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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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Labour have announced a new scheme to reduce the UK’s motoring carbon footprint - a cash incentive of up to £5,000 for those wishing to trade in an old petrol or diesel vehicle for an electric car. Of course the latter will cost a good deal more than £5k (how much more depends on which of a range of models you choose) - but the cash incentive nonetheless represents a significant improvement in the affordability of such vehicles.
The measure is expected to cost around £250m, and is seen as essential by the government in helping the UK meet its CO2 emissions reduction targets by 2020. (For more background see the Guardian online). As someone who is seriously cosidering taking up the offer I realised that one thing still held me back - it was the perceived state of current electric car technology.
I feel pretty sure that I am not alone in seeing electric cars as something still a bit experimental, and essentially a new technology which has not yet found its optimal parameters of operation (especially with regard to charging and battery design). In short, some degree of standardisation is required if the electric car is to lose its mystical qualities - which is surely an integral step in the success of this scheme.
However the second, equally invaluable, step is to raise awareness once this standardisation is achieved. Motorists need to understand that running such a car will be not only easier but also cheaper, and to get acquainted with this new (and strange for many) technology. Finally the government must convince sceptics that the increased dependence on the national grid for electricity can be negotiated without simply building more coal power plants. It is not good enough to simply (but expensively) move our CO2 emissions from the car exhaust to the coal plant chimney.
In short: plaudits for an initiative that removes (or at least reduces) one major hurdle to mass electric car adoption - the financial cost. However there remain a couple more obstacles to negotiate before I can imagine this scheme really taking off. We’ll keep you posted…
Dejan Levi
The new BMW 7 Series already sets the benchmark in luxury performance motoring - and now BMW is moving up the standard of maximum exclusivity and supremacy in this supreme class to an even higher level, following a completely new definition. The new BMW 760i and the new BMW 760Li are taking over the top position within BMW’s model portfolio, representing the highest level of motoring refinement in their segment.
The heart and foundation of this exceptional new standard comes from the twelve-cylinder power unit featured in both top models in the BMW 7 Series. Developed as a completely new engine from the ground up, the V12 is a master-piece of modern engine technology. Superior power of 400 kW/544 hp comes at an engine speed of 5,000 rpm, with maximum torque of 750 Newton-metres (553 lb-ft) from just 1,500 rpm.
Full article and photos at Carpages
Editors at TheCarConnection.com are big fans of Porsche styling—and you can see it at its best on the 2009 Porsche Boxster. The overall look is elegant and purposeful.
On the exterior, the 2009 Porsche Boxster is pure Porsche. According to Edmunds reviewers, the “2009 Porsche Boxster sports car comes as either the basic Boxster or the massaged, pricier Boxster S,” though they “are visually similar except for the additional center front grille opening, red brake calipers and dual exhaust outlets on the S.” Motor Trend notes that “in an effort to add masculinity, the new face is dominated by snortier air inlets and headlamps that each get two round beams arranged diagonally like a 917 race car’s to impart a more menacing mien.” Edmunds reports that base and S-model Limited Edition trims are “basically a retro paint theme with orange paint covering the exterior and parts of the interior.” The new Special Edition is offered only in Carrera White with black upholstery, light gray striping, and a gray convertible top. Fewer than 50 Special Editions will be built.
Article continues at The Car Connection online
Four years after the market launch of the W 221 model series, Mercedes Benz is presenting the 2009 Mercedes Benz S-Class. Trailblazing innovations in the areas of comfort and drive engineering combined with state-of-the-art technology for enhanced safety ensure the Mercedes Benz flagship’s position as the brand’s innovator and underscore its pioneering role in the automotive industry as a whole.
Efficient Diesel and Petrol Engines
The range of engines for the 2009 Mercedes Benz S-Class comprises six powerful units: one diesel variant and five petrol engines with six, eight and twelve cylinders. Detailed fine-tuning of these engines has been supplemented with additional fuel economy measures as part of the BlueEFFICIENCY package. These include aerodynamic optimisation, demand-controlled fuel pumps and the fuel-efficient gearshift programme for the standard 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission.
Read more at Carpages
The Guardian has been reporting on developments regarding plans to introduce a Europe-wide system of automobile surveillance based upon the use of transmitter boxes which would be installed in all new cars as early as 2013. It is understood that the UK government will back the proposals (again see the Guardian report for full background) under the proviso that such technology will help to reduce pollution, accidents and improve general safety.
