http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/altern...e_verification/

Spoiler:
>220mi Range (6hr charge)
0-60 in 3.9 seconds
60-0 in 105 feet
Lateral acceleration: 0.92g
$107k (top-of-the-line)

Now they should test the $49k base model with the weaker motor and smaller battery. That one has a 0-60 quoted around 6.5 seconds and a 150 mi range I believe. It might handle even better with less weight though.

My round-trip commute is 80 miles and I complain about it and this thing can go 220 mi. The base model can go 150. There's basically a couple of days a year I would need a different car, or access to a fast-charging station somewhere on the way. The other 363 days I could drive this car no problem. As they point out, this car can basically compete dollar-for-dollar with the best BMW, Mercedes and Porsche have to offer performance-wise. And the really weird this about this car.... it's American.

We've seen this type of thing before. Car forum members coming together to help each other out and produce something that someone will enjoy before their life ends. (see http://www.elantraclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=24963 - Tyler's Toy)

This one comes from across the pond where a Subaru member promised his son that they would go to a car show with modified cars. The timeline has moved up rapidly after just hearing about 2 inoperable brain tumours. This 11-year-old boy has already battled and beat cancer twice, but this last battle will sadly be lost.
http://jalopnik.com/5939202/help-a-british...r-his-dying-son

The father - Zippy - has already got a space to host a car show, and has (as of writing) 268 cars attending! The best thing a parent can do is to keep their children happy, even in the darkest moments.

So if you happen to be over in England - Near Manchester - you should add your name to the list and help keep a boy happy and show off your car.
*snif* Thoughts are with you and your son Zippy!

http://bbs.scoobynet.com/scoobynet-general...lease-help.html

For a 12 year old car, my mother's 2000 Toyota Camry isn't all that bad, but it's got a couple serious issues. Thought I'd start a thread to show some work as it goes, but here are pictures showing the worst of it: the wheels look like complete crap (believe it or not, very little "curb rash" -- that's just corrosion and peeled paint) and a cracked up rear bumper. Those and a complete detail will be my goals over the next couple of weeks. Nothing else huge planned, but if you've got some ideas for something cheap and easy to trick it out for an 80 year old woman, let me know

Both headlights were recently replaced and look really nice, so that's one less thing I need to do.

I did absolutely hate driving it today though and there's a CEL she didn't tell me about, so we'll have to see what that is.

If you've been under a rock... Progressive auto insurance's Snapshot product plugs into your car's OBD2 port and tattles wirelessly to the insurance company certain driving habits of yours. Progressive says you can only save money, not get a higher rate. Fine, maybe. You can try it out 30 days free with no commitment, so I did.

It's a small plastic device that was pretty easy to plug in. From my understanding it only reads the OBD2 data, and basically mileage and speed, but only uses the speed data to calculate acceleration and decceleration, not to tattle on speeding. In fact, only mileage and time-of-day (I guess more accidents happen after midnight) and hard braking affect the premium. They say acceleration does not affect the savings although it increases accident risk. (Huh? Then why ignore it...?) The definition of "hard" is 7mph/sec. Basically driving like your grandmother is aboard the car. It's doable but no fun, at least not in a straight line.I can guarantee lateral acceleration is not reflected in the data I'm seeing, so it probably doesn't have an accelerometer inside.

The device beeps quietly when it measures acceleration or braking harder than 7mph/sec (0.32g). It's good that it tells you what 0.32g feels like, but it can be distracting knowing there's a little bug judging your driving. I've second-guessed how hard to brake and how short to stop to avoid crossing the threshold, which itself can be dangerous. For example, when I do have a 2+ sec following distance(quite often) and the cars in front slow down suddenly in a jam, do I maintain my safe distance and pay more for insurance or just creep up closer and hope they don't totaly slam on the brakes? Yeah. Hm. The point is to teach drivers to go slower, not run yellow/red lights or roll across stop signs, but... anyway.I usually have music on and don't notice beep much (it's electronic a, so it could be part of the song).

