New Rolls-Royce To Roll Out

Rolls-Royce has always been known as the brand of car that you should buy if you want to rub shoulders, elbows and hips with the rich and famous. Today, Rolls-Royce cars are no longer produced by the same company that started the Rolls tradition for luxury and performance. It is now a subsidiary of BMW and so far, the prestige brand continues to churn out great cars. The newest addition is the 101EX which is based on the Rolls-Royce Phantom-based concept car unveiled at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show.

According to the BMW subsidiary, the new addition to their lineup completes the Phantom family. The automaker is confident that the new car which will be manufactured starting next summer will be a success. Ian Robertson, chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce said: “The Phantom has the top end of the market all to itself. It has no competitor of any significance in this industry.” This statement was translated by Edmunds to: “Frumpy Maybach is no threat, leaving Rolls-Royce free to expand the Phantom family whenever and however it chooses.”

The leading online source for auto information’s take on the new Rolls-Royce goes like this: “We find the Bentley Continental GT a lot more attractive than this Phantom-based coupe. But in this case, it really doesn’t matter what we think: Rolls-Royce is confident it can sell every Phantom derivative it builds.”

What will power the new Rolls-Royce is the same powerplant that other derivatives of the Rolls-Royce Phantom uses, a 6.75-liter V12 engine which produces 453 bhp. The BMW subsidiary’s chief designer Ian Cameron describer what they did with the car saying: “With this car we wanted to emphasize the performance potential of the 6.75litre V12 engine and the effortless experience that it delivers. Whilst never overtly sporty, Rolls-Royce is a brand that has always offered owners a powerful and refined drive combined with, as Sir Henry Royce described it, a bit of fizz.”

Ian Robertson added: “This new model represents an important milestone in the company’s history. It completes the Phantom family and judging by the customer reaction to 101EX, we are confident of its success. Our challenge lies in meeting the exceptional levels of customer demand for the Phantom range and in preparing Goodwood to meet the needs of future new cars.”

Other features of the new Rolls-Royce will be made known by the automaker in the following months. But we can expect it to come loaded with features that can be found on other Rolls-Royce Phantom.

RX-8’s X Factor!

The Mazda RX-8 is a natural wonder… a ride built for perfect performance and sophistication. If we’re going to talk about addiction, this is the perfect dose to get us all on top! I mean, the ride is unique – rich in all the standards we expect from a great car – and, most of all, it has a complete hot package! Get to know this ride and be familiar with the X factors that it possesses!

“1st Place! GOTTA HAVE IT” & “FUN TO DRIVE” 2007 RX-8 Grand Touring
Scored highest in comparison test: Best Sports Car for $35,000.
RX-8 Grand Touring / Audi TT 2.0T / Nissan 350Z / Ford Shelby G… a champion prizefighter, so much so that during our driving loop the RX-8 was actually the fastest car on the real-world roads.” Comparison test: Best Sports Car for $35,000.
RX-8 Grand Touring / Audi TT 2.0T / Nissan 350Z / Ford Shelby GT – Car and Driver 6/2007

“With the unique hum of the rotary engine, 50:50 even weight distribution and adequate seating for four adults, Mazda’s RX-8 combines the fun of driving a true sports car and the practicality needed to travel with more than one passenger.” – Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)

Let’s get into the deeper side of the RX-8 with these luscious standard features courtesy of MazdaUSA.com:

• DVD-navigation system with retractable 7″ LCD screen
• Foot pedals, aluminum including foot rest on MT
• Heater/Defroster, with rear duct
• Mirror, rear view autodim with HomeLink®, day/night view
• Power windows, illuminated switches with driver’s one-touch-down feature
• Rear storage console with lid
• Remote releases, trunk lid / fuel door / hood
• Scuff plates, black with aluminum accents
• cloth with cloth door trim
• leather with synthetic leather door trim
• bucket type with integrated head restraints
• power driver’s seat (8 way)
• Shift knob, aluminum and leather wrapped on MT
• Shift knob, leather wrapped w/silver accent on AT
• Steering Wheel, leather wrapped with tilt
• Storage console, overhead with sunglasses holder
• AM/FM stereo w/single CD player and six speakers
• Antenna integrated in rear glass
• Bose® 9-speaker 300 watt sound system
• AM/FM stereo w/In-dash 6-CD changer
• SIRIUS Satellite Radio System with 1 year free subscription
• Air bags: front/side/curtain for driver & front passenger
• Alarm with immobilizer
• Front seatbelts – 3-point with pretensioners & force limiters
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Anti-lock Brake System w/Electronic Braking Dynamics (EBD)
• Dynamic Stability Control w/Traction Control System (TCS)

Toyota collaborates with DENSO to release MathWorks R2006b

The release of the MathWorks R2006b was a success. The Toyota Motor Corporation and DENSO collaborated to support its successful release. DENSO was the Japanese car maker’s primary automotive electronics supplier. The efforts between the two companies have finally paid well.

The new transition served as the bridge for both companies to continue doing business with Model-Based Design and automatic embedded code generation technology. The use of MathWorks simulation, code generation products, modeling, and the development of programs for the powertrain control as well as the electronics control units give both companies stability.

