, pull up your socks, and attack the business of racing.

I won’t go into all of the business details here but I will clarify a negative stereotype of racing and business. Most people assume that when I talk to a potential sponsor I am looking for a boatload of money in exchange for putting their sticker on my car; this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Being successful at the business of racing means creating “Win-Win” partnerships between someone and yourself which usually entails the necessity to provide a huge return on their investment in you. I have put my Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Degree to good use and have been fortunate to place myself in a position where a company would be better off investing in what I am doing rather than putting their marketing dollars in anything else.

When I started racing karts back in 2001, I cut everything else out of my life and made racing a total commitment. I dropped my football season tickets, I stopped going out for lunch, buying CDs, video games, or whatever else I would have spent money on at the time. Everything I had went into chasing what seemed like an impossible dream.

I turned 27 this month and little has changed. I rarely go for an evening out because I can’t afford gas, nor an activity, and one’s social life takes a pounding because of this. I still live at home with my parents so I can avoid rent payments for now, and fortunately we all get along. I have simply put everything I have into pursuing a career as a race car driver.

Fortunately I was able to use my talent and earn a spot racing for Volkswagen this season. This has significantly reduced my expenses for the season but still leaves me with having to meet a budget greater than most people’s annual income. By my shoestrings I am surviving.

Oh, did I mention crash damage yet? I am responsible for covering the cost of repairing any damage on Volkswagen’s race car…no matter how it happened! I could be lapping the track doing a fine job when another car could simply run into me, through no fault of my own, and I will be the one getting an invoice for up to $7,000. Imagine you’re parked at a red light and someone hits you from behind, or runs a stop sign and broadsides your car, now imagine getting an invoice for the full amount of damage in the mail…it’s a tough pill to swallow.

Try driving a race car at life-risking speeds around a track and have expectations to be the fastest driver there. Then pile on the fact that you can’t afford to race again if even a small scratch appears on your race car. Now try to race wheel to wheel against one of the lucky few that has a billionaire funding their racing and doesn’t care if they crash into you…welcome to life as a professional race car driver!

Driving race cars, and all that it entails, is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in life…but because of this, it is also one of the most rewarding. When I have given everything, am dead tired and question whether the hardships are worth it, all I have to do is look into the grandstands and realize I am one of the lucky few as there are 40,000 spectators who would love even the smallest chance to be in my position.

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Fuel Efficiency Adviser - Gadget Review

When we get a new test car to review each week, I love when they include an Instant MPG reading on their information display. More and more new cars are displaying this information built-in, which is meant to help you get the best fuel efficiency possible. And it works! I notice myself paying attention to the display, seeing how high I can keep the MPG reading, and being lighter on the throttle, which gets me much better fuel economy in everyday driving. Most cars do not have this read-out, however.

A new device on the market will add this functionality to any vehicle (1996 or newer,) along with several other useful features you won’t find built-in to any new cars. Fuel Efficiency Adviser plugs into your OBD-II port, usually under your dash, and gathers readings directly from your car’s computer. After the software connects to the car’s computer (only takes a few seconds,) the Fuel Efficiency Adviser instantly displays four readings - Instant MPG, Average MPG, Current Trip Cost ($) and Cost so far today. Mount the device somewhere convenient with the included velcro strips, and start driving as the screen updates with your fuel economy numbers. That’s not all…

Along with reading your MPG and displaying it in a useful fashion, the Fuel Efficiency Adviser can display loads of other data which you can customize, displaying up to four metrics on-screen at once:

• Speedometer


• Tachometer (RPM)


• Manifold Pressure


• Battery Voltage


• Coolant Temp.


• Intake Air Temp.


• Engine Load


• Ignition Timing


• Throttle Position


• Open/Closed Loop


• Maximum Speed


• Average Speed


• Maximum Coolant Temperature


• Maximum RPM


• Driving Time


• Driving Distance


• Fuel Used


• Distance to Empty


• Time to Empty


• Fuel to Empty

The device can also read and clear “check engine” codes, helping you diagnose problems with the car without taking it in to the mechanic.

We tested a Fuel Economy Adviser, and found it to help increase fuel economy just as much as a built-in MPG reading. The Current Trip Cost and Cost so far Today readings help remind you why you’re doing this, once you see how much driving actually costs in fuel. While you can just plug it in and go, you won’t get accurate readings until you configure some settings. Going into the menu, the first things to set are engine size, gas tank size, fuel type (gas, diesel, propane, hybrid,) and units of measure. For some reason, you can only input tank size in whole numbers, so if your tank is 16.2 gallons, round to 16.