They have done a good job with the website though. It breaks down the number of hard brakes and rapid accelerations per 100 miles for each car, as well as daily average mileage for each car. They also plot each category over time (daily) for each and the household/policy average. They give you little witty encouragement BS like "badges" for certain "accomplishments" and some obvious stupid "tips" on how to drive better. The intra-household competition is more motivating.

I'm on day 20, so I can say the following. My wife is ahem, "winning" because she doesn't have a long commute and because her Sentra is probably incapable of accelerating at 0.32g. She does brake "hard" about 2 times per 100mi.Somehow even that is better than my Elantra's 3-per-100mi. The GTI is worst in mileage because Sarah will take it when I don't. It's also worst of the three in hard braking occurrence but we both agree it's just too easy. 0.32g braking is routine and drama free in the GTI. Shockingly, my Elantra is does much worse on the "hard accel" category than the GTI. Like 8 vs 2. That's... hard to believe...

I was searching for something else and came across this article about a leather-wrapped Ferrari.

The best line from the article: "[the company] previously made headlines for creating a GBP 1million bulletproof SUV with seats made from whale foreskin." So, if you want the seats a little bigger, just rub them (insert rimshot).

Interesting way these people went about this. Kind of like the "pretend to be a valet" method of stealing a car but on a much larger scale.

http://autos.aol.com/article/how-illinois-...car-theft-ring/

A friend of mine has a 2006 CH Lancer 5spd Manual. He recently bought it with 60,000mi / 100,000km.

I took it for a drive and found that the clutch was quite heavy for a small car, I wouldn't it was like cable clutch heavy, but heavy compared to the Getz, Elantra and Accent I drive regularly.

The gears were resistant when down shifting and felt quite notchy. My Elantra is smooth as anything going into gears, this however was the complete opposite.

I know nothing about transmissions and is one part of a car I havent really got to know.

So I was wondering since the people on his Lancer forum have no idea, I thought the Elantra people here will certainly at least know a bit more.

Any thoughts?

Last Friday, June 22, 2012, the Wankel rotary engine's last remaining and steadfast devotee, Mazda, produced their final rotary engine in their Hiroshima plant. The Wankel engine never really fulfilled its promises and hopes, though over its history over 25 major automobile, motorcycle, tractor, and aircraft companies, ranging from Suzuki to Rolls-Royce, were actively researching, developing, and/or building the piston-less engine. The Wankel motor is one of those things that, for all its issues, was just too pure and beautiful for engineers to ignore. With far fewer parts than a regular reciprocating piston engine and a visually elegant design, it's no wonder Mazda kept with it. For a given displacement, it produces far more power than a given piston engine, at a much smaller size and weight. It can rev faster and is inherently smooth, since the motive force is rotational from start to finish— not the back-and-forth hopping of a piston engine. The down side is that Wankels are always a bit more fuel-gluttonous than a piston engine, and almost always have dirtier exhaust. Poor fuel economy and more polluting are pretty much the only strikes you need against you in our modern age, so the mainstream Wankel is going away.More »




source: http://jalopnik.com/5921410/the-last-mazda-wankel-engine-has-been-built




Another good read; http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...engine-era-ends

Interesting article popped up on my list today...

article here

I figured I'd start a little thread here listing my other car project.

my 1986 Pontiac Fiero that I've had since summer 2003
It seems like it's a relatively rare colour, since the most I've been seeing are, maroon, black, red and white... only a handful of gold ones, and only one other locally.
Here she sits before I bought the Elantra.


So I'm sitting at my parents place in the spare bedroom (they turned my old room into storage as they do some re-modeling). Tomorrow morning I'll get up early and prepare to move Fiona around and build a workspace for her. Right now she's sitting on a tarp under a car shelter, it has held out through 2 winters so far.

The idea last time I was here is to make a ramp extending from a hill. So that I drive the car out onto these 4x4s atop of cinder blocks and then have full access to the underside of the car.