Toyota Electronics Engineering Division’s general manager, Kazuhiko Hayashi, said, “Toyota and DENSO have been very satisfied by the support services and new product capabilities provided by The MathWorks and Cybernet Systems during the last three and a half years of our pilot and long-term agreements for support of our production version. Toyota believes that the transition to R2006b will help us develop automobiles more efficiently. We expect to achieve significant productivity improvements from R2006b features, including code generation using Real-Time Workshop® Embedded Coder for mass production software. Toyota has been working with The MathWorks to enhance their products, which will help to further expand deployment of Model-Based Design in automotive applications at Toyota and DENSO. We expect that our relationship with The MathWorks will continue for a long time into the future.”

The collaboration of the two companies also brings out the success of other programs such as MATLAB®, Stateflow®, Simulink® and Real-Time Workshop which also are production programs. DENSO and Toyota also worked with MathWorks for two years.

MathWork’s vice president of design automation development Andy Grace was also noted saying, “Toyota and DENSO’s commitment to Model-Based Design exemplifies the way in which MathWorks software is increasingly being adopted by automotive industry leaders around the world for product design and development. We began our close relationship with Toyota and DENSO over twelve years ago in a collaborative effort to define the engineering tools needed by the automotive industry. After building widespread use in their R&D groups, we set the goal of effective deployment of MathWorks software in their production environment. This effort required a firm commitment to improving the quality of our products for our customers. Our strong working relationship with Toyota and DENSO has now enabled us to meet this goal. We are looking forward to Toyota’s accelerating deployment of R2006b and Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder for modeling, simulation, and automatic code generation for production applications. We plan to continue to improve our tools to address their future production needs.”

Tips to Boost Efficient Fuel Consumption

Refilling in my car with fuel is such a pet peeve. That is every time I see the gauge that might be running a bill as high as $40.

For quite some time, I have been researching of what is the best thing to do to gain efficient fuel consumption. But, I rarely see one with a clear point. However, I got fortunately just recently. I found a nice post in middletownjournal.com last weekend. Actually, they say it is from Miami Valley mechanic and fueleconomy.org. These are the ten tips discussed:

1. Check tire pressure: According to David Schnieder, the owner of Dare Automotive Specialists in Dayton, “Tire inflation is critical. Inflate the tires to 10 percent below the maximum air pressure given on the side of the tire.” Checking the tire pressure at least once a month is recommended by Bill Emmons, the owner of East David Automotive in Daytona.

2. Check filters and systems: Alan Tackett, a part-owner of Preferred Car Care in Springfield, stated, “A fuel system cleaning will clear up the fuel passages and gets carbon buildup out. This lets fuel burn cleaner and easier.” Usually, every 40,000 – 50,000 miles is the recommendation for a fuel filter change. However, to attain better gas mileage, 20,000 – 30,000 would be much ideal, as per advised by Darrin Field, owner of Field’s Auto Service in Middletown. He also pointed that fuel injector cleaner should be every 3,000 miles.

3. Think aerodynamically: “When you have the air on, keep the windows up because of the aerodynamics of the car,” as said by Schnieder. Having the windows down creates a pull and slows down the car. On the other hand, driving with the air conditioning off will improve gas mileage. That is only if the windows are kept up. Therefore, air on and windows up is much preferable than air off and windows down. Smooth out dents, as it affects the aerodynamics of the car, wherean air won’t flow over the car right and will slow it down. That is because anything that changes the aerodynamics will eventually cause the reduction in fuel economy.

4. Condense trips: try combining as many trips as possible. Gas and time are both saved. Make changes on work hours if it will be throwing you in the rush-hour traffic. You can even set-up a carpool schedule with your co-workers. Or, even use public transit system sometimes.

5. Keep the car tuned-up: “When everything is working right, that is when your car is at his top performance, and that is when it gets better gas mileage,” said Brooks. Emmon recommended checking the alignment and brakes to cut down friction that could slow the car down. Make sure there are no fuel leaks. Make use of the recommended oil for your engine. Oil with “energy conserving” on the label will help reduce friction in the engine, increasing your gas mileage. According to Windred Coldwell, the owner of Coldwell’s Auto Repair in Hamilton, keep the antifreeze and other fluids ate the appropriate levels and keep your radiator flushed out.

6. Buy a new car: go for a fuel-efficient model. Coldwell said to get a 4- or 6-cylinder vehicle, as anything higher will get worse gas mileage. Hybrid cars will save gas, but does not actually save much money, as Neely said, “They are nice and get better gas mileage, but they are expensive.”

7. Use good gas: Schnieder said, “Stay away from fuel containing any alcohol. It takes twice as much alcohol as gas to run a car.” Brooks said, “Run the right gas. If you need octane 89, use octane 89. Just go by what the manufacturer says.” Greg Reffitt, the owner of Reffitt’s Auto Repair in Hamilton, said, “Another thing that will help is using quality gasoline… You may pay a bit more for it, buy you will save money by getting better gas mileage.”

8. Don’t speed: Following the speed limit will increase gas mileage. Speeding, braking quickly and rapid acceleration will waste gas.

9. Lighten the load: Extra weight will reduce gas mileage. For every 100 pounds of extra weight, 2 percent is reduced from gas mileage.

10. Watch the idling: Coldwell said that gas is wasted depending on whether your car is fuel injected or carbureted. When fuel injected, gas is not wasted in shutting off the car and starting it over. On the other hard, carbureted waste gas upon turning the car on and off.

These are definitely easy to do. So, I’ll be getting through these things and see if everything will go right just as they say it’ll improve gas mileage.