The box it comes in has everything you need, including the cable, velcro strips, a manual, and a quick start guide. Pay attention to the quick start guide, because it quickly shows you how to set up the device and what to do on your first and second fill-ups, where you input the price and amount of fuel you pump. This helps keep the cost readings accurate.

Navigating around the different screens is unintuitive, and can get confusing when you’re trying to find a certain screen or menu, which could be better laid out in the software. The problem mostly stems from the outdated LCD matrix screen, which causes menu obfuscation and requires the display to show strange abbreviations that are hard to remember due to the lack of available characters. This needs to be replaced with a larger, slightly more expensive (but invaluably more intuitive) graphic LCD display.

Ultimately, the Fuel Efficiency Adviser is a great little device to keep you conscious of your driving habits and increase overall fuel efficiency, while providing even more functionality for those of us who like extra data. The nice thing is that it actually does help save fuel, unlike many of the devices you’ll find in the back of car magazines promising to increase fuel economy by 30% from putting a magnet around your fuel line. The manufacturer says you will make up the cost of the device in fuel savings in only 12 weeks. Without doing the math, I think it will take most drivers a bit longer than that, but it will pay for itself regardless.

Would I recommend buying it? Yeah, I think most drivers would save money if they kept it connected to the car all the time. Make sure to mount it in a place that you will be looking at it regularly, but making sure it’s not in the way of other gauges. Also be sure you place it somewhere you won’t be hitting it all the time. The picture above shows it mounted below the climate controls, and I’ve seen it mounted at the bottom of some instrument panels.

Leave a comment below if you’ve used the Fuel Efficiency Adviser or similar device, or if your car ha built-in MPG meter, and if it helps you save fuel.

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Viper: “No Sale” Says Chrysler

Gah! Isn’t there a specialty manufacturer out there with the cash and the guts to guy Viper? It would seem the answer is no, at least according to Chrysler, as they try to sell their high performance brand to anyone with the interest and capital wherewithal to scoop it up

OK, yeah, I know … these are hard economic times and all that, but isn’t there someone out there interested in buying the Viper brand? Chrysler has had both the Viper and its Corner Avenue production plant on the block for several months, but there’s been little interest. According to a newly available court documents, Chrysler has received little interest, even if the asking price is a paltry $10 million for the whole package. None of the offers so far have even approached that asking price.

“We received no purchaser interest. The market for such assets is extremely depressed at this time,” said Chrysler chairman Bob Nardelli in an amazingly obvious statement to Automotive News.

The only offer for Viper, as revealed by the court documents, has been from Devon Motor Works for $5.5 million for the Viper nameplate and also included a bid to lease the Corner Avenue facility for one year, but there was no assumption of liabilities. Ergo, no sale to Devon Motor Works. There have been noises about a group of Polish investors interested in Viper, but they have yet to make an offer.

OK, for 10-mill here are my thoughts:

Carroll Shelby, Jack Roush, or Roger Penske!

C’mon, one of you guys could easily step in and buy Viper (and you even get an assembly plant thrown in AND a dedicated work force).

If not any of them, how about Bill Gates or Paul Allen … or for that matter, how about ten Microsoft kids get together, chip in 1-mill each, and just take it from there?

Source: LeftLaneNews

Photo from Flickr user stevelyon

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Buy Mitsubishi, Get Goat For Free [Ad Watch]

Proving that “Flight of the Conchords” is completely accurate, Mitsubishi New Zealand is giving away free goats with every Triton truck. But what about goat flu? One of the best press releases ever in this world.

You really need to read all of this hilarious (and we think maybe unaffected) press release to capture the abounding comedic estimation.

Mitsubishi offers free goat
22 May 2009
In a drive to help the rural community stave off the recession, Mitsubishi Motors is supporting primary productivity by offering a free goat with each new Triton sold before August.

“We firmly give credit to that New Zealand’s recovery is in the hands of the pastoral sector and they’re the people who are buying our utes,” said MMNZ not particular manager of sales and marketing Peter Wilkins. “Goats, analogous our Tritons, are hardy, versatile units, which will integrate directly into existing farm operations”.

“Goats improve farm productivity by providing an environmentally friendly plea against noxious weeds and they’re a lot cheaper than toxic sprays”.

