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hereissomestuffiwrote · 5 years ago

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2020 Hyundai Elantra

Rental cars are so great- it’s like getting to sidestep your daily driver for a car mistress, or car gigolo. Not that I have any desire to do such a thing, as I’m in a perfectly healthy relationship with an older Volkswagen. But she needed a few days off, and with this virus business I didn’t wanna Uber, so a rental it would have to be. Wanting to save money to put towards the Jetta’s possible costly maintenance, I first checked Turo, which was crazy cheap, but all they had available were a bunch of 2012 Fiat 500s. Fun fact- when my Honda got stolen in 2012 I tried to rent a car from a company through my insurance- all they had available was a then brand new Fiat 500, but they couldn’t let me rent it they said, because it kept breaking down on them. Back in 2012. So no thanks on the same car eight year later. I moved on to Enterprise, and I decided to go with the lowest-priced deal possible, which promised a Mitsubishi Mirage or similar. I’m furloughed at the moment, so this thing would just have to get me home from and then back to my mechanic’s. I could deal with an economy car just for that.

The plan was to meet the rental agent at the repair shop where I was leaving my car, sign some stuff, and then take off in the Mirage or similar. Wanting to socially isolate as much as possible, I decided to wait in my car until the rental agent and the employee who was driving them back to their office both showed up. First, I saw a brand new Hyundai Elantra with out of state plates and a barcode on the windshield pull into a spot. I figured that was the shuttle back, so I got out of my car, figuring my rental was right behind the Hyundai. And sure enough, moments later a Chevy Sonic pulled up. A Sonic is similar to a Mirage, right? I immediately noticed that the Sonic was absolutely filthy and kinda dented up, which, whatever, I’m renting from the bottom shelf, but also that the driver was an elderly man with no face mask. Huh. Well, okay. “Is that mine?” I cheerfully asked the man, who looked back at me completely bewildered. “No” he said gruffly, and then started taking some boxes out of his back seat. Oh man, should I have upgraded to Compact or Standard? Could Economy really be this bad? But just then- “Excuse me, sir?”, I heard from the direction of the Hyundai, “I’m with Enterprise! We have your car right over here!” It turns out they upgraded me two full vehicle classes- score! So the Elantra was mine, the rental agent’s shuttle was a Chrysler Pacifica that rolled up a few minutes later, and that dirty Sonic was a parts delivery guy. Oops.

Even though I have a perfectly valid credit card and a perfectly legitimate checking account, when I signed the Enterprise agent’s iPad iFelt like Preston in Blank Check pulling off one of his many bullshit “Mr. Macintosh” transactions. Like, handing over a piece of plastic and scribbling incoherently with my finger on a tablet screen = unlimited access to a brand new motor vehicle? Whaaaat? But it seriously was that easy! Plus, COVID-19 precautions meant my agent just straight up left the keys in the ignition with the car running- one less point of contagion. He was super nice though, and wiped down everything before leaving the car to me. Of course, I pretended that we were both criminals and he was cleaning his fingerprints off a getaway car before handing it over to me for disposal. I also kept thinking about the rental car scene in the awesome buddy-comedy My Fellow Americans in which a little Hyundai is used as a punchline-

Spoiler alert- things go really, really well with the Lexus-

Jesus, what was it with abusing rental cars in 80′s and 90′s comedies? The poor things got less than no respect.

Insane that twenty-four years later, the two brands really aren’t a whole lot different anymore. Side by side, my brand new Elantra and a Lexus IS don’t even look particularly dissimilar from one another, save for the latter one’s more pronounced gaping O face. Even with a more staid design, the Hyundai certainly doesn’t at all appear notably goofier or cheaper in comparison.

Once inside, the Elantra seemed like a nice enough place. I went to grab a CD out of the Jetta (Yes, like a grandpa I still listen to compact discs in the car, don’t judge) and then realized upon closer inspection that the Elantra didn’t even have a CD slot. Since I couldn’t understand the deal with the satellite radio- it seemed to me like the previous renter had only activated five stations, and they were all Catholic talk radio stations- I just defaulted to my favorite local FM channel. Whenever I’ve been given a rental car in the past, I compulsively have to see how loud the volume on the stereo will go before it starts hurting my ears. And I’m happy to report that the Elantra was capable of boosting “High” by The Cure to an acceptably window-shaking volume. With that important business out of the way, I could see what else was up with this car. It had a sportshift kinda gear box, I guess Hyundai’s is called SHIFTRONIC®.

I messed around with it, it seemed responsive. Downshifts really did slow the car considerably, and upshifts seemed to make it go faster, but I don’t know, my foot was also on the gas, so maybe it was just a placebo effect? Either way, I’m a big fan of manumatics- it’s always good to look down and see the little S and the plus/minus. It’s a welcome bonus touch, like when a deli sandwich comes with a pickle. Even if you’re never going to want or use that pickle, it’s just nice someone made the effort.

