Thursday, March 31, 2016

Bahrain preview quotes - Sauber, Williams, Pirelli, McLaren & more

After the thrills and spills of Melbourne, the F1 paddock moves to the desert setting and floodlights of Sakhir for the 2016 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand. Those involved look ahead to round two of the season…



Sauber

Marcus Ericsson

“The Bahrain Grand Prix is the first night race of the season. I especially enjoy the surroundings under the floodlights, which looks pretty nice on TV. I know the track well from my previous two seasons in Formula 1, but also from GP2, as I have been there many times. Last year I put in a good performance as well as having a strong race. I was going for points, which did not work out in the end due to other circumstances. However, I will take that positive feeling from last year’s race weekend with me.”

Felipe Nasr

“The Bahrain Grand Prix is a special race weekend for me. Having Lebanese roots from my grandfather, I have always liked being in the Middle East. For me as a driver it is nice to not only get huge support from Brazil, but also from where we are. The track itself is great fun to drive and to race at night makes the event even more special.”



Williams

Felipe Massa

“Bahrain is definitely a place I really enjoy racing. I’ve won twice there and I’ve had many other good results. I always enjoy going there, including many times for testing. I like the people as well as the place in general and I look forward to having a good race there. It’s the second race of the season now and I really hope we can have another fantastic result in a place I enjoy.”

Valtteri Bottas

“The Bahrain evening race is a really nice one. I prefer it much more as an evening race. The track looks good and is just as nice to drive. It’s a good track for racing and I got a decent result last year. It’s quite a different kind of track to Melbourne, so it’s going to be interesting to see where we are compared to the others; because it’s more like a standard race track rather than the Melbourne street circuit. It will still only be the second race of the season, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Pat Symonds, Chief Technical Officer

“The Bahrain International Circuit is quite tough in all respects. It’s important to have good high-speed balance in the car and look after the rear tyres in particular. We will see much hotter conditions, and there is always a concern over wind and sand, which was a real factor in the early part of the weekend last year. Following the cooler Australian conditions, we will now see how our cooling systems stand up in the heat and what impact opening up these systems has on aerodynamic performance. The tyre choice shows a bit of variation as well with Ferrari and ourselves appearing to be going down a different route to Mercedes, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out over the weekend.”
Pirelli

Paul Hembery, Motorsport Director

“The new tyre regulations for 2016 proved to be a big success, providing many different strategy options and talking points for all the teams in Australia. Bahrain is a very different type of circuit, with tyre behaviour affected by a big drop in temperature as the race goes on. This provides a different set of challenges and parameters, so it will be interesting to see who has learned most from Australia in order to take best advantage of another new situation. There are some quite diverse choices from the teams, which will play a key role in the race outcome.”



McLaren

Fernando Alonso

“Firstly, I’m very pleased to be heading to Bahrain after the crash in Australia. I’ve spent some time resting and I can’t wait to get back in the car. Although on paper Melbourne wasn’t a great race for us, before the crash I’d been having some good battles and the car felt pretty promising, so I hope in Bahrain we can experience more of the same.

“There’s also been a massive effort from the teams in Woking and Sakura, who have been flat-out manufacturing parts for this race to ensure we can get back up to speed after the chassis was damaged, and I’m hugely impressed with how quickly they’ve managed to turn it around. We’re still pushing to bring upgrades to each race, so providing we can get everything to the car in time we’ll be aiming to get as much track time as possible with the new chassis from the start of free practice.

“Living in Dubai, I’m used to the climate in the Middle East, and racing in different temperatures over the weekend, as well as managing the car’s performance over a long race distance in tough conditions, brings another level to the challenge for the drivers. I’m looking forward to seeing what our package is capable of at what has previously been a pretty challenging circuit for us.

“I really enjoy racing in Bahrain. It’s been a good circuit for me in the past – I’ve had three victories there – and there are quite a few good opportunities to overtake. There are lots of variables to think about and it’s one of the longest races, which usually produces some kind of drama. Hopefully we can enjoy some close racing and keep ourselves out of trouble.”

Jenson Button

“Bahrain is a fun track to drive on and very different from Albert Park in its configuration. It’s tough on brakes and fuel, and good balance is key to putting together a lap, as you need downforce on the long, fast straights and then stability and traction through the lower-speed corners. It’s a more extreme version of Australia in many ways, with the track starting off very dirty and rubbering in over the weekend. While that makes the track faster, we also have to juggle the rapidly cooling temperatures on race day after the sun sets.

“I’m really keen to get back behind the wheel, as, although it didn’t show in our results from Australia, our package felt very good to drive and the team worked really hard to bring a step forward in driveability from testing to the first race. Bahrain is definitely a tricky track for us as it’s high-speed, but we have a solid platform and improved deployment, so there are some positives to look forward to.

“We made a couple of misjudgements on the strategy side in Melbourne, but it’s all part of the learning curve with the new tyre compound rules. Together with the engineers we’ve studied the data and hopefully we can make some good calls in Bahrain, pull together the various stages of the race and achieve a more representative result.

“The landscape of racing in the desert after sunset is always really special and brings a new dimension to the spectacle. Everything in Bahrain is always very slick and it’s an impressive place to be. My win there in 2009 is still a great memory and the wide track and run-off areas mean it’s a fun circuit on which to battle. I hope we can mix it with the midfield pack – it’s a very competitive area of the field – so we’ll be pushing hard to get the maximum from our package as soon as we can.”