“Goats also provide export commodities that be possible to help improve our balance of payments. They be augmented a defecate micron wrap in misty clouds, much like the renowned Merino, which can be used to produce high-quality garments. Goat’s milk provides a nutritious alternative for the growing number of lactose intolerant people and while goat meat is seldom featured in Western restaurants, developing countries consume immense quantities,” said Mr Wilkins.

“And, most importantly, there is no such thing as Goat Flu – so no threat to tourism. It’s hard to observe a downside,” he added.

“At MMNZ, we are aware that three years of drought has severely depleted sheep and beef populations, in this way the kind of better particular period to ‘float the goat’?” said Mr Wilkins. “We’ll supply a free goat with every Triton sold before August and do our bit to loosen the seize of the recession”.

“On the off befall that the vendee already has enough goats or feels that goat herding is better left to those in drier climes, we’ll supply a ‘no goat package’ consisting of a five-year/100,000km extended warranty, five free WOF inspections, 5,000km road user charges, five years of roadside assistance and $500 of genuine or approved Triton accessories,” Mr Wilkins said.

(Hat Tip to Nick!)

[Mitsibushi]

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With the rising gas prices of today many folks have begun to look for an alternative way to state in language fuel in their cars
. A biodiesel kit fits the bill for many people who have started making this oil saving fuel in their have backyards. And for what cause not contribute your own material for burning, the hit to wallets and bank accounts with high gasoline prices makes finding alternative fuel sources imperative these days, particularly with the price of gas and oil in the news on a daily basis. A biodiesel kit is a great persons way to save a substantial amount of money on your fuel costs
. The basic function of such a kit is to convert vegetable oil into biodiesel, a firing source that can be used in vehicles that currently run on diesel combustible matter. It is important to annotation that not all car companies guarantee the use of biodiesel fuel in their vehicles and direct void the warranty suppose that an engine is damaged by its use. Be sure to research this control buying a new vehicle with a diesel engine. For older diesel cars and trucks there are engine conversion kits that will ascertain by enumeration the change to cleaner burning biodiesel much easier. There is a minimal amount of stores needed to use a biodiesel kit. You will need basic tap water, methanol and access to a beneficial amount of vegetable oil, which can usually be obtained from restaurants and such. You can set the kit up just about anywhere, although greatest in number the public do put them outside in a shed or under an overhang. You will be making a fuel oil thus setting up in the house may not be a real good idea. When it comes to pricing a kit the added features to be found the more expensive the kit. The most expensive models are built to prevent fumes and odors from escaping during the refining process. Having an odorless refining process may be important for those wishing to refine their combustible matter near their home. If you live on a farm or a large acreage this may not have existence as important as the kit can be located farther from the house. Of order if you can afford it reach ahead and get the more expensive closed system just because they are very easy to application. If for some reason you already have a large sum of cooking oil that you need to dispose of then a biodiesel kit would work accurately. It does take more time to process used oil but the results are the same, a more environmentally well-disposed fuel that can be induce into a diesel powered vehicle. Considering that the price of gasoline is on any ever rising run making biodiesel with a view to personal use can be seen viewed like a pungent move. Having your own biodiesel small tub producing a constant give of a low cost environmentally friendly fuel right in your own backyard would remove the sting of high pump prices.
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/save-money-with-a-biodiesel-kit-942417.html

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2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Review

2009 VW Jetta TDI

They finally did it! They finally made a diesel-powered car that everyone can live with. In the past, diesels have been mostly ignored by US consumers, save for a small die-hard fan base. Most consumers didn’t even look twice at one, assuming they’ll be driving a slow car, spitting black smoke, dirtying up the air, and rumbling like a loud tractor.

Volkswagen has been selling the Jetta TDI is the States for years, but had to take it off the market in 2007 due to stricter emissions laws. For 2009, VW reworked the 2.0-liter TDI four cylinder engine, and made it better than ever. The new engine now produces a livable power rating of 140hp and a surprising 236 lb-ft of torque. It’s also cleaner than ever. It passes emission standards in all 50 states (even California) with flying colors due to a new exhaust filtering method that doesn’t sacrifice fuel economy.

The true beauty of what VW has done here with the 2009 Jetta TDI is in its subtlety. If you removed the “TDI” badge and gave this car to an average unsuspecting driver, he wouldn’t know it’s powered by a diesel engine, and that’s exactly what we need to get average consumers to drive diesels here in the States.