Next, I needed to push this “Drive Mode” button and see what that did. Sadly, hitting it did not cause toothpicks to dispense from the sun visor and “Nightcall” by Kavinsky to boom over the sound system, lame. But, instead, it pulled up this dope TRON-esque graphic of the Elantra on the touch screen-

I just love it when digital renderings of cars appear on their dash screens. Second only to visual equalizers, they’re my favorite completely unnecessary yet supremely cool thing that a display can offer me. The fun cartoon in the Elantra explained that I had the choice of three modes- Smart, Normal and Sport. The Catholic talk radio renter had been driving it in Normal, no surprise there. I was on the highway at this point, so I decided to get crazy and punch it into Sport. And believe it or not, it made a huge difference! I once drove a Mini Cooper S with a manual, and while Elantra Sport Mode certainly wasn’t that vivacious, it was much, much more fun than Elantra Normal or Elantra Smart. Okay, full disclosure- I didn’t even bother to check out Elantra Smart- I spent too many years driving a Prius to care to see what the “nerd setting” felt like- I can imagine vividly, thanks.

It wasn’t until I arrived home that I even bothered to see what the key situation was. Like I said, they were theoretically in it, as the engine was on, but not until pulling up near my house did I think to make sure that they were actually in the car. They were though, dangling from an ignition cylinder the way car keys are supposed to. I myself hate proximity fobs, push starts and such- they make me feel too disconnected. I have too many years of the muscle memory of my fingers gripping a physical car key, turning it, and feeling the vibration of the engine starting to ever get used to anything else. To me, that sensation also turns a key in my brain, and once that’s turned, it is like “Okay, we’re operating a car now, pay attention”. Without that ritual, I can’t focus on my driving quite the same way. I would imagine it would be similarly disorienting if suddenly all cigarettes just came magically lit right out of the pack, long time smokers would say “What the hell? I enjoy the act of flicking my Zippo, that’s part of the whole thing!” You know? Lucky for me, the Hyundai had keys-keys, albeit surprisingly budget looking ones-

My friend’s mom had a 2004 Elantra that he’d borrow and I’m fairly certain the keys for that thing looked almost identical. A quick Google search proved me right.

C’mon Hyundai! This thing was a two-thousand and twenty! And it wasn’t even the base model. Not even a switchblade? Or a buttons-built-into-the-top-of-the-key type deal? Nope. Key and separate fob, 1995 style. Oh well. Since I’m on furlough at the moment, I didn’t really have anywhere I needed to go, so I just left the Hyundai to sit until the Jetta was ready. When I got word that the VW was all put back together, I headed back into the countryside in the Elantra.

Enhance! It’s hard to tell, but that’s a genuine Passat W8 all-wheel-drive wagon in front of me.

When I got closer, I noticed that it was full of yard work equipment, and getting pretty beat looking. Sitting behind it at a red light, I noticed the two young guys in it were rocking out to music. It was warm out that day, so since we both had our windows down I could immediately recognize Kid Rock’s “Cowboy” slapping through the Passat’s Monsoon speakers. The two guys nodded along with it enthusiastically for a few moments before starting to laugh and changing tracks on either a mix CD or a Spotify playlist or whatever. Ohhhh, they were rocking out to it ironically. The plot thickened. If it was a mix CD, were they driving a borrowed car and laughing at someone’s taste, as my friends and I did when we commandeered a dad’s Lincoln LS and found “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins deep within the trunk mounted CD changer? Or were they a couple of Gen Zs cycling archaeologically through a Woodstock ‘99 playlist on a streaming device of some sort? I’ll never know. Anyway, bawitda-back to my story about the Elantra. I had to put a bank-busting $3.12 worth of gas into it so that it would have a full tank before dumping the keys into my mechanic’s after hours slot and happily reclaiming the Jetta. Not that there was anything wrong with the Elantra- as has been stated endlessly elsewhere, it’s truly amazing how far Hyundai has come over the last twenty or so years. I guess the rental company wasn’t as enthusiastic about the little car’s innovations or maybe they were just used to them, as I got a call from my mechanic a few days later telling me it still hadn’t been picked up. I called the rental people who assured me they would be coming to grab it, they had just been busy. Since my mechanic has plenty of land, and since my credit card had stopped being charged, I left the situation at that. I’ve heard nothing further, so for all I know the car either got collected or it’s still just sitting out there in the fields, now in use as the nicest chicken coop in all of the Amish Country. If that’s the case, those chickens are in for a real treat! Hopefully they’ll have more luck figuring out the satellite radio than I did.

#hyundai #hyundai elantra #rental car #volkswagen #christine 1983 #stroszek #90s

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auto-repair-peoria-az · 2 years ago

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Mini Cooper is a popular car brand, known for its stylish design and compact size. However, one issue that many owners often face is how to open a Mini Cooper trunk without a key. Whether you've lost your key or simply forgot it at home, there are ways to open your Mini Cooper trunk without a key. Here’s everything you need to know!