Eric Boullier, Racing Director

“The race in Australia was certainly an eventful one for McLaren-Honda. First of all, I was very happy to see Fernando walk away after such a heart-stopping incident. In addition, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all our McLaren and Honda employees for the incredible efforts going on behind the scenes to get the spare chassis built and ready to race next weekend. It’s a truly remarkable achievement in between flyaway races, and a testament to our incredibly strong teamwork.

“We’re certainly hoping for a less dramatic race in Bahrain, and will be aiming to build on the promising initial data we’ve collected from our car, which shows a definite improvement in pace from last year’s package. There’s still much more potential to unlock and performance to find, but the encouraging leap made from testing to Melbourne has shown what’s possible, and we will keep pushing to improve our pace and develop our strengths by continuing to bring updates to the car at every race.

“The Bahrain Grand Prix has become something of a home race for us, and we’re very proud to be racing in front of our shareholders and enthusiastic fans. The spectacle of the Bahrain International Circuit is something very special. Racing under floodlights always creates a unique atmosphere and the fans get to enjoy action on track in completely different settings over the course of the weekend. For the engineers, it’s a battle to juggle many different constraints – temperatures, track surfaces, brake wear, tyres, fuel consumption – and we’ve already learned a lot about how our car performs in different conditions from Melbourne, which we’ll be putting to good use. In Bahrain we’ll be looking to discover our true pace and put our package to work in the tough desert conditions.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer

"After a chaotic Australian weekend, we head off to our first night race of the season in Bahrain.

“We have recovered the power unit from Fernando’s car used in Melbourne. After initial investigations, we are massively disappointed that the ICE and most of the surrounding parts have been heavily damaged, as the impact from the accident was just too great. We will be replacing the complete power unit in Bahrain.

“Looking forward, Bahrain’s sunny and dry weather will hopefully ensure that we have plenty of clean running. The circuit’s two long front and back straights will be strenuous on the power units, so we will make the most of the practice sessions to set up the car. It’s evident that we still need to increase our performance, but thankfully we were able to learn more about where we are and how to progress from the data collected in Melbourne.”


Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton

I'm excited at the thought of more races like Melbourne. There are going to be weekends where we're a few seconds up the road from Ferrari, races where it's wheel to wheel and races where they might be ahead. We really don't know - and that's exciting. I have a good feeling about my pace. I was ahead all weekend until the race start last time out, so I'm confident heading to Bahrain. It's been entertaining on track for the past two seasons there, so more of the same would be great! There's been a lot of talk about the rules and whether the drivers should be more involved in decision making. It's not our job to come up with ideas and we all have different opinions anyway. But personally, I think we need more mechanical grip and less aero wake coming off the back of the cars so we can get close and overtake. Give us five seconds' worth of lap time from aero and nothing will change - we'll just be driving faster. I speak as somebody who loves this sport and loves racing. I don't have all the answers - but I know that the changes we're making won't deliver better racing."

Nico Rosberg

"We've stepped up our game once again with a fantastic car. But Ferrari were a real threat all weekend in Melbourne and it's clear that we've got a big battle on our hands, so we have to keep pushing very hard. The new radio rules make things quite a big challenge. It's tough out there - and for me it's a good direction we've taken, giving the drivers more responsibility. The important thing is whether it's what the fans want to see, so we need to listen to them. It's Bahrain next - a track which always seems to provide entertainment for me! I've had some great battles there in the last two years with Lewis and also the Ferraris, so I'm expecting more of the same this time and very much looking forward to that. It was great to win the first race - but the aim is to come out on top at every step of the way this season, starting this weekend. There's a long way to go..."

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

"We have made a solid start to the season. However, while our advantage in Melbourne was a healthy one, it was nevertheless close enough that those bad starts could easily have lost us the race. Bahrain is a track that should suit Ferrari, so we expect even smaller gaps and a very close match this weekend. After a successful debut for the new tyre regulations last time out, we can also expect an interesting strategy battle during the race - so there is plenty to look forward to. This weekend we will see the new qualifying system continue after a less-than-impressive debut in Australia. The teams were unanimous in their opinion of it on Sunday in Melbourne and it wasn't a positive opinion. We haven't found the right format with this change and it's hard to see how it might be more entertaining for the fans this weekend in Bahrain. The sport is under scrutiny on this matter, so careful thought is required in order to make coordinated, intelligent steps forward from the position we are in right now. The fans want close racing, in a format they can understand, between the best drivers and cars in the world - in that order. We should be capable of delivering that to the people in the grandstands and watching around the world."

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical)

"Bahrain is quite a different track to Melbourne, so it will be interesting to see how we fare. One thing you can normally guarantee is that it will be dry. Unlike the rain-hit Melbourne weekend, this will provide plenty of opportunity for track time. Thanks to their evening timings, qualifying and the race in Bahrain see much cooler track temperatures than the mid-afternoon FP1 / FP3 sessions - making the latter somewhat unrepresentative. This potentially makes tyre selection even more of a factor. We know already that there is a marked difference between the allocations selected by competing teams for this race, so we could see a few surprises. A big positive from Melbourne was seeing how well the new tyre rules delivered in terms of strategy variation - and we expect to see more of the same here. We've seen close battles throughout the field in both years of twilight racing in Bahrain, so we look forward to hopefully providing another spectacular evening for the fans."



