Chevrolet and GMC the First to Receive Extra EPA & CARB scrutiny on Emissions Testing

Chevrolet is feeling the heat from the backlash of Volkswagen's diesel emissions cheating scandal. The EPA has said that they will begin more stringent testing to insure that vehicles meet the requirement for emissions testing in the lab and on the road.

Volkswagen is being investigated for their practice of installing software that could switch on and off the emissions system so that when lab testing was being done the emissions system was turned on and when it came to the road test the emissions system was turned off which allowed the engines to put out as much as 40 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxide. 

Chevrolet and GMC will be the first to get the extra scrutiny form the EPA and CARB on their new diesel-powered pickup trucks. Chevrolet was told by the EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that they will not certify any of its new diesel-powered Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pick-up trucks without having been tested on the road and in the laboratory.

Scott Yackley Chevrolet's Trucks assistant chief engineer stated. "GM engineers have conducted extensive lab and road tests and are confident that the trucks will pass the additional testing. He also said " Part of our development process is on-road and off-road (laboratory) testing.

Little known Information About Lamborghini

In Italy Lamborghini gives two Gallardos to the Italian State Police and are used to deliver organs transplants to hospitals for transplant patients.

Honda Steps-Up it's 2016 Civic.

After faltering sales and reviews in the U.S. Honda is trying to turn around the Civic's previous reputation of cheapness by overhauling the 2016 Civic Sedan. 

The 2016 Honda Civic has a more muscle look with sculpted sides, bulging wheel well arches, daytime LED running lights, it has a massive front molded front grill and C-shaped tail lights. Honda has moved the cabin back to give the Civic a longer more dramatic hood-line.

In addition to the Civic's new look there some serious features and engineering specs not typically seen its class: Collision Mitigation Braking, Hydraulic Bushings, Multi-link Rear Suspensions, Road Departure Mitigation, Adaptive Cruise Control with low speed follow.

In the interior the Civic has heated leather seats front and back and top end models will feature a full color instrument panel and a Display Audio System and 7" touchscreen. Also available is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and more...

Honda will offer the Civic in 5 models, Sedan, Coupe, Si, 5-Door hatch and a high performance Type-R. There are two engines, a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder with either a 6 speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission or a 1.5 liter direct injected turbocharged 4-cylinder.

Ford's New Adaptive Steering System for 2016 on Select Models

The Edge crossover and three other models will be the first vehicles Ford will feature an innovative variable ratio steering wheel system on select vehicles. Beginning this fall Ford will incorporate this new steering wheel system which is designed to make steering and turning at slow speeds much easier for the driver. Behind the steering wheel airbags Ford has installed a small electric motor that drives a gear connected to the shaft leading to the steering rack, the motor spins the shaft at a faster rate than the driver turns the steering wheel like when turning into a driveway or parking lot reducing the amount of turns of the steering wheel. 

This new steering system will be available as standard equipment for 2016 on the Edge Sport Models, the Lincoln MKX, the Ford Galaxy, the S-Max and two models that are not available in North America and an option on Edge Titanium.

Bentley Motor’s 187 Mph Luxury SUV

Really? A 187 mph SUV? That’s right the Bentayga is Bentley’s newest addition to the SUV market, this 6 liter, 12 cylinder, 600 horse power twin turbo charge engine SUV has earned the title of the world’s fastest SUV. It has the ability to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 4 seconds. Wow! That’ll get you to the market and back in no time.

The chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors Wolfgang Durheimer said, “The Bentayga is truly the Bentley of SUV’s’. “It redefines luxury in the SUV sector and offers a genuine Bentley experience in any environment thanks to a combination of unparalleled attention to detail, go-anywhere ability and cutting edge technology”.  The Bentayga features a 1,950 watt, 18 speaker audio system and the panoramic sun roof that will open up 60% of the vehicles roof.

Other luxurious high-tech features include an adaptive cruise control that has the ability to correct itself in accordance with to camera and GPS data for speed limit changes. 

The Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA 

Released before this weeks Frankfurt auto show Mercedes-Benz's Concept IAA is two cars in one. The car can be transformed automatically upon reaching a speed of 80 mph or manually at the touch of a button. Below 80 mph the cars looks like more like a standard sedan, however once the car reaches the 80 mph mark the car goes through an incredible transformation. There are eight segments that extend at the rear increasing the cars length up to 390 millimeters, in the front bumper there are flaps that extend out 25 millimeters and 20 millimeters in the rear bumper, creating a more efficient air flow over the front end and front wheel arches. In addition the Active Rims can change their cupping 55 millimeters to 0 Millimeters and the louver in the front bumper can move 66 millimeters to the rear this improves the air flow under the car.

The car features 279-horsepower hybrid drive train, two 12.3 inch display communicates information to the occupants and the steering wheel uses optical sensors allowing the driver to navigate through menus with just his/her fingertips.

The Beginning of the Lamborghini Sports Car?

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Did you know that Mr. Enzo Ferrari once told a man “you may be able to drive a tractor but you will never be able to handle a Ferrrari properly?" The man was so insulted and angry he swore that he would create the perfect sports car. Oh, the man’s name? It was Ferruccio Lamborghini. 

Avoiding Daylight Vehicle Collisions DRL’s or Vehicle Color?

According to a study at Monash University Accident Research Centre in Australia, white vehicles had about a 10% less chance of being in a crash during daylight hours than other vehicles in what are considered lower visibility colors like, blue, silver, red, black and silver. 

Institute and Federal Government studies show that the chance of a vehicle’s involvement in a crash during daylight hours can be reduced 3.5% with the use of DRL’s (daytime running lights). Russ Rader a spokesperson for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says, “There’s a small benefit for daytime running lights, it’s likely that any benefit from a more conspicuous car color is even smaller”. What does Rader consider a conspicuous vehicle color? “Emergency Vehicle” colors like bright reds and yellows. 

Best of both studies purchase a white vehicle equipped with DRL's and turn them on.

 Happy Motoring

 A Little Know Concept Car

The 1969 Chrysler 70X concept car, there's not a lot information about the car. The 70X featured parallelogram doors the front doors slid forward and the rear door slid backwards, like today's mini vans.

Mounted next to the back seat speaker was a small ultrasonic electronic device that swept a 50 foot area to the rear of the car and when a vehicle entered one of zones a red warning light located on the rear view mirror lit up. This warning system gave the drivers about a .04 second warning before impact.

Consumer reports released it list of the worst cars in 2015

Here are four vehicles that made the bottom of their list

The Chrysler 200: It ranked dead last on the list. The reason, it has a "raspy" four cylinder engine, "klutzy" handling and to add to the discomfort a "cramped" back seat.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport: Next one up from the bottom, consumer reports noted that the Discovery has an unrefined transmission, and a "flat footed" engine and the entertainment center was "from another age".

The Lexus NX 200t/3000h: Too much like the Toyota RAV4 according to consumer reports, with a "jostling" ride and cheap feeling components. It falls short of its German competitors.

The Kia Sedona: Although this mini van was made to look like an SUV, the ride is less than desirable along with squeaks and rattles and the steering is "vague".

To ensure Consumer Reports are testing the same vehicles consumers are getting when they buy a vehicle form a dealership, Consumer Reports purchases the vehicles they are testing unlike some of testing groups that have the test vehicles given to them from manufactures.

Another Recall for Fiat Chrysler's Jeep Cherokee SUV

This is will be the sixth recall for the 2014 model year Jeep Cherokee, this time it is for a defect in the windshield wipers. If the wipers are used in dry conditions static can build up affecting the control module that powers the windshield wipers which could potentially cause the wipers to stop working.

To remedy this latest recall dealerships will be installing a ground strap to the module to prevent the static buildup at no cost to the consumer.

In this latest recall Fiat Chrysler is recalling 206,668 Jeep Cherokee's model year 2014. Fiat Chrysler said it discovered the windshield wiper defect and according to FCA there have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to this defect.