Archive for June, 2009
An Amazing New Sports Car
Here is a truly amazing new sports car the KTM XBow. It is amazing in the way it looks the way it is made and in its performance. So what is so special about the way it looks? Well it has open wheels with cycle type fenders but you can hardly see them. At the front there is a big cowl which hides the wheels but beneath that is a narrow chisel nose that is the front of the body the engine being behind the cockpit.
On top of the engine is a curved cowl that acts as a cover and provides some downforce at speed. Then twin radiators are mounted each side of the engine just behind the cockpit where they partly conceal the engine and rear wheels. If you look from the back you can see the rear suspension and a big muffler across the back with the exhaust coming straight out. This mufflers acts as a safety crash member taking the impact in a crash.
One more thing that is different: the instruments and controls are all mounted in the hub of the steering wheel.
Austrian with midengined layout
So who has produced this unusual sports car? KTM the Austrian maker of highperformance off road motor bikes. Like KTM motorcycles the XBow is a hot performer without any creature comforts and has shaken up the sports car world.
It has a carbon fiber body made in Italy which is one reason why this is a lightweight car although not as light as the Lotus 211 or Caterham CSR two competitors.
What is normal about it? Well like the Lotus Elise Exige and 211 sports cars the engine is mounted crosswise in unit with the transaxle behind the cockpit an arrangement which allows the use of a power train of a mass production frontdrive car. In this case the power train is the Audi twoliter turbo unit developing 240 bhp.
All about performance without any frills
Like the Caterham and Lotus 211 the KTM XBow is all about performance. It can reach 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and 100 mph in 8.5 seconds which puts it up in the supercar category. For example The acceleration is faster than the Audi R8 Jaguar XKR or Porsche Carrera S. It is matched by some other ultralightweight super sports cars like the Lotus 211 and is a little slower than the Caterham CSR which reaches 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Even so the performance is remarkable.
In some respects the KTM XBow seems inspired by the Caparo T1 although it is slightly heavier and has half the power. Overall the KTM XBow is an amazing addition to the sports car world.
About the writer: To find out the latest news and see reviews of top sports cars go to www.fastsportscars.com which is run by John Hartley.
A History Of Vauxhall Motors From Pumps To MPVs
Vauxhall can trace its history back one hundred and fifty years when founder Alex Wilson opened a factory in the district of Vauxhall that originally built pumps and engines. It wasn’t until 1903 that the first Vauxhall car was built and the first dealerships sprouted up to sell this car.
In 1925 Vauxhall Motors as the company was now known was bought out by the American General Motors for the princely sum of two and a half million dollars. This strong American influence led to design of Vauxhall cars and European cars more generally being akin to their American counterparts. The war years were fruitful for the company as they adapted their machinery to build the Churchill Tank rather than the cars that fill the forecourts of today’s dealerships.
It was not until the seventies and eighties that the company experienced resurgence in fortunes thanks to popular late sixties models such as the Viva and Victor. The Viva continued to fly out of the dealerships during the seventies but the Victor faced stiff market competition from competitors such as the Ford Cortina. Despite the popularity of the Viva Vauxhall still found themselves falling behind its two main competitors Ford and British Leyland in terms of sales and the money dealerships were making.
The midseventies however brought about a revival of fortunes with two new dynamic models rolling onto the forecourts of dealerships. The Vauxhall Chevette was the first of a new generation of small three door hatchbacks and sold extremely well while the Cavalier was a saloon that was beginning to claw back the huge market share possessed by the Cortina. Thankfully by the end of the decade the gap between Ford and Vauxhall was beginning to be closed.
The end of the decade and the commencement of the eighties once again brought a new range of models to the forecourts of dealerships. The Astra was developed as a small family hatchback that would replace the Viva and become the backbone of every new range since. The Vauxhall Nova replaced the Chevette as part of the new ‘supermini’ generation being manufactured by many companies. The most important car for Vauxhall during the eighties was the Mk2 Cavalier that was released as a large family car rather than a saloon. Its sleek design and new drive format made it a popular alternative to the Ford Sierra.
The biggest success for the company during this decade however was most probably the Carlton. As the pinnacle of the Vauxhall range that took pride of place in dealerships and showrooms across the land it received the accolade of European Car of the Year in 1986; its vast use of technology and comfortable ride made it a brilliant and affordable executive saloon. The eighties also saw Vauxhalls shake off the image of being rust prone that had blighted their sales up until this point.
The nineties really saw Vauxhall Motors thrive with a host of new and redesigned models present in dealerships. The Astra was coming into its own and offering a startling alternative to its main competitor the Ford Escort while the Nova was being scrapped for the radically designed Corsa that would corner a large part of the small car market. The mid nineties saw a range of new models such as the Vectra a large family car taking over the role of the Cavalier; and the Zafira a departure from past models to incorporate an MPV into the range.
Today sees Vauxhall stronger than ever with a great deal of choice in contemporary dealerships. The Corsa has been relaunched twice since its inception and still proves to be popular among young drivers and small families. The Astra is still around and is currently in its fifth generation with a radical new design that has had a mixed reception from the motoring public.