Force India

Nico Hulkenberg

“Next up is Bahrain, which is a special place. As a circuit, it's very different to Melbourne: it's not bumpy at all; it's very smooth and it's full of slow corners. There are a several overtaking spots and the whole track, with long straights and big braking zones, makes for some great wheel-to-wheel racing. It's a track that rewards attacking, so hopefully we will see lots of action in the race. And of course, it's a night race so the atmosphere of the whole event is very different!

“One of my favourite things about Bahrain is the paddock. It looks like it’s straight out of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’, with the lights and buildings all adding to the atmosphere. It's one of my favourite events of the season. We will arrive there in a good place and we have the potential to get another strong result.”

Sergio Perez

“Australia didn't bring the result I was hoping for so I am targeting a better outcome from Bahrain. Getting a bad start really compromised my race last time out because I got stuck in the middle of cars on different strategies and I couldn't recover. However, it’s a long season and I have an opportunity to get back in the points in Bahrain.

“The racing is never boring in Bahrain so fans should enjoy some good entertainment. There are long straights and sharp braking zones so it's great for overtaking, but the big tractions zones make this a tough track for the rear tyres. I think tyre degradation will be a key factor in the outcome of this race. The track evolves a lot as the race goes on, as the cars sweep away all the sand and dust that the wind has blown onto the track.

“I have some very good memories from Bahrain - the race in 2014 was just fantastic when I celebrated my first podium with the team. I am confident we can be strong again this year and get back all the points I missed in Australia. Even in Melbourne, there were lots of positives we can build on, such as our strong qualifying speed and race pace. The team is doing a great job back at the factory and we should have some interesting new bits on the car, too, so I am feeling confident.”



Toro Rosso

Carlos Sainz

“Turn 1 is very tight at the start, meaning that a lot of cars need to fit in a small space. I remember having a tough moment through Turns 1 and 2 at the start last year, with a lot of cars bunching up. The race takes place at night, so your braking points change during the weekend and you take your references from FP2. I remember Turn 6 being difficult all weekend, suffering a lot from understeer because of the wind always changing the balance of the car.

“Turns 9 and 10 are the most difficult corners, not only of this track but also of the season, because it’s a double apex and you brake through the whole area, making it easy to front-lock a lot. You will always be able to see the marks of the tyres in that braking zone. I also remember Turn 12 being a challenge because it’s always on the limit – you can go flat there one lap if the wind is okay, but then you try to do the same the following lap and it’s impossible because of the wind… It’s tricky, but it gives the driver a lot of pleasure when you manage to do it well!

“Finally, at the last corner you have to make sure you get a good exit. Last year we struggled a bit with top speed, so it was all about getting a lot of traction out of there – I remember this straight being a bit too long for us… Maybe no longer that much this year!”

Max Verstappen

“The Bahrain circuit has a very long straight – too long last year! – and they overtook me quite a few times there in 2015… It's not a nice feeling and inside your head you're talking to yourself and saying “c'mon, c'mon!”; it's frustrating, but there's not much more you can do when another car is quicker than you.

“I also remember a lot of national flags on the left after the first three turns. I first saw them during the track walk, but then I sometimes also had time to see them while driving. Turns 5, 6 and 7 were a bit tough to get right when it was dark as the braking points change, but it's still a nice part of the track as I always enjoy the fast corners.

“Turns 9 and 10 were quite difficult for the front-locking and it's easy to flat-spot your tyres there – something you don't want to do during a race! In general, it's special to race in the evening, while it's getting dark. Hopefully this year we will score some points there, because Toro Rosso has never scored any in Bahrain! So this is definitely a good target that I will be looking to achieve.”



Haas

Romain Grosjean

“Bahrain is not a circuit that looks very technical from a paper point of view, but I love driving it every year. It’s a big straight into turn one. Big braking and a tricky exit to turn two, and then you head up the hill approaching turn four. It’s got tricky braking with long lateral g’s and acceleration going into the high speed section of (turns) five, six and seven. The wind can have a big influence at those corners. Then you have the hairpin down the hill, going up against (turns) nine and 10 where you can easily have some front-locking because there’s a lot of g’s there under braking. Then the back straight takes you to turn 11, an uphill corner, then turn 12 where it can be flat out if you’ve got a really good car. Tricky braking into turn 13 because you’re coming from a high-speed corner. You really want to go early on the power to go down to turn 14, which is the last corner, again big braking before accelerating to cross the start-finish line.

“We need to get more running. We need to get more mileage and further our understanding of the car. We have a long list of things we want to try and do, and things to improve. It’s a lot of work but, on the other hand, it means we can improve the car by a big chunk. I always like to keep things positive. If we can do a lot of that in Bahrain, the car will improve and that means we can keep working on better results.”

Esteban Gutierrez

“I think, in general, we can go to Bahrain making our next step forward as a team. In both organization and communication there has not been much time for the team to breath because of the hard work in building the car and testing in Barcelona and then the first Grand Prix. Hopefully, we can consolidate things and get everything done and try to make the best of our potential.

