ALL AUTOCARS

CVT - Continuously Variable Transmission. A stepless gearbox system which allows infinitely variable gear ratios because it uses variable belts instead of fixed gears for transmission.

USDM - United States Domestic Model

JDM - Japanese Domestic Model

CBU - Completely Built up, cars which are imported in whole fully assembled from another country.

CKD - Completely Knocked Down, cars which are brought into the country in the form of kits. The kits are assembled locally, with alot of the parts not supplied in the main kit sourced from local manufacturers.

NOS/N2O/Nitrous - Usage of Nitrous Oxide to boost performance.

HP - Horsepower, a measurement of work done @ rpm, usually listed at its peak

BHP - Brake-specific horsepower

Torque - A measurement of force acting on an axis, causing a twisting motion. Measured in lb-ft in the USDM markets.

VTEC - Variable Timing & lift, Electronically Controlled. This is a valvetrain feature used in the late 80’s to late 90’s by Honda Motor Co. It allowed switching of cam lobes (and a staged ignition advance in later versions) at a certain rpm to take advantage of two different powerbands.

i-VTEC - Released as a feature in the K-series of Honda’s passenger vehicle engines, it retained the functionality of the earlier version, but added cam-phasing.

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i-DSI

i-CTDi

VVT-i

VVTL-i

VVTL

VTC

Neo VVL

CVT

Multimatic

Powerband - A term used to describe measured torque and calculated horsepower, displayed on a graph. The means in which these values are gathered is through the use of dynamometer.

Volumetric efficiency - The calculated efficiency of an engine, based upon the metered input of combustible volume and the measurement of power generated. This is almost always a parabolic value, since engines have a peak in power production and falter shortly thereafter.

Dynamometer - A device that measures torque using a reference value, such as resistance. The are two common kinds in the automotive world, the engine dynamometer and the chassis dynamometer. The former measures torque output at an engine’s crankshaft, the latter measures at a vehicle’s drive wheels, which can factor driveline and accessory losses simultaneously. The latter is more favored, because it creates results that are closer to a real-life situation.

Forced induction - The act of forcing more than 0 bar (1 atmosphere) of air into an engine, in an effort to increase power. This can be acheived through several means, such as turbocharging or supercharging. Also, nitrous is arguably forced induction, because with nitrous injection there is more oxygen present in the combustion chamber than is possible under conventional induction.

Anti lag/Misfiring - A system where unburned fuel is introduced into the exhaust manifold to create exhaust fumes that keep the turbine spinning while the throttle is closed.

Downforce - An effect of vehicle aerodynamics, it is a measurement of how much force the wind is applying to the surface of a vehicle. Benefits are conversely related, as an increase in downforce allows more traction at high speed, but causes more resistance. Decreasing has the opposite effect.

Bore and Stroke - A measurement taken during the design of an engine. The bore is the diameter of the hole in the engine block, which contains the piston. Stroke is the distance that piston travels in between its highest point (Top Dead Center, TDC) and its lowest point (Bottom Dead Center, BDC).

Interference engine - A conventional modern engine design. It is a configuration of which when a valve is open at it’s greatest point, it exists in the same area that the piston travels into, and will be in shortly. The benefits of this design are a closer tolerance, shorter engine, more freedom in combustion chamber design and valve angle. The downfall is if and when a timing belt/chain fails, the valve will not not close, and the piston will strike it.

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Mercedes-Benz will officially unveil what will surely be one of the most attention-grabbing cars in Cobo Hall, the 2009 McLaren SLR Stirling Moss. The boldly styled Merc will be the last vehicle built under the partnership with McLaren, and even at a cost of €750,000 Mercedes should have no trouble finding buyers for the 75-car allotment.

Each will feature full carbon fiber bodywork wrapped over the standard version, a 650-hp supercharged 5.5-liter V8 and the five-speed automatic transplanted from the SLR 722. Despite lacking any sort of roof or proper windscreen, the Stirling Moss can still achieve a top speed of 217 mph and can reach 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds. Other unique features include "swing-wing" doors, a retractable air brake that can be operated manually and a two-piece tonneau cover (stored in the trunk) that can cover the entire cockpit or just the passenger seat.

Fomenko says that he brought a lot of knowledge from his racing career to bear on the Marussia. We see elements of just about every supercar on the market in its appearance, but it manages to still look unique. While he envisions producing a pure electric car sometime down the road, the company's first project is a hybrid.

The Marussia is slated to use a 240-hp, 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine, most likely from Renault or Nissan, but it's unclear where the electric drive components will originate from. While much of the car's parts are expected to be sourced from established companies, approximately 35% of the content will be Russian.

Adding a bit of sizzle to its speed, the Marussia will also have "a host of gadgets," including a 4G Yota network with 10 Mbps data transfer rates at vehicle speeds of up to 120 km/h. Bluetooth, GPS and video screens all around, plus a 320 GB hard drive to round out the electronics.

The goal for the electric supercar is a 400km range, but Russian winters mean the batteries will need a boost. That's where nanotechnology comes in. Fomenko thinks the solution might be in a "nanotech project made at one of Russia's big construction bureaus." The company foresees a 0-62 mph dash of around five seconds and a Tesla-like price tag of $100,000. Plans call for the first customer cars to be delivered next Fall, with race versions taking part in the 2010 edition of FIA GT championship. Fomenko is clearly nothing if not ambitious.





Source: Russia Today, Luxury Version

There is a leaked around the net showing that the Toyota/Daihatsu joint venture have plan to build the MPVs which are expected to be named Toyota Passo Sette and Daihatsu Boon Ruminous, will compete with the upcoming Proton MPV when they hit the road in early 2009. A Malaysian version is also expected to be marketed by the Perodua brand in the third quarter of 2009. The scanned photos are reportedly taken from a dealer brochure.

Although smaller than the upcoming Proton, the Toyota/Daihatsu vehicles are expected to compete thanks to clever use of interior space. A transverse mounted Toyota 3SZ-VE 1.5 liter engine powers the front wheels. Interior details such as shifter locations are expected to change for the Malaysian version. Pricing is expected to come in between 1.45 million and 1.8 million yen when the car is introduced to the public on Christmas Day.

Kia Motors will unveil a new take on the Soul at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in January. The all-new concept based on the recently revealed and eagerly anticipated Soul urban crossover passenger car is more than just a re-packaging treatment, as it will demonstrate the flexibility of the original Soul design first shown at the 2006 NAIAS.

Soul is due to go on sale in the UK from March 1 2009. Full range details, specification and prices are yet to be revealed but Soul will be available to UK customers with fuel-efficient 1.6 litre petrol and 1.6 litre diesel engines and with a wide range of personalisation options. The Kia Motors press conference for the 2009 NAIAS is scheduled to take place on Sunday, January 11, 2009 from 2:20-2:45 pm.

Source: Kia

Lexmaul, a well known German tuning firm has developed a subtle performance kit for the Opel GT roadster. A series of engine upgrades that include a new sport exhaust system boost the 2.0-liter turbocharged unit's output from 264HP to 312HP while torque has also been increased from 353 Nm to 440 Nm. Lexmaul also lowered the suspension by 30mm and added a new set of 20-inch Schmidt Revolution CC-Line alloy wheels up front and 21-inch alloys at the back wrapped in chunkier 255 tires (255/35-R20 and 255/30-R21).