The Vectra is still popular although a successor is believed to be just around the corner. The strongest suit is probably the Meriva and Zafira MPVs the Zafira being one of the ten best selling cars in the UK. Vauxhall have come along way from their beginnings manufacturing marine pumps today they are one of the most widely used car brands in Britain.
About the writer: Motoring expert Thomas Pretty Studies the history of the Vauxhall Motors Company and the various cars that have appeared on the forecourts of Vauxhall dealerships through the years.
2008.5 Mazda 3 Review: First Impressions
Our long term vehicle is a midyear model Mazda 3 with midyear added features like piano black trim mp3 compatible cd changer power driver’s seat lighted vanity mirrors and white gauge needles. It also has a new color for the Mazda3: Metropolitan Gray Mica. Mazda added a second new color for the mid year model with a beautiful white pearl option but we are MGM people.
There are other subtle differences but outside of the above mentioned items the 2008.5 Mazda 3 is pretty similar to the 2008 Mazda3.
Specs
2008.5 Metropolitan Gray Mica Mazda 3s GT
Transmission: Automatic
Options: Six disc CD Changer Bose Sound System Moonroof Rear Wing Spoiler Remote Start and Auto Dimming Mirror with Compass.
Only six miles on the odometer at pickup…
About the Driver
I’m coming from a 2005 Infiniti G35x loaded with every possible option so while I adjusted my expectations for the lower price point 22K with splan I was not prepared for the way the Mazda3 would blow me away.
I drive my cars assertively sometimes assertively aggressive if there is such a thing and will really put this car through the motions during ownership. Driving a car is an experience each time and I rely heavily on important driving/comfort aspects like handling acceleration ride cabin noise long term driving comfort and in car technology which will all shape upcoming updates.
Note: You might notice a pretty heavy comparison in my first impressions of the G35 to the Mazda 3 and that’s mostly due in part to the fact that I almost purchased the Mazda3 in 2005 but was offered a very good lease deal on a 2005 G35x loaded for nearly the same that I would pay to own the Mazda3.
Seemed like a good idea at the time. Biggest regret of my life.
Now that you know me let’s talk about why you’re here: first impressions!
First Impressions
There are a ton of really impressive features in this car! I struggled for a long time with not being technologically current in my 2005 Infiniti and the Mazda 3 is like an answer to my prayers. Here are some of my favorite features:
1 Remote Start I can’t believe how wicked cool remote start really is. Manufacturers are finally starting to offer remote start as an accessory that is installed at the port and I recommend it 200. It’s perfect for every possible hot/cold day when you don’t feel like running out in the weather to start the car so it can warm up only to run back into the house and finish getting ready.
Remote start is something I could see myself not living without ever again and it wasn’t an option on the Infiniti so 1 to Mazda for offering it. For the 2008.5 midyear refresh Mazda has integrated the remote start into the regular key fobs so now you won’t have two sets of control keys to use on one set.
2 Rain Sensing Wipers If you’ve never seen it you wouldn’t believe it. While driving home I didn’t think the rain sensing wipers were working properly because the stalk appeared to be in the right position and it was raining pretty hard. I fiddled with the stalk for a little bit and discovered that it was in its “Off” position rather than “Auto”. Once rotating the end piece into the right position it works quite well but I don’t think putting “Off” and “Auto” within a knob’s turn away was the best idea in the world.
3 The Manual Leveling HIDs I don’t know if it’s manual really. It’s kind of manual and automatic. You move the switch up or down until you reach the number you want 0 3 and the car adjusts the headlights to match that setting. The leveling headlights are not gimmicky at all and were pretty helpful while driving through fog and raising the headlights to watch for deer/pedestrians on the side of the road. Another brilliant feature the G35x was missing.
4 Aux Input This is the golden feature for me! For the longest time since 2005 I have always wanted a way to play my iPod in my car. I can’t even begin to count the number of trips and meetings I’ve been late to while waiting for a cd to burn so I didn’t have to listen to the same old crap in my car while driving there.
In fact I wanted the aux input so bad that I refused the Mazda CX7 when considering my next car purchase purely based on its lack of an aux input and it was worth it ten times over. I love being able to plug my iPhone into the stereo and just scroll through the playlists to find a list I’m feeling right now. It works seamlessly and I really couldn’t be more ecstatic over this feature.
5 The Ride Most people are going to give me a confused look but I’m telling you the 2008.5 Mazda3s GT has a nicer ride than my 2005 Infiniti G35x. Not only does it ride better but it’s much quieter and it doesn’t make the “Mothership” car sick when I drive with her in the car. Thumbs up all around!
So those are my top five favorite things about the car. Overall it’s really just an experience that new car buyers have to try to believe because it’s extremely uncommon at this price point. I’m finally excited to drive to different places just to be in the car and I love everything about it! If you don’t own one buy one. If you own one buy a 2008.5 model! The new trim power driver’s seat gauges and everything in between are worth it.
About the writer: Check out our Mazda 3 and Mazdaspeed 3 guides by visiting our website and Mazda 3 Forums.