“It’s quite impressive that even though we have not been able to experiment a lot, we have a very good base line. So, I’m really looking forward to get to know more of the car to experiment more and really work on the best direction for our setup. Bahrain will help us a lot to get more consistent running, more laps in practice and hopefully a smooth weekend.”

Guenther Steiner, team principal

“I think our plan is working, but we won’t finish sixth every weekend, so we need to be careful with our expectations. I think we showed that you can start a new team and end up in the midfield. We were not last in Australia, which was one of our goals, and I don’t think we will be last this year. How far we’ve come is a sign that our plan is working.

“We are not being arrogant about our early success and we will have our races where we will underperform. Our sixth-place finish in Australia keeps the team going, working very hard and trying to do the best possible job we can. If we continue to do what we did in Melbourne, good results will come.”



Renault

Jolyon Palmer

“I raced there in GP2 and it’s a track I have been successful on in the past. I won the last race I did there, then I also had a podium. I also drove in practice last year. The track is OK. There are a lot of straights so plenty of overtaking opportunities, so we will find out more about the car in this trim. There is a lot of track evolution as it is very sandy at the start of weekend, and then the track gets more and more rubber down, so conditions change a lot. The weather is almost always sunny, but it can be quite windy, which can blow sand onto the track. The fact it’s a night race is pretty interesting as it’s still very dry. In terms of set up, practice 1 and 3 are hard as they are a lot hotter than the race but there is a lot we can do in procedural terms, such as aero tests. I will be more relaxed now I have one race under my belt, particularly as I finished all 58 laps. I feel much more comfortable after pre-season testing and am looking forward to going to a track I know and have won at before.”

Kevin Magnussen

“It’s not the most exciting track, to be honest! The heat is a major challenge and it is tough on the rear tyres so having a car that looks after them will be an advantage. There are also four long straights so it is a power orientated track. I will enjoy getting out there and if you ask me if the race could be tomorrow I’d be there, no questions asked!”

Bob Bell, chief technical officer

“I don’t think we’ve seen anything at Barcelona or Melbourne that is worrying. Barcelona is pretty indicative of standard aero levels and mechanical grip so we haven’t seen anything that concerns us for the major tracks. Naturally we would like to repeat the form we saw in Australia, and maybe sneak into the tail end of the points if we can. We also brought a prototype front wing to Melbourne that Kevin used and it appears to have lived up to expectations. It will be on both cars in Bahrain.”



Red Bull

Daniil Kvyat

“I like the weather in Bahrain and the track is good. It might look like a simple, modern track but actually it’s very challenging to put a strong lap together. I like that Bahrain is a night race, it gives it some passion! And night racing feels like you are going into space!

“The races in Bahrain are good, there is a long main straight and good overtaking opportunity after Turn 1. Then there is the tow again to Turn 4, so there are good opportunities to race. This is where most of the racing happens in Turn 1, Turn 2, and Turn 4 and maybe Turn 8 as well sometimes.

“To me, this track has been OK, last year there were a few issues, but in the race it was fine. I had an OK race there when I was at STR as well. There is a long straight which was our weakness last year but this year we are looking to find some improvements so it could turn out to be quite a competitive track for us. If we can grab a few good points for both cars, that would be great.”

Daniel Ricciardo

“I think the track’s always been pretty fun to race on, I feel I’ve always had good results at this track, and there are good places for overtaking. Since it’s been a night race it’s become a lot more exciting. The tyres last a bit longer and you can push a bit harder throughout the race so it’s been a good challenge the last few years and a place I’ve always enjoyed. There’s not really one standout corner that’s like ‘woah’ but it’s all pretty cool and the middle sector is quite fun. Night races are fun, for whatever reason it feels like you go a bit faster at night, so it’s exciting. If every race was a night race it wouldn’t have that same atmosphere so it’s cool that we have a few across the year.

“The track is good for overtaking, the last corner flows quite well and if you can get close for DRS you can get a good run into Turn 1. If you don’t get it into Turn 1, then there’s Turn 4 or the middle sectors where it’s easy to make mistakes. There’s probably four places you can pass on the track which is pretty good. The track does suit us, the last couple of years we’ve had a pretty good result, so hopefully we can continue that this year as well.”



Saturday, September 21, 2013

Land Rover Discovery 4 Accessories For Your Land Rover Interior and Exterior Styling

Are you a Land Rover owner? You might be knowing that there is a wide range of accessories made available in the market. They can make your tasks convenient as well as enjoyable. You need to be precise while buying accessories as there are different add-ons for different models of Land Rover. For instance, Land Rover Discovery 4 accessories will not be compatible with Discovery 3. This mismatch could result into inefficiency and poor performance of your vehicle.

Whether you own a Freelancer, Discovery, Defender or any other model, there are numerous ways to transform the interiors and exteriors of your vehicle. Even though, there is a sheer range ofLand Rover accessories, it becomes difficult to make a selection for right one. Buying right accessories actually enhance your experience of owning a vehicle. Your choice really depends on your personality, such accessories are a great way for expressing yourself and the way you utilize your vehicle.