Repairs to do:
-emergency brake lines
-oil pan leak (have to drop the exhaust)
-see what else is wrong while I'm under it
-front wheel bearings that I'll be able to pop in no problem (no press needed - yay!)
-swap the drivers glass into my original door and finish connecting the power windows/locks. (I will be able to 'roll' down the passenger window(safely) while driving. This will get rid of the junkyard white door that's sooo out of place.
-interior wise I've got to take a look at the seatbelts and see how bad they have been destroyed (mice?)
-I picked up a front swaybar from a guys parts car. Since there is no rear swaybar on these things it'll be a nice addition. Yes, I'll be putting the front swaybar on the rear of the car. It's essentially 2 front ends put back to back, so no problem there... and others have done it with no issue.

Plans for the interior are to swap in the RD Tiburon dash console and door panels (which I have sitting in my Elantra back seat)
Imagine this interior (different colour)
There will need to be some modifications, but nothing I can't handle (I think)
The swap won't be until next year though, unless I get my hands on the electrical diagrams and get to molding things. Just don't see it in the cards this year.
If I get to doing some fiberglassing this summer I'll get to making a spoiler on the spare decklid I picked up earlier. Think Noble spoiler.
Suspension will be on the list for next year along with new tires... it's gonna drop!

I'll take pictures along the way (as I have in the past)

Surprised no one posted on this, i even searched Shelby.

He passed away back on May 10, 2012



Mustangs and Ford were forever changed for the better thanks to him!

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dr.../1#.T8xXPNUQs5w

Granted... this is FoxNews... I thought this was a pretty good article.

Energy in America: Ethanol concerns bring customers to more costly 'pure' gas stations


VIDEO IN ORIGINAL FEED


York County, Pa. – When looking to fill up your tank, would you drive farther to pay more? Randy Hake's customers are doing just that, since he's the only gas station in York County, Pa., selling "pure" ethanol-free fuel.

"I get 20.1 miles to the gallon, in-town driving. I used to get 13," said Sue Cannon who drives 20 miles to Hake's from her home in Hanover, Pa.

Studies show straight gasoline gets 2 to 10 percent better gas mileage than fuel made with ethanol, an alcohol produced from corn. It costs about 20 cents more per gallon at the pump, but Cannon says paying more up front is worth it down the road. She started using "pure gas" five weeks ago, after paying $12,000 for repairs on her 2005 Nissan Pathfinder.

"I had to change two radiators and two transmissions," said Cannon, who blames the damage on ethanol.

Right now, gasoline sold at more than 95 percent of filling stations in the U.S. contains 10 percent ethanol, a blend known as E-10.

Ethanol was first added to gasoline 30 years ago. Bob Dinneen, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, says it's an American success story, utilizing fuel sources like corn, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and reducing gas prices by $1.09 a gallon in 2011.

"Ethanol is an American-made product," Dinneen said. "We are creating jobs here. We are creating economic opportunity here. We are lowering gasoline prices here, as opposed to a pure gasoline that is lining the pockets of regimes in parts of the world that don't like us very much."

Now, the ethanol debate is heating up.

The ethanol industry petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to add 5 percent more ethanol to fuel, creating a mix known as E-15. The EPA recently approved it for use in cars made since 2001.

Proponents say E-15 will save drivers 5 cents more a gallon and is expected to be available as early as this summer.

However, a newly released two-year study suggests millions of cars and light trucks being driven today may not be able to handle the new fuel blend.

"Ethanol attracts water, and that can result in corrosion in the system," said Rayola Dougher from the American Petroleum Institute. "We're hitting what they're calling a blend wall, where you're required to use ever greater volumes of ethanol in the gas distribution system but it goes beyond what the cars are being designed for. And this is particularly an issue with E-15."

The study, sponsored by the oil industry group and automakers, tested eight engines found in millions of cars currently on U.S. roads. The study found two of the eight malfunctioned and suffered significant damage while fueled by E-15.

The U.S. Department of Energy, which tested E-15 on vehicles prior to the EPA's decision, disputes the study, calling it "unreliable and incomplete".