At this stage it seems that much still depends on the quality of the technology - but if adequately refined and perfected, the boxes would transmit a ‘heartbeat’ or pulse into a universal grid every half second or so, meaning that the central network will be able to track exact position and trajectory (and hence possible collisions with other vehicles) among other things. It can warn drivers of speed limit changes, be used to enforce such limits and alert us to hidden dangers such as unexpected congestion (much like many motorway electronic signs do already).
All in all it sounds like a lot of generally positive things could come from it - though of course the trade-off once more is privacy, and it has understandably not gone by unnoticed by rights campaigners. However the reality is that surveillance and tracking systems are already in use (from number plate recognition cameras to speed and traffic light ones) and this represents merely a development on such practices rather than a sudden and entirely new concept.
This is not to say though that the details of this new technology are already decided. Indeed as with all things it seems essential to enter the debate at this early stage so that we can ensure a reasonable compromise between privacy and practicality that satisfies as many and as much as possible. And since major technological hurdles must be first overcome, there is plenty of time to discuss what the finished thing will do and what the boundaries of its use will be.
For example, what of older cars on our roads built before 2013? Since the grid will be blind to such cars is there a danger of more accidents since drivers of newer cars could have a false sense of security in the omnipotence of their technology? Could the system be used to track stolen cars and how would this work? What of situations where some law breaking is necessary for whatever reason (e.g. overspeeding momentarily to avoid a collision on the motorway for example)?
Perhaps most importantly, how will our identities be protected in such a grid - and who would have access to this information in the first place? Will this simply open up yet another area in which our private details are externally stored and therefore vulnerable to theft or misuse? The pricing of the initiative is currently being touted at £36m - but considering the ambitious scale and depth of it I am highly suspicious that this figure represents only the smallest initial step of what could turn out to be a massively expensive scheme. So what will it really cost in its entirety - not just to install but also to maintain?
Like many who are new to this proposed scheme my guard went up immediately at the thought of even more state surveillance and decreased privacy - but upon further consideration it seems that such changes are inevitable in some form or another, so perhaps it makes more sense to try and constructively engage in maximising the positive effects of such (most importantly reducing accidents and road deaths across Europe) - and minimising the negative impact on individual privacy. It probably (hopefully!) is possible but only if we speak up and voice our concerns - please feel free to let me know what you think below.
Dejan Levi
The new Mercedes Benz M-Class arrived in the showrooms towards the end of last year, having undergone a minor facelift and a few additions to the standard feature list.
Most people who are thinking of buying an Mercedes Benz ML will not fail to be impressed by the sheer size of the car and array of on-board electronics, some of which take some getting used to and time spent with the handbook.
But let’s start with the Mercedes-Benz M-Class’ exterior changes. There is no mistaking that it is a Mercedes, with its larger new grille dominating the front end, above a re-styled front bumper with a new, simulated skid plate or under-guard. The headlight clusters now feature projection beams and at the rear, the taillights have a smoked glass appearance.
Full story and photos continue at Carpages
The BMW Group has been given a ringing endorsement by the UK’s fleet industry for its fuel-saving and emissions-reducing technologies by winning a string of prestigious awards.
The Fleet News Awards 2009 are judged by a panel of industry experts and the key decision makers in the corporate car market chose BMW and MINI vehicles for five of the possible 11 product awards. The MINI range was recognised as ‘Best Residual Value Star’, while the BMW 1 Series and BMW 5 Series were awarded ‘Best Small Premium Car’ and ‘BMW Executive Premium Car’ respectively. The new BMW 7 Series won its first UK award being crowned ‘Best Luxury Car’ and the BMW X5 won ‘Best Large SUV’.
Article continues at BMW news
Porsche is expanding the successful Cayenne range with the Porsche Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3, which will be limited to just one thousand numbered units worldwide. This new Porsche Cayenne model features styling cues that underline the V8-powered, high-performance personality of this Porsche and it will be available to special customer orders from May 2009.
The clear imprint of the Porsche Design Studio, based in Zell am See, Austria, which is one of the world leaders in industrial and product design, on this new Porsche Cayenne model can be seen in the choice of the paintwork colour, Lava Grey Metallic, chosen to emphasise the sporting stance of the car. This is underlined further by design stripes along the side and on the bonnet and 21-inch diameter SportPlus alloy wheels that are also colour co-ordinated to match the special exterior colour.
Read more at Carpages