The sacrifices we once had to make when buying a diesel are over. The emissions are clean, the engine is quiet, and it’s easy to drive. At the time of this review, diesel fuel prices are even at the same level as standard 87 octane gasoline. The main selling point of buying diesel - fuel economy - is good at the EPA rated levels of 30 city, 41 hwy, but is even better in real-world testing. We were able to drive our test car from Raleigh, NC to Washington, DC, around DC and back to Raleigh (over 600 miles,) on less than a tank of fuel. This ends up being about 46 mpg on average. Take that, over-engineered hybrids! We didn’t even bother to draft off of semis or go under the speed limit; our average speed was around 70mph the entire trip.

Even ignoring the other logical benefits of this car, the 2009 Jetta TDI is a pleasure to drive. There is plenty of space in the front, and adequate room for rear seat passengers. I’m 6′4″ tall, and had more than enough room in the front, but couldn’t get totally comfortable due to a lack of lumbar support. Our car had the 6-speed manual, which we really enjoyed, or you can opt for the highly praised 6-speed DSG automatic transmission.

What really sets the 2009 Jetta TDI apart from its competitors (which happen to be small hybrid cars,) is that the Jetta is fun to drive. You’re not going to be enjoying the driving experience in a Prius, but now you can have hybrid-level fuel efficiency without falling asleep at the wheel from boredom. While the 140 horsepower isn’t anything to brag about, the often underrated torque rating of 236 lb-ft makes this car anything but sluggish. You may not be embarrassing sports cars off the line, but you won’t be lacking any power when you need it either.

The Jetta TDI standard feature list is impressive, including all sorts of acronym-laden safety bits, 8-way adjustable driver’s seat (lumbar didn’t work on ours,) 10-speaker 6-disc in-dash stereo with standard auxiliary jack, 16-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, auto up/down windows (all 4,) cruise control, multi-function steering wheel, and 115V power outlet, among other features. Our model had no extra options, no packages, and no accessories, yet was still well-equipped, and you can get all that for only $22,270; which doesn’t include the $1300 federal tax rebate.

A few things I didn’t like about the Jetta TDI: lumbar support didn’t work, which made the seat slightly uncomfortable. While the interior is clean, easy to use and efficient, it’s also somewhat boring, lacking any exciting aspect or attractive design. We left the headlights on in multiple occasions, partially because we were used to auto on/off headlights in previous test cars, but also because the warning chime after you take out the key is very soft and ended up being unnoticed. Lastly, the Jetta comes with a 115V power outlet, but only one standard 12V outlet. On road trips, it’s frequent that multiple gadgets need to be powered.

Ultimately, we love the 2009 Jetta TDI. Better-than-hybrid fuel economy, fun to drive, attractive, “cool,” and reasonably priced - what’s not to love? Our review model was a sedan, but the Jetta TDI is also available as a SportWagon model, which gives you 33 cubic ft of cargo room, or 67 cubic ft with the rear seats folded down. Why do small SUVs exist? If you’re in the market for a new hybrid, buy this car instead. If you’re just looking for a small/midsize efficient sedan or wagon, buy this car instead.

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  From 21/29 mpg | MSRP from $18,999

  
  

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Volkswagen Golf GTi MK2 buying guide

What to do when you want to buy a second hand Volkswagen Golf GTi MK2 car? note that we are talking abotu Used Cars Market, it’s not a brand new car.

Watch this video and shout out your opinion to us, is it worth to buy a second hand Volkswagen Golf GTi MK2 car?

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2009 Audi Q7 Review

2009 Audi Q7 3.6 Prestige quattro S-Line

For this review, I’m going to try and tame my urge to make intermittent comments about my general distaste for large, overpriced, and overweight SUVs. I really like Audis, and my experience thus far has been that they don’t make anything that I don’t like. It couldn’t be all that bad, could it?

After all, it’s undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best-looking SUVs on the road. Put it up against it’s siblings - the Porsche Cayenne and VW Touareg - and it’s a freaking supermodel.

The 2009 Q7 is a pleasant drive, as I would expect it to be, and has your typical family-hauling SUV features and a few extras such as leather seating with heated front seats, dual-zone climate control (four-zone with the warm weather package,) bluetooth connectivity, lots of safety bits, navigation, HID headlights, 3rd row seating, a power liftgate, and Audi’s MMI interface. Many technology and luxury features come standard, and includes some features which aren’t available as an option on other SUVs.