The American Petroleum Institute accuses the federal government of the same, and it is suing the EPA to force more research before E-15 becomes available at gas stations this summer. A decision is expected in June.

Regardless, Randy Hake says you won't find any corn-based gas products for sale at his filling station.

"We need to put it in our stomachs and our animals stomachs, rather than our gas tanks," Hake said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/16/ethan.../#ixzz1v5L4vDx8

I'm sure it'll go away but if not oh well.

An Exploding Airbag Branded An Audi Logo On This Man’s Arm.



Although car owners have been customizing their vehicles since the dawn of the automotive age, rarely has a car been known to customize its owner. Until now — when an Audi driver allegedly found his arm branded with the steering wheel's four-ring logo when the airbag deployed. I mean, getting a tattoo to show your love of things automotive is nothing new, but rarely does it happen without the person's consent.

But that's what appears to have happened to one Jalopnik reader who crashed his Audi A4 and when the airbag deployed, his arm supposedly caught the steering wheel logo at the perfect angle to leave an iconic memento of the accident. But, instead of crying over spilt Audi parts, the West Virginia resident proudly displayed his branded arm in this photo he posted on Facebook and sent to us.

Of course, accidents like this have been found, in the past, to be hoaxes — this looks more like an impact bruise than a permanent "branding."

Photo Credit: Jalopnik


source: http://jalopnik.com/5907298/an-exploding-airbag-branded-an-audi-logo-on-this-mans-arm

Nissan execs admitted they looked heavily at the Sonata during the design process of the 2013 Altima. Wow, have times changed!


source: http://wardsauto.com/north-america/sonata-sways-new-altima-design-nissan-sets-sights-camry

I see at least a dozen of these Captivas driving around down here in Florida. Most have had Tennessee license plates, but this one had Florida plates. Just happened to be right in front of me at a stop light so I was able to snap a couple pictures.

While searching online, it appears that the Captiva is made by Daewoo but has not been available in USA. Browsing the chevy website it doesn't come up. Anyone else seen one of these around or know how/where they're getting them? They look smaller than an Equinox.

Read here to check out Top Gear's take on a little get-together some F40 owners staged in Barcelona. And enjoy.

Trade in your Elantra for a Maybach.

Buy 5 Elantras with the rebate.

WSJ reports that Ford will ditch the retro Mustang styling and restyle it to appeal to younger audiences.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120416/CARNEWS/120419878

The end result won't look exactly like this, but if I were Ford, I'd just keep pumping out the current design, even in lower quantities, and name this new car something else. I like it, but it's not a Mustang.



Just like this POS wasn't a Mustang (and, hopefully for Ford, no one ever pictures this when they think of Mustang):

Probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen.
It sounds cheesy at first, but once it's all layered, modulated and mastered... Oh man.

Autoguide just posted this today it looks kinda sharp on not the biggest fan of scion but i do like them since they look like kid cars. IMO the car is priced okay, i would pick the genesis over the scion fr-s. http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/03..._source=twitter

I just about peed in my pants when I saw this headline over at the Rush Lane website:

"Hyundai Elantra Turbo, 2012 Elantra GT and three door Veloster Turbo: A lot on the offing"

Here's a quote:


Exciting huh?

Sadly, I continued reading and you should do the same.

http://www.rushlane.com/hyundai-elantra-tu...ng-1230929.html

Idiots.

I can't believe they're bringing back the Dart nameplate. Since there's no Plymouth anymore, I'd have used Valiant if you're going to go that route. Regardless:

Link to Article

Kind of ho-hum design IMO, like an only-slightly-updated Neon.

Full Article:

http://www.theledger.com/article/20120227/NEWS/120229368

Interesting article about the general boom in sales (foreign and domestic) and how it really affects things. We think -- booming sales, more jobs, everything good. Somewhat true, but it places a strain on supply chains as some suppliers have adjusted by serving other markets, and auto executives (chastised for high costs leading up to the bailout) now must hire more workers (which equals more cost, which could bite them in a downturn).