Chrome handles kit, side repeaters, mirror covers, badges are some of the body styling accessories that can accentuate overall outlook of your vehicle. You can customize your look with printed letters. It can be your name or your car's model name. There is a range of design and color options in all the accessories so that you can make a selection that suits your model. All the land rover body parts are designed keeping in mind the contemporary demands.

Coming onto the interior styling, there is a variety of Land Rover discovery accessories to make your selection. These accessories will not only enhance the look of your SUV but also offer numerous practical benefits too. From steering wheel to the floor mats, every accessory has its own significance. They are specially designed to fit in the various models brought by the Land Rover brand.

When it is about the practical significance of the Land Rover Discovery 4 accessories, they are simply excellent as they enhance the performance of your vehicle by improving its efficiency. You might ignore some accessories which are actually very important for your cars. For instance, you might like to invest a little amount on floor mats but there is a need for qualitative investment. Floor mats are very useful if you are among those people who use their own vehicle for trips or if you are having messy offspring. So, you should cover floor's of the car with the floor mats made of rough and durable material.

There are numerous online and on-site stores that deal into the accessories and body parts of the Land Rover. You can either make a purchase by visiting personally or you can shop from the comfort of your home. Whichever mode of shopping you prefer, make sure you are buying products from renowned brand. As you cannot invest in accessories on a regular basis. They should be made of durable material, you can check for the warranty period as well. Don't pick up anything that comes first in your way, browse complete range and choose the one meeting your requirements.

About the Author

Collin writes for the varieties of land rover discovery accessories,land rover body parts, to make your car a perfect option to ride on the road.

Auto Sector Sentiment Turns Gloomy After Rate Hike

Already reeling under a demand slump, automobile manufacturers have expressed disappointment over the RBI's decision to hike short term lending rate saying it is likely to impact the interest rates on car and automobile loans further.

"The industry had been hoping for a recovery through the ensuing festive season, anticipating an improvement in markets. But this move comes as a surprise dampener to all these expectations," Society of India Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said in a statement.
The repo rate will also downgrade the sentiments of consumers struggling under the burden of high equated monthly installments, it added.

"SIAM felt that the ideal move by the RBI would have been to initiate measures that would enthuse the market participants, boost investor sentiment and bring confidence back in the economy," it said.
Commenting on the development, General Motors India Vice President P Balendran said the rate hike is not on expected lines and it is a major jolt for the automotive industry ahead of the festival season.
"We were expecting marginal growth in sales during the festival season due to a good monsoon but now even that looks challenging," he added.

Market analysts, however, said the repo rate hike should not have much impact on the auto sector.
"I don't think the repo rate hike should have a major impact on the automobile industry. We have seen some growth returning to the sector and I hope the growth journey continues," PwC national Automotive leader Abdul Majeed said.

The RBI has hiked repo rate, or the short-term lending rate, by 25 basis points to 7.5 per cent from 7.25 per cent with immediate effect.

Domestic Car sales had declined for nine months in a row till July this year as high interest rates and fuel prices along with low sentiments took toll on demand.

Although sales grew in August due to a low base effect, SIAM had said that it would take long for the auto sector to come back on path of recovery.

Car makers like Tata Motors, Hyundai, General Motors and Toyota have hiked prices before the impending festive season. The volatility of dollar against the rupee has made the same necessary as importing materials and parts has become a costly affair for these automobile manufacturers.
Automobile sales have been showing a constant decline in the last 9 months due to atmosphere of economic gloom in India. However, August came as a surprise as a green offshoot of hope was visible in the car sales numbers. Now, with the increase in price and interest rates it remains to be seen what the September sales numbers bring for the automakers in India.

About the Author

The article has been submitted from the archives of BigGaddi.com.
You can find a treasure trove of information on buying and selling of new and used cars on:
BigGaddi.com

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Nissan Leaf or Ford Electric ?

Put aside, for a moment, the question of all-electric car versus plug-in hybrid--and the Volt-LEAF deathmatch that would likely ensue. We've had that question a lot here on PluginCars.com and much of the answer to it simply comes down to knowing your lifestyle and the driving needs generated by it. In many ways the two types of vehicles aren't even in competition with each other because they satisfy very different needs. As a result, the coverage of Volt vs. LEAF tends to be overblown and reality-challenged. It's a fake market comparison resulting from the lack of any other consumer-priced plug-in competition besides those two vehicles.

But, if you're in the market for an all-electric car, the lack of competition for the Nissan LEAF is about change with the impending arrival of the 2012 Ford Focus Electric. What this represents is no less than the first time ever that two mass-produced, relatively affordable, consumer-oriented, mid-sized 100% electric cars will be available for regular folks to buy and own. Think about that. A competition the world hasn't seen since the advent of the automobile.

It brings up all sorts of new questions and has sent more than few Nissan LEAF fence sitters and pre-orderers back to the drawing board to re-evaluate their allegiance. While it's difficult to compare the two cars--the LEAF has been out in the wild for more than a month now, whereas nobody's yet driven the just-unveiled Focus Electric--much is known about Ford's intentions and I recently had the chance to drive the gas-powered version of the 2012 Focus hatchback. Ford has promised that the electric version of the Focus won't lose any of the driving dynamics of the gas version. I've also had extensive time behind the wheel of the Nissan LEAF--including the world's first public full range driving test.