The Q7 is bigger than some competitors, and therefore has plenty of space for cargo and passengers. The large size, however, combined with Audi’s superior build quality and solidness, adds to the weight of the vehicle, which tips the scales at over 5000 lbs. This decreases fuel economy and acceleration, which is partially remedied by the newly available 3.0-liter TDI engine which burns diesel. I hope gets the attention it deserves, and people begin to realize they can get hybrid-level fuel economy out of a diesel engine.

Despite its size, the Audi Q7 handles particularly well, and its suspension soaks up most bumps and potholes with ease. The Q7, which is classified as a large crossover SUV, is a pleasure to drive in-town in any weather, but I wouldn’t go too far off-road in it.

Our review model was a 2009 Audi Q7 3.6 Premium quattro Tiptronic S-line. The 3.6-liter V6 engine is the smaller of the two gasoline engines, and provides 280hp. We found this to be adequate for most, if a bit underpowered for the Q7’s weight of 5080 lbs. The power ran through a 6-speed automatic “Tiptronic” transmission to all four wheels. The other available engines are a 4.2-liter V8 providing 350hp, and a 225hp (369 lb-ft of torque) 3.0-liter FSI diesel engine which was just made available for 2009.

Our model was of the $5,900 “Prestige” trim, meaning it comes with the intelligent key, xenon headlights, voice control, rear view camera and sonar to assist in parking, navigation, Bose surround sound, and driver memory seat. Ours was also equipped with the optional $1,850 panorama sunroof which covers the front and rear of the vehicle, and the $1,150 warm weather package which includes four-zone climate control and window shades for the rear door windows and tailgate.

Last but not least, our Q7 tester was an S-line model, which includes bigger wheels, aluminum inlays, headlight washers, a modified front grille, S-line badging abound, a front, rear, and side body kit, and shift paddles for the 6-speed automatic. While the S-line makes it look more sporty and aggressive, I don’t really see the point, especially with the paddle shifters. Paddles aren’t going to trick you into thinking you’re driving a sports car, and ultimately serve very little purpose. Basically you’re buying a $3,000 appearance package.

While I like many things about the Q7 SUV - great looks inside and out, plenty of space, pleasant to drive, high quality, and lots of tech and luxury features - there are a few other things I didn’t like so much. The GPS was outdated and didn’t include some roads that have been here for a couple years, and you couldn’t use the GPS while moving. This is a pet peeve of mine. The center console is very small for such a large vehicle. There is only one cup holder in view, until you fold up a flap on the center console, which can get in the way at times. There is no standard auxiliary jack for MP3 players, which is an annoyingly common problem with Audis. Finally, the climate control system was confusing, and God-help-us, we never figured out how to turn the damn thing off. An “Off” button would have really helped. Ultimately, my biggest problem with the Q7 is that there was nothing about it that really stood out. Nothing that said “buy me instead of the Mercedes” like most Audis (other than the significantly better looks.)

Our model came in a hefty $60,375, and was almost fully loaded. You can get into a 2009 Q7 3.6 V6 for as low as $43,500. If you want to step up into the V8 model, you’ll have to fork over a minimum of $59,220 - which includes the high-end Prestige package. Getting into a 3.0 TDI model will start at $50,900.

Overall, the 2009 Audi Q7 is a capable people-carrier with plenty of luxury amenities, and a great in-town or long-distance cruiser. The V6 is a bit slow under acceleration, and both gas engines are thirsty; the V6 gets a combined 16 mpg, and the V8 guzzles at a rate of 15 mpg. I’m hoping the diesel version catches on here in the States. Although the numbers weren’t available at the time of this review, the increase in fuel economy will be significant.

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  Audi Q7

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  2009 Audi Q7

  
  

  From 14/20 mpg | MSRP from $43,500

  
  

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     2007 - 2009

     
     

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Competitors:

Infiniti FX

Acura MDX

Mercedes GL-Class

Volvo XC90

2009 Audi Q7 Photo Gallery:

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Win a Copy of Top Gear Season 10 on DVD

By now, I’m sure you’ve all seen an episode of the insanely popular British car show, Top Gear. If not, go record an episode on your DVR now, or check out the Top Gear Youtube Channel.

For the rest of us, BBC has just released Top Gear Season 10 on DVD, and we have four copies to give out! Keep reading for details.

