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Simply fantastic product and fantastic people. I had been suffering from white exhaust smoke and burning oil. I came across lots of symptoms on forums and came across the dreaded swirl flap issue. Needless to say I was very concerned and got in touch with PMW. There help, advice and expertise was invaluble.
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For many people, inefficient driving (in terms of fuel consumption) is a lifelong habit, born simply from the fact that many motorists have been driving for a lot longer than the few years that ideas about efficient driving have been around, which is fair enough. But a new satnav gadget from Vexia promises to provide a helping hand in altering such habits with the help of a polite reminder…
The idea is pretty simple. Econav monitors acceleration, braking and other such factors relating to general efficiency, and displays the information on its screen (as well as doing the standard satnav job). The company’s estimates put the potential saving at around a 30% drop in fuel consumption, which might seem a bit high compared with the more standard 5-17% estimated elsewhere, but nonetheless the potential to save a significant quantity of petrol is certainly there.
All in all it sounds like a pretty good idea (apart from the obvious paradox of a motoring device which is intended to reduce Carbon outputs etc… rather like 1 step forward and 5 back with every mile, but that is a wider debate which we’ll have to re-visit another time). In addition it seems logical to expect that those most keen to lower emissions and reduce consumption, will in all liklihood already have been hypermiling in their Priuses for some time now (ok so this is an exaggeration, but you see the point).
And so my first impressions went - Econav was a decent idea for reducing emissions and consumption, but still a motoring solution which, though easier to achieve some success (as opposed to advocating the abolition of cars for example), also comes with far lower potential return - i.e. it won’t make any super-significant contribution to saving the planet.
However the next day I found myself in the passenger seat of a relative’s car, only to suddenly become aware of some awful grinding sound coming from under the bonnet. I looked over in panic to see my relative distractedly humming along to the radio in total calm and serenity. Only then did I realise that the sound was actually what happens when one drives a Ford Escort at 55mph in third gear… Suddenly the Econav seemed absolutely mega essential.
And so it is this that I think this will be Econav’s biggest strength - to act as a helpful reminder for those drivers who simply do not pay too much attention to things like gear changes, or anticipating lights changes and all the rest of it (I am related to many such drivers I have now realised). For them Econav could save far more than even the lofty 30% quoted by Vexia, and would be a perfect gift idea for the next available opportunity…
Dejan Levi
Porsche has unveiled its new 911 GT3, which will be faster, more powerful and more refined than its predecessor. The car will make its world debut at the Geneva show in March and Europe-wide sales will start in May.
The six-cylinder naturally-aspirated power unit develops of 435bhp, up 20 bhp over its predecessor. The extra power is down to a 200cc increase in capacity to 3.8-litres and from the improved gas cycle. Now not only the intake, but for the first time also the exhaust camshafts are adjusted by VarioCam.
Read more at PistonHeads
With the future still offering sufficient room for an exciting new driving experience, BMW has once again defined a brand-new vehicle segment: The BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo is the series-based adaptation of the Progressive Activity Saloon (PAS). Offering a modern and impressive outlook on the extension of the BMW 5 Series by a new, additional concept.
Article continues at BMW news
The car starts selling in 2011. Hidden under heavy black disguise, the new four-door coupé only shows itself through the headlights, rear lights, side mirrors, tyres and the roof. Bits of the tailpipes can be seen sticking out through two rectangular tips on either side - similar to the new E-Class saloon. A front grille shaped like two kidneys could be mistaken for one from another German brand. The CLS was the pioneer of the 2+2-seater four-door coupé when it launched in 2004.
To read more and see the photos visit Evo.co.uk
Hi Peter,
Got home safely thanks. Engine re-map first class, initially it didn’t feel much different because as usual I was feathering the throttle alot. Once on the motorway though, the torque increase was very evident and the shove from 60 to 80+ phenominal, more like taking off in an aircraft than a car!!
Thanks again to you and your team for a thoroughly professional job well done and appreciated, it certainly makes a pleasant change in this day and age!
Phillip Strauss (Linconshire) 04/02/2009
Peter,
As a lifelong car enthusiast, having competed in rallies and restored a Lotus Elan Sprint to concours winning standard in the past, I found it impossible to find a garage to maintain my 330d to the level of perfection that I require. Most specialists fall way short and even the main dealers fail to offer the high level of service that would justify their charges.
I was therefore absolutely delighted a few years ago when a BMW forum recommended PMW. Right from my first communication with Peter Mould I knew that here was someone on the same wavelength as me, with a real passion for cars and a desire for perfection. He and his team have looked after my car faultlessly and I know that it is in the best possible condition. Obviously, I have saved a considerable amount of money compared to main dealer charges but to me that is just a bonus. If I had not discovered PMW I would certainly no longer have the 330d and I cannot thank them enough.
Robert Chambers (Essex) 03/02/2009
Forget monster bailouts and tax cuts: the German parliament has devised a far superior policy for helping its domestic auto manufacturers, as well as its citizens and the environment. Everyone wins, and the whole thing costs the taxpayer a good deal less than the huge bailouts that are being employed elsewhere in the world…
The basic premise is simple - if you have an old car (9 years+) then you can trade it in when buying a new one and the government will give you 2,500 euros towards your new purchase. So for example if you have a 12-year-old petrol-hungry banger worth a few hundred euros, and maybe 5,000 euros for a new car; simply trade in the banger and you now have 7,500 to spend on a new (or one-year-old) car. Alternatively, if you can find such a car for 2,500 euros or less, then you simply get a newer, better and more efficient car for free.
Not only will the policy stimulate consumer activity within the sector, encouraging people to buy at a time when few might otherwise, but the move will also go a huge way to converting Germany’s motorists to cleaner, newer and more efficient cars, ultimately also representing a positive step from an environmental perspective. Since many (if not most) of those choosing to take advantage of the offer will buy either a VW, BMW, Skoda, Mercedes or another domestically produced model, then the policy should kickstart domestic industry growth once again.
The ingenouity of the policy is what makes it truly worth our attention. German policy makers are not viewing the problem of an industry sector in trouble as an isolated one to be dealt with in quarantine. Instead they see the situation as an opportunity to re-build something newer and better: to find a solution that tackles not just this single issue, but many others.
Not only is this a sound economic policy for the auto industry, it also represents a clever environmental initiative. Perhaps even more importantly the plan is far more cost effective than simply throwing billions of euros of cheap loans at companies who have previously shown utter incompetence with regard to long-term planning (like some US firms for example).
It’s not just with regard to the auto-industry sector though that we should be taking notice of this plan. Indeed with massive economic relief being required almost across the board in most countries after a near total collapse of many major sectors, the situation effectively represents a chance to rebuild something fundamentally different to the flawed and unsustainable mechanisms that got us into this mess in the first place.
Rather than throwing billions of pounds trying to resuscitate the market as it was before the downturn, we should look to everywhere combine economic revival policies with environmental CO2 reducing ones, all the while trying to guarantee value for the taxpayers’ money. Simply throwing buckets of cash at companies and hoping they’ll do anything other with it than pay their execs more huge bonuses is not only evidence of a total failure to even grasp what kind of solution is required - it is also exactly what Gordon Brown’s government has been doing since this crisis began. Maybe it’s time they looked to Germany or even some of Obama’s recent initiatives from the White house for inspiration instead…
Dejan Levi