At this point I feel at least moderately qualified to answer some of those burning questions to help those who are now trying to decide what to do. I'll do my best. And I'll leave the question of styling preference up to you--I'd be daft not to.
1Handling

The Nissan LEAF is a fun car to drive. With its batteries low and in the exact center of gravity the LEAF has an exact 50/50 weight distribution making cornering effortless. Four-wheel disc brakes and stabilizer bars bring it under control quickly, and the electronic brake force distribution gives you the confidence to dodge impending obstacles with the best of them. With a 107 horsepower electric motor, and an always available 207 lb-ft of torque, the LEAF rockets from a standing start--beating even some high end performance cars at speeds from 0-40 mph. All that torque also makes passing on the highway a breeze. The Nissan LEAF has shown that it can reach a top speed of more than 95 mph.

Although no one has yet driven the production version of the Ford Focus Electric, I'm working on the Ford-professed principle that the electric version will lose none of the driving dynamics of the gas version--which I drove last week on the national media launch.

Like the LEAF, the 2012 Ford Focus is incredibly fun to drive. It, too, has four-wheel disc brakes, stabilizer bars and all the benefits of electric drive… plus it has a secret weapon--torque vectoring control. What is that exactly? A computer monitors the vehicle 100 times per second and when you enter a corner too hard it applies greater brake force to the interior slipping wheels and transfers more grip to the exterior wheels. The result? Even the worst drivers among us will feel like race car drivers. Ford will likely bring torque vectoring to the electric version as well. Although the Ford Focus Electric is rated at a higher 123 horsepower, it only delivers 181 lb-ft of torque. In the electric car world, torque is really the most important aspect of acceleration performance. Ford says the Focus Electric has a top speed of 84 mph.

Who Comes Out on Top?

Although the LEAF is fun to drive, if Ford can pull off its claim that the Focus electric will behave the same as the gas version, the Focus is the better handling vehicle. I repeatedly threw the Focus into corners rated at 25 mph at speeds of 50 mph and the car didn't skip a beat. I rarely ever heard any tire squeal and felt like I was in complete control the whole time. This is a car I would love to get out on a real race track.
2Charging Times

I dealt with this topic just yesterday in great detail. On a standard home charging unit, the LEAF is capable of adding about 15 miles of range per hour of charging, whereas on the same home charging unit the Focus will add about 30 miles of range per hour. The difference comes down to charging equipment on board each vehicle.

So, you say, it's clear cut. Not so fast. Among the two, the LEAF is likely to be the only one to support DC fast charging at launch--which can add about 80 miles of driving range in a half-hour of charging at commercial high voltage charging stations. Being able to DC fast charge brings an electric car much closer to parity with gas-powered cars for range capabilities. By the end of 2011 there will likely be 400 or so DC fast charging station spread throughout concentrated early launch markets in Oregon, Washington, California, Tennessee, Arizona and Texas.

Please see yesterday's post for more complete information.

Who Comes Out on Top?

Of all the comparisons, this is perhaps the least clear cut. But for resale value, future compatibility and functionality, the LEAF seems to be the strongest contender here--especially since you will likely be able to add higher speed home charging on par with the Focus within the next two years. The Focus Electric will never be able to add DC fast charging support if it's not included at launch.
3Battery Technology
The Focus Electric's battery pack is stuck behind the rear seats, a result of it not being engineered as an electric car from the ground up.

Ford has signed a supply agreement with Compact Power, a US-based subsidiary of LG Chem. Nissan's batteries are the result of a joint venture between them and NEC--called the Automotive Equipment Supply Corporation (AESC). Although initially both vehicles' batteries will be manufactured in Asia, starting in 2012 manufacturing will be shifted to facilities currently being built in Michigan (Compact Power) and Tennessee (Nissan).

Although both vehicles use very similar battery chemistry--flat, large-format, lithium-manganese, prismatic battery cells--the key difference here lies in how the batteries are managed. Ford's batteries will be actively heated and cooled using a liquid coolant circulated in tubes next to the flat cells. Nissan's do not have a sophisticated cooling system and largely depend on the movement of air through the batteries to keep them within acceptable operating temperatures. Nissan's approach ensures less-expensive manufacturing, but Ford's may help extend the lifespan of the battery pack.

The conventional wisdom is that heat is the biggest killer of battery lifespan--hence Ford's claim that liquid conditioning will extend the lifespan. All lithium-ion batteries degrade over time and may need to be replaced after 7-10 years. But given that the only data we have related to lithium-ion longevity comes from lab tests, it is hard to know how an entire battery pack will perform in daily driving use. Nissan has provided an 8 year/100,000 mile battery warranty and Ford will likely provide a minimum of the same.

In addition to battery longevity, external temperature tends to affect range in an electric car. Although these effects are not nearly as bad as with old lead-acid packs, lithium-ion can still see quite substantial effects when outside temperatures get extreme, lowering the range by 10-20%. The LEAF deals with this by pre-conditioning the batteries when the car is plugged in to keep them warm when it's cold--but this doesn't deal with extreme heat. Theoretically, the Ford Focus will be able to deal with temperature swings to a greater degree and may be better suited to more variable climates.

Who Comes Out on Top?