If you recall, in Season 10 Jeremy and the boys crossed the English Channel in their own amphibious cars, raced a jet fighter in a Bugatti Veyron, drove across the Kalahari Desert in 20-year-old clunkers, raced motorhomes, drove the world’s smallest car, drove the amazing Caparo T1 street/F1 car, and quite a bit more. They also showcased some excellent cars such as the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Audi R8 and RS4, Rolls Royce Drophead, Ferrari 599 & 430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Reventon, and more.

Season 10 was a season to remember, and here are the details to win your own copy…

We’re all familiar with the crazy challenges that the producers give Clarkson and the boys, such as turning a minivan in to a convertible, buying their own semi-trucks and racing them, racing motorhomes, and turning regular cars into limousines (one of my favorites.)

Here’s how you win:

Come up with what you think the guys from Top Gear should do for their next challenge. It can be anything, and be creative! Leave your answer below in the comments section.

The two people with the best suggestions win! The winner will be chosen on May 18th, so be sure to have your entries in by 5/17/2009.

We will be giving away two more Season 10 DVDs after this contest, so check back often.

Go!

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Driver Nails Bison, Totals Fusion, Buys Another From Ford

From the “You’ve got to be kidding” files comes word (actually via FoMoCo) about a woman who was driving near Yellowstone Park and hit a BISON with her shiny new Ford Fusion and lived to tell about it. Not only did she live, but she was so impressed with the Fusion’s sturdiness, she bought another one as a replacement.

OK, so here’s the short version: Maureen Edgerton, 51, of West Yellowstone, Mt., was driving home on the night of April 11, when she unwittingly drove her 2007 Ford Fusion into a herd of bison. She was doing 55 MPH, even thought the highway was snowbound at the time, killed several of the migrating brutes and walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises.

Related Ms. Edgerton, “The crash was like a war scene. By the time it was over the hood was smashed in, the mirrors were ripped from the doors and the windshield was shattered, but the interior of the car wasn’t affected whatsoever. And the car was still running and not leaking fluid. Not even the tires were deflated. Everyone who came to the scene asked ‘what kind of car is this?’ because they couldn’t believe it was possible to walk away from such a crash,”

Yeah, I bet they were. Shoot, I was shaking my head just reading the subject line of Ford’s press release. Bison, also commonly known as the American buffalo, are enormous brutes. Most people have only seen them in pictures, but I’ve been up close and personal with them on more than one occasion, actually even touched one once. They’re roughly six feet tall and ten feet long and weigh more than a ton; roughly the size and weight of a Mazda Miata, only with a bad disposition and short curved horns.

Not only are they big and imposing, they can get plenty mean if crossed:

“Bison are among the most dangerous animals encountered by visitors to the various U.S. and Canadian National Parks, especially Yellowstone National Park. Although they are not carnivorous, they will attack humans if provoked. They appear slow because of their lethargic movements, but they can easily outrun humans—they have been observed running as fast as 35 miles per hour (56.3 km/h) per hour. Between 1978 and 1992, nearly five times as many people in Yellowstone National Park were killed or injured by bison as by bears (12 by bears, 56 by bison). Bison also have the unexpected agility, given the animal’s size and body structure, to leap over a standard barbed-wire fence,” so says Wikipedia.

Running into one, let alone a herd of them, at any appreciable speed has got to be devastating. I had an uncle that ran into a heard of cows that had wandered onto a highway after some fog rolled into the area. A cow is half the size & weight of a bison, and it nearly totaled the car he was driving. And the car he was driving wasn’t little, it was a Kaiser Manhattan, and he still considered himself lucky to walk away.

So what did Maureen Edgerton do after she tagged a heard of buffalo at freeway speeds? She went and got ANOTHER Ford Fusion because she was so “Impressed by the Fusion’s crash protection, safety features and fuel efficiency, Edgerton has picked the new 2010 Ford Fusion to be her next new vehicle.”

If I were Ms. Edgerton, I’d be buying lotto tickets.

Ford’s press release:

DRIVER SURVIVES HIGH-SPEED YELLOWSTONE BISON CRASH TO BUY FUSION AGAIN

SUMMARY:

* Montana driver buys a 2010 Ford Fusion to replace her totaled 2007 Fusion after walking away from a catastrophic crash with a herd of bison near Yellowstone Park

* The all-new 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid – the most fuel efficient midsize car in North America – feature exclusive safety technologies and are “Top Safety Pick” rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

* Among the Fusion’s segment-exclusive safety and driver-aid technologies are Blind Spot Information System (BLISTM) with Cross Traffic Alert and 911 Assist

CONTEXT / BACKGROUND:

Maureen Edgerton, 51, of West Yellowstone, Mt., was driving home on the dark night of April 11, when she unexpectedly slammed her 2007 Ford Fusion into a herd of bison. The 55-mile-per-hour impact totaled the car and killed several of the migrating “American buffalo” on the snowbound highway. Edgerton, however, walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises. Impressed by the Fusion’s crash protection, safety features and fuel efficiency, Edgerton has picked the new 2010 Ford Fusion to be her next new vehicle.