In the end it's positive, but growing/shrinking pains can wreak havoc on fragile economies.

The part that interested me:

Check out this article that i wandered into for a billion dollar prize for 100mpg car. Now if this gets approved this could be an interesting challenge for the auto industry!

"-If California Representative Dan Lungren has his way, automakers may soon have an incentive other than environmental responsibility to design and produce cars that deliver fuel economy of 100 miles per gallon.

According to Fox News, Lungren has introduced a bill in Congress that would award a a $1 billion prize to the first automaker that builds and successfully launches a 100 mpg car. As you’d expect, there are strings attached to the potential prize.

First, the automaker must bring the car to market and sell 60,000 examples to qualify. The car must run on gasoline, not battery power, and must be built by a manufacturer incorporated in the United States.

No car currently on the market would even come close to qualifying for the prize, which seems to ignore all other factors in the name of fuel economy. Could a car return 100 mpg on gasoline and still deliver the comfort, safety and performance that buyers have come to expect? Based on existing technology, our guess would be no.

It’s also odd that diesel, which holds more promise for delivering the type of fuel economy envisioned, seems to be excluded from consideration. Maybe that’s the point Lungren is trying to make, and setting the bar high ensures that manufacturers will work to develop fuel-saving technologies that don’t exist today.

We have no idea how the prize, if approved, will be funded, but we like the basic concept behind the idea. When it comes to pushing the envelope of technology, few incentives through the ages have worked better than cold, hard cash.-"

I would love to get my hands on a car that gets better gas mileage then my scooter but i don't know how far this will go before someone steps on this bill to shut it down.

We can only cross our fingers and hope this gets pushed thru!


http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1072843...for-100-mpg-car

Cadillac CUE raises the bar with capacitive touch, haptic feedback, dual-screen display.






Will capacitive touch controls and a user-configurable LCD instrument panel make Cadillac the Cadillac of cars again? That's the hope of the flagship brand for General Motors with the Cadillac User Interface, or CUE. Cadillac aims to blend technology, ease of use, and luxury in hopes of cracking the top three in sales among luxury cars. After working with one of GM's cockpit simulators it's clear that Cadillac is on the right track even as it's likely to have the teething pains BMW and Audi went through in developing their signature human-machine interfaces. Early adopters of CUE who didn't study at Georgia Tech may find Rev 1.0 to have a bit too much in-your-face in the interface. Four years of focus groups, research, and design may not be enough for GM to realize how uncomprehending mainstream users can be when it comes to new tech.

Read more @ the source.

source: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/116889-cadillac-cue-raises-the-bar-with-capacitive-touch-haptic-feedback-dual-screen-display?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ziffdavis%2Fextremetech+%28Extremetech%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

So here is a list of features that come on cars and truck that make me want to kill peolpe.
1. Auto headlights, omg really? If your not smart enough to turn your headlights on you shouldn't be driving.
2. TPMS, they never tell the right pressure, they never act right, If you cant check your tires every time you put gas in or change your oil, you shouldn't be driving.
3. DRL, ok i know its a safety thing but, i don't like them because it shortens the life of the bulb.

So just a few things that i hate, lets here yours.

Well, my friend just traded in his old Corolla and decided to buy himself another Corolla. This surprised me since he was looking at the Kia Soul and the Fiat 500. He was more inclined towards the Kia.

The main reason he went with Toyota again was because he was worried about resale value. Then again, he went with the base model Corolla. No power windows, no cruise control, and he is now getting reaquianted with a manual transmission. It's not a bad looking car, but it is very bland and dated! I think he finally admitted that I have a better car. One the plus side, he lowered his payments by $80 per month, but that was only after he haggled with them on his trade. Of course, the dealer was most likely trying to screw him on the trade. I got more on my Honda this year than he did on his Toyota.

He's happy with his choice. I just hope he doesn't eventually have a new car hangover. Me, I'm definitely happy with my Hyundai.

くそおお！


*
That supposed to be Oh shit! in Japanese...