This is an incredibly difficult call, but without considering price, Ford's active liquid cooling/heating looks like the best option.
4Storage Space

The LEAF has a cavernous rear hatch and monstrous interior head- and legroom--the result of being engineered from the ground up as a dedicated electric car. There are videos floating on the internet showing parents fitting two big strollers in the back of the LEAF with other equipment and gear on top--as well as putting three high-backed booster seats across the back bench.
The Focus Electric's rear hatch volume is seriously handicapped by the location of the battery pack.

While there are no parent-made videos of the Focus Electric yet, it seems that the Focus will be hobbled from the get go because it wasn't designed as an electric car from the ground up. As a result, the batteries have been crammed into spaces normally reserved for cargo… as you can see in the picture to the right with the rear seats folded down. That huge hump filling up what looks like a full quarter of the useable space in the hatch is all battery.

Who Comes Out on Top?

I think the winner here is clear. The LEAF's huge hatch without intruding batteries makes it infinitely more functional.
5Wait Times

The Nissan LEAF is available now and the pre-ordering phase opened up last year. As a result Nissan has stopped taking reservations and is slowly releasing more pre-orderers for delivery. In fact, the lack of speed of delivery has cause quite some consternation on the part of the earliest adopters. Nissan is now saying that they will reach full production volume by March which should go a long way to reducing the wait list and reaching Nissan's promise of delivering all the cars that were pre-ordered by the end of Summer 2011. Even so, if you aren't on the reservation list already it will likely be late 2011 before you get your vehicle.

So, you say, I'm just going to take my money elsewhere an buy a Ford Focus Electric because they'll be available at the end of 2011. Not so fast. Although Ford has yet to detail the launch strategy and production numbers, you can be almost positive they will roll out tentatively as well--meaning that you may have a several month wait to get a Ford Focus Electric from the time they go on sale to actual delivery.

Who Comes Out on Top?

Nissan is already producing cars and will reach full production by March. As a result, if you are already on the wait list you are likely to get your vehicle, at the latest, by fall of 2011, and if you aren't on the wait list you will likely be able to walk into a dealer sometime in early 2012 and simply choose from a vehicle on the lot. Smart money says that Ford won't able to offer that until at least mid- to late 2012.
6Driver Displays
Top: The Nissan LEAF's main driver display.
Bottom: The Ford Focus Electric's main driver display.

Some have said the LEAF's displays are too sparse and lacking in information to help you maximize your mileage, as well as tell you how much actual energy there is left in your batteries. This lack of coaching and driver information means that the car is doing all the calculations for you and you may feel like you are operating inside a black box at times.

Although the Focus display has only been seen as a mock up at this point, what it looks to offer is complete customization and very helpful coaching applications. Based on the same driver displays developed for the Fusion Hybrid and complemented by MyFord Touch, the Focus Electric display appears to be a winner.

Who Comes Out on Top?

Based on admittedly-incomplete information, it looks like Ford will be the early front runner for electric car driver information available on its various displays.
7Pricing

We, of course, know exactly what the LEAF costs: a base MSRP of $32,780 with a $7,500 federal tax credit can knock that down to $25,280. Some states offer their own lucrative credits or rebates as well--in California the LEAF can be had for just a hair over $20,000. In the end, even without the California rebate or other state rebates, you'd be hard pressed to find any vehicle loaded with as much stuff as the LEAF for less than $28,000, making it one of the best automotive deals in the U.S.

We really don't know what the Focus Electric will cost. I've seen the $30,000 number thrown around in various places and we here at PluginCars.com even use it as our estimated price on our Focus Electric page. While that may be the target price for the Focus Electric, it is unclear if that means before or after the $7,500 federal tax credit. My bet is that it is after, given that the Focus has such a sophisticated battery thermal management system.

Who Comes Out on Top?

While we won't know Focus Electric pricing for some months, the best educated guess says that it will be more expensive than the LEAF before tax credits.

http://www.electroleaf.net

About the Author

By Nick Chambers plugins

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Best Car Speakers - What to Look For

Car speakers can be a complicated thing if you don't know what you look for as there are many factors that play into finding the right one for you. First off you want to make sure that you're getting a good deal money wise. Doing the research on this is very important, it can be tempting to snag the first one you think will work but get a good list going of what is compatible and make a decision.

While this article is about finding the best speakers it is important to know that without the correct audio setup to be able to power these speakers. If you're not getting enough power to the speakers they will not function properly and can actually get damaged by insufficient power. The standard units that come with most cars are probably not going to be sufficient.

Assuming you have the correct power output you now have to make sure that the RMS on the speakers and on the amplifier match. They both have to have enough power for each other and without the correct amount the system will eventually fail. It would also be wise to know the peak power of the system to ensure unexpected volume boosts or spikes wont damage it.

Many people simply think installing some new speakers will get them the sound they want. It is a general known in the speaker world that unless speakers are full range they aren't worth much by themselves. Having subwoofers and tweeters will give you that full range sound without the distortion you'd get with just a basic speaker alone. You will get a much cleaner and sharper high/low range instead of a good mid with distorted highs and lows.