QUOTES:

“The crash was like a war scene. By the time it was over the hood was smashed in, the mirrors were ripped from the doors and the windshield was shattered, but the interior of the car wasn’t affected whatsoever. And the car was still running and not leaking fluid. Not even the tires were deflated. Everyone who came to the scene asked ‘what kind of car is this?’ because they couldn’t believe it was possible to walk away from such a crash.”

– Maureen Edgerton, Fusion owner and resident of West Yellowstone, Mt.

“The Fusion’s safety systems worked just as they were supposed to in Maureen’s accident. They saved her life. I don’t think there was any question in her mind when she came to us that her next car would be another Fusion, because the new model has even more safety technology on it than the one she’d been driving.”

– Gary Berg, sales consultant at Bozeman Ford Lincoln Mercury in Bozeman, Mt.

“While our customer’s bison collision certainly demonstrates how tough the 2007 Fusion is, we’ve designed the new Fusion to be even tougher. It proves that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.”

– Steve Kozak, chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems

DETAILS:

While Ford Motor Company does not have specific requirements to protect customers in collisions with bison or other animals, all of the company’s vehicles are designed and tested to meet rigorous crash safety requirements. These requirements help protect occupants in all sorts of collisions, even with bison, which can grow to more than 6 feet tall, 11 feet long and more than 2,200 pounds.

Having emerged from the accident relatively unscathed, Edgerton said the decision to buy another Fusion came easily. The new model has even more safety features, such as side curtain air bags and is “Top Safety Pick” rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It also comes equipped with optional all-wheel drive and delivers segment-leading fuel economy for Edgerton’s long drives up Rocky Mountain passes to visit her daughter in Seattle, Wash.

Maureen and her husband Doug Edgerton, who manufacture and sell ski grooming equipment, have driven Ford vehicles for many years, including at present a 2005 Ford Escape XLT, a 2002 F-250 XLT diesel, 2008 F-250 XLT V10. Previous to purchasing her 2007 Fusion, Maureen put 250,000 miles on a 1999 Ford Taurus.

Front and side impact protection

Fusion gets some of its core strength from the use of lightweight high-strength steel in the body structure. The structure of the Fusion helps it withstand intrusion in many accidents, including the most common frontal and side impacts.

The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle – from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps to channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.

Fusion’s front and side-protection elements include:

* The first use on a Ford vehicle of dual-phase, high-strength steel rails on the front end;

* Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip ;

* Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas;

* Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness – nearly a quarter inch of solid steel – above the beltline; and

* Front-seat side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows.

Segment-exclusive features

Among the segment-exclusive safety and driver aid technologies on the new Fusion is Blind Spot Information System (BLISTM) with Cross Traffic Alert and 911 Assist – a new feature integrated into the award-winning Ford SYNCTM hands-free system.

The 911 Assist feature is designed to aid occupants in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator if an accident that activates an air bag or the emergency fuel cutoff occurs. Unlike competitive systems that are routed through an intermediate call center, 911 Assist places the call directly to the 911 operator to speed response time.*

Safety comes standard

Fusion offers standard AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control, which uses sensors to detect, measure and help reduce side-to-side skidding conditions to help the driver keep the car tracking on its intended path.

Additional standard safety features include six air bags and Ford’s Personal Safety System®, BeltMinder® safety belt reminder, the LATCH anchor and tether system for child seats, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System.

*The cell phone or 911 Assist hardware may become damaged in a crash, the vehicle may lose battery power, or the cell phone may be thrown from the vehicle, which could prevent operation. Additionally, not all crashes deploy an airbag or activate the fuel pump shut-off, which are the criteria to initiate 911 Assist.

###

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 205,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

Photo from Flickr user R Doyle Bowman

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2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Car Images

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer



2009 Mitsubishi Lancer



2009 Mitsubishi Lancer

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Pontiac Conference Call Regarding the Phase-Out

So I just got off a conference call with the fine folks at the Pontiac Underground blog, and I thought I should answer a few questions that I’m sure many of you are asking yourselves regarding GM killing off Pontiac.