The next thing we come to is the size of the speakers. Many cars have many different sized speakers and you're going to want to pull out the old ones or check the owners manual to ensure that their replacements are the correct size. This is important because sizes can vary by a very small margin. Some speakers are 5 inches some are 5.5 inches and some are 5.25 inches so knowing the exact size is very important. Ordering some speakers and uninstalling the old ones just to find out you have the wrong ones is a very, very disappointing time. Along with this make sure that the depth of the speaker is not too much. The old speakers could be small with a low margin of error for room fit with how compact cars are these days. Make sure the new ones aren't very much deeper than the old ones unless there is a lot of leeway. Mounting brackets can also take up space so try to account for those as well.

With this information you should have all the concepts you need to find the correct speakers to fit your needs. Picking the right brand is another topic. Simply check out the more popular brands and check customer reviews to find out their true worth. Cross check certain brand prices and find a happy medium. If they're suspiciously cheap with mediocre reviews, it's probably good to stay away, as well as if they're overpriced with not so good reviews, stay away. Find the happy medium with a decent price and great reviews. They're out there, you just have to look!

Steps on Updating Your BMW Navigation DVD

If you BMW is more than one or two year old, it might be the time to update your BMW navigation DVD, especially for the software. The facts that BMW updates with its software every three months by adding new restaurants, hotels, streets and points of interest. Etc. if your driving are much more depending on the car navigation to guide your around traffic jams, you'd better to update BMW navigation software every year.

To update BMW navigation DVD you will need:
• A newly updated BMW disc
• BMW installation manual - different BMWs have different ways of opening the DVD drive but most cars have the drive right in or behind the radio.

Step 1:
Purchase the BMW navigation software. As we mentioned above, BMW releases a new navigation disc every three months. The discs are updated with such items as tourist information, any road changes (newly opened or recently closed roads), locations of parking lots or garages, restaurants, airports, etc. If you tend to be a homebody and rarely explore outlying areas, you might not need to upgrade your BMW navigation software every year. Older BMW car DVD are CD based while those produced after 2002 are DVD based so make sure you purchase the right media for updating of your GPS system. Regardless, whenever you want to update the GPS, you can obtain the or CD at BMW.com.

Step 2:
Locate your BMW car manual and find out how to open the CD/DVD drive. The CD or DVD navigation discs are stored in a drive behind the radio. There will be a button on the radio for either 'eject' or 'open' which you will need to press in order to load the new disc.


Step 3:
Abandon your oldBMW navigation DVD disc. After the drive is open, eject the old disc (if there is one - the newer cars might have the GPS information stored on a computer drive so there may not be a disc. If there is a disc, eject it, and insert the new CD or DVD disc. That's all there is to updating your BMW navigation DVD!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Shelby GT500 Mustang Custom Fit Luggage Set

Being a Vintage Race Car Driver and a Director of a high performance driving program (www.arosc.org), I get to test a variety of automotive accessory items. This seems to be my Carroll Shelby product test month and the new product being tested is a 3 piece luggage set that has been customized to fit the trunk of the Shelby Mustang GT500 -AFTER INSTALATION OF THE TRUNK MOUNTED SHAKER 1000 SPEAKER SYSTEM. In fact this luggage will fit all body styles of Mustangs from 2005 through 2009.

Before discussing the quality and utiitarian details, I'd like to write a few words about the clever, subtle design features that enables 3 substantial luggage pieces to fit in, what appears to be, severly limited space. The deepest part of the trunk, just behind the rear seats is slightly over 9 inches high with a slight down slope. The wheeled overnight bag -22" X 14" X 9" - with a Shelby signature extendable handle, is a rigid, molded frame bag that not only qualifies as an airline carry on, but maintains its shape in the small area allocated. The large capacity - 26" X 15" X 15"- soft sided wheeled duffle not only has Mag Style Wheels, a Shelby signature extendable metal handle, but also a separate lower framed section for suits, dresses, etc. The third piece is a large capacity - 24" X 15" X 14" - hand carry duffle that fits on it side facing the trunk locking unit. When all 3 pieces are in place, there is still room in the drivers side wheel well for a computer bag or briefcase.

Over the past month, this luggage has been put through the wringer. The hand carry duffle, being used to carry my driving suit, shoes, helmet and a variety of track necessities, spent a weekend being pushed, pulled and tossed around our small garage at the track. The other two pieces shared the truck bed with tools, tires and back up engine parts. It was not a pretty sight, but this 'Ballistic Nylon' luggage had virtually no scuffs and cleaned up with a damp cloth. The luggage also made 300 (plus) mile road trip up the Pacific Coast followed a week later to another 300 (plus) miles to Joshua Tree National park. I'm still looking for significant signs of wear.

The utilitarian features of the luggage includes a soft but tough Polyester Broadcloth lining, multiple cosmetic and accessory pockets with rugged zippers and a built in laundry pocket in the large wheeled duffle. The extendable metal handle on the rolling pieces has a well fitted grip and the (Mag Style) wheel assemblies ran smoothly and, imagination being a wonderful thing, they appeared to corner as if they were cambered and toed out.

The attention to detail- metal Carroll Shelby Badge, signature replications and correct logo designs embroidered strategically on the luggage, correct signature on the extendable handle, rubber molded logo in the carry handles of the rolling pieces - all add to the overall quality appearance and feel. The luggage is available through selected Ford Dealerships, www.shelbyperformance parts and the licensed manufacturer www.a2zracergear.com