Needless to say, the tone of the call was somewhat bleak, but they were happy to answer all questions. I’ll go over a few questions that I’ve received regarding this, and a few other things that they mentioned on the call:

Jim Hopson, blogger for Pontiac Underground was the moderator, and came on the line clarifying that December 31st, 2010 will be the last day Pontiac exists. Along the line they will be stopping production on all models, but haven’t made a decision on when quite yet. The Q&A below is not verbatim, but summarized by myself.

Why Pontiac and not Buick?

This is the most frequently asked question I heard. In the United States, Buick is seen as a “Grandma’s Car” - a vehicle left for the folks collecting social security, and not a car a young person would even consider buying. However, Buick is a global brand. Especially in China, Buick is seen as a young brand. Teenagers and young buyers look forward to driving a Buick. GM sells more Buicks in China than Pontiac, Buick, and Cadillac combined in the US. Pontiac, however is not a global brand, and sells far less overall than Buick.

Buick is also very profitable in terms of profit-per-unit, as is GMC, whereas Pontiac is not.

If I have a Pontiac already ordered, will I still get it?

Most likely yes, and you can still order Pontiacs without fear of not receiving it. Pontiac will be updating us on when the ending production dates for each model will be. Now, I said “most likely yes” because the G8 is the most unpredictable model. It has a two-month delay on ordering because it has to be made and shipped from Australia. If you have any questions about this, contact Jim at pontiaciscar@gmail.com

Are there models that they will redistribute to their other brands like the G8 or the Solstice?

No. They thought about this long and hard, apparently, but ultimately decided that rebadging models cheapens both brands involved (interesting thing for GM to say!) Specifically regarding the G8 - since people are most upset about it - the Camaro and G8 share the same platform, and rebrading the G8 as a Chevy could take sales away from the Camaro, and would ultimately be a duplicate model in the line-up. I’m sure when they were thinking about each model, there was no car that didn’t have a sibling in another GM line. They said that this is a final decision, and that there was no way a model will be rebranded.

Will my current Pontiac be worth more money now?

Doubtfully, but it depends on the model. From the aspect of a collector or investor, it might be a good idea to buy a Solstice Coupe (only 800 made for 2009,) or a G8 GXP, which I could see being a classic after a few years. Pontiac really hit the nail on the head with the G8, so getting yourself a nice, fully loaded G8 GXP might be beneficial to your bank account, given some time. Might want to get a 2010 model year though (”last year made” could up the value.)

What about the warranty and service?

Warranties are served under GM, so your Pontiac warranty will still be honored in full. Service will also be performed at a GM dealership. They wanted to stress that the only thing changing about the safety of buying a car from Pontiac is perception. All other aspects will remain the same.

Overview

This was a quick summary of the call, and answers the main questions I heard about this piece of news. If you have any other questions or comments, leave them in the comments below.

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BMW’s New Flagship - the 760Li

What do most car companies do in these troubling financial and economic times? They release smaller, more efficient cars, develop new and innovative ways to save fuel and spend less, and try to ease the financial pain of buying a new car by offering unbeatable incentives and warranties never before seen. What does a company like BMW do in this situation?

They release a huge, snarling, expensive beast of a luxury car, which carries a twin-turbocharged V12 engine capable of 544 horsepower and 553 ft-lbs of torque. Sound about right?

The new car I speak of is the new BMW 760Li, which will be released in September 2009 as BMW’s new Flagship model. The 760Li will receive their new eight-speed automatic transmission, which helps the car reach 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds - pretty good for a heavy luxo-car like this - and hit an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.

As usual, the new 7-Series will come with all sorts of tech toys. Most notably is the Drive Dynamic Control which allows the driver to alter gear change, throttle response, power steering assistance, damper settings and Stability Control settings to customize their driving preference. All-wheel steering helps with turning radius, which a car with this much wheelbase surely could use. BMW’s night vision system with pedestrian recognition is also optional.

Luxury features of note are individually heated and cooled seats in front and rear, with a built-in massaging function. Rear seat passengers get an extra 5.5 inches of legroom over the current 7-Series, and all occupants get an interior surrounded in nappa leather, alcantara, and burr walnut trim.

The BMW 760Li will be available in September 2009. Prices will be announced closer to launch.

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