#Mini Cooper Trunk #auto repair

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arplis · 5 years ago

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Arplis - News: 2020 Top 10 High Tech Cars

Photo: Polestar The Polestar 1 hybrid, the first of a sub-brand from Volvo, goes fast and goes far in all-electric mode—roughly 88 kilometers (55 miles). Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR In 2019, the auto industry finally started acting like its future was electric. How do we know? Just follow the money. General Motors just announced it was spending US $20 billion over five years to bring out a new generation of electric vehicles. Volkswagen Group has pledged $66 billion spread over five years, most of it for electric propulsion. Ford hopes to transform its lineup and image with an $11.5 billion program to develop EVs. And of course, Tesla has upstaged them all with the radical, scrapyard-from-Mars Cybertruck, a reminder that Elon Musk will remain a threat to the automotive order for the foreseeable future. This past year, I saw the first fruit of Volkswagen Group’s massive investment: the Porsche Taycan, a German sport sedan that sets new benchmarks in performance and fast charging. It lived up to all the hype, I’m happy to say. As for Tesla and Ford, stay tuned. The controversial Tesla Cybertruck, the hotly anticipated Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the intriguing Rivian pickup and SUV (which has been boosted by $500 million in backing from Ford) are still awaiting introduction. EV fans, as ever, must be patient: The Mach-E won’t reach showrooms until late this year, and as for the Rivian and Cybertruck, who knows? As is our habit, we focus here on cars that are already in showrooms or will be within the next few months. And we do include some good old gasoline-powered cars. Our favorite is the Corvette: It adopts a mid-engine design for the first time in its 67-year history. Yes, an electrified version is in the works. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 The middle: where no Corvette engine has gone before Base price: US $59,995 Photo: Chevrolet Perfect balance is what you get by moving the Stingray’s V8 to the center; unlike its mid-engine rivals, the car has generous cargo space in a rear trunk. Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR By now, even casual car fans have heard that the Corvette has gone mid-engine. It’s a radical realignment for a car famous for big V8s nestling below long, flowing hoods since the ’Vette’s birth in 1953. Best of all, it works, and it means the Stingray will breathe down the necks of Ferraris, McLarens, and other mid-engine exotics—but at a ridiculous base price of just US $59,995. Tadge Juechter, the Corvette’s chief engineer, says that the previous, seventh-generation model had reached the limits of front-engine physics. By rebalancing weight rearward, the new design allows the Stingray to put almost preposterous power to the pavement without sacrificing the comfort and everyday drivability that buyers demand. I got my first taste of these new physics near the old stagecoach town of Tortilla Flat, Ariz. Despite having barely more grunt than last year’s base model—369 kilowatts (495 horsepower) from the 6.2-liter V8 rumbling just behind my right shoulder—the Corvette scorches to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) nearly a full second quicker, at a supercar-baiting 2.9 seconds. This Stingray should top out at around 190 mph. And there are rumors of mightier versions in the works, perhaps even an electric or hybrid ’Vette with at least 522 kW (700 hp). With the engine out back, driver and passenger sit virtually atop the front axle, 42 centimeters (16.5 inches) closer to the action, wrapped in a fighter-jet-inspired cockpit with a clearer view over a dramatically lowered hood. Thanks to a new eight-speed, dual-clutch automated gearbox, magnetorheological shocks, and a limited-slip rear differential—all endlessly adjustable—my Corvette tamed every outlaw curve, bump, and dip in its Old West path. It’s so stable and composed that you’ll need a racetrack to approach its performance limits. It’s still fun on public roads, but you can tell that it’s barely breaking a sweat. Yet it’s nearly luxury-car smooth and quiet when you’re not romping on throttle. And it’s thrifty. Figure on 9 to 8.4 liters per 100 kilometers (26 to 28 miles per gallon) at a steady highway cruise, including sidelining half its cylinders to save fuel. A sleek convertible model does away with the coupe’s peekaboo view of the splendid V8 through a glass cover. The upside is an ingenious roof design that folds away without hogging a cubic inch of cargo space. Unlike any other mid-engine car in the world, the Corvette will also fit two sets of golf clubs (or equivalent luggage) in a rear trunk, in addition to the generously sized “frunk” up front. The downside to that convenience is a yacht-size rear deck that makes—how shall we put this?—the Chevy’s butt look fat. An onboard Performance Data Recorder works like a real-life video game, capturing point-of-view video and granular data on any drive, overlaying the video with telemetry readouts, and allowing drivers to analyze lap times and performance with Cosworth racing software. The camera-and-GPS system allows any road or trip to be stored and analyzed as though it was a timed circuit—perfect for those record-setting grocery runs. Polestar 1 This hybrid is tuned for performance Base price: US $156,500 Photo: Polestar Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR Consider the Polestar 1 a tech tease from Volvo. This fiendishly complex plug-in hybrid will be seen in just 1,500 copies, built over three years in a showpiece, enviro-friendly factory in Chengdu, China. Just as important, it’s the first of several planned Polestars, a Volvo sub-brand that aims to expand the company’s electric reach around the globe. I drove mine in New Jersey, scooting from Hoboken to upstate New York, as fellow drivers craned their necks to glimpse this tuxedo-sharp, hand-built luxury GT. The body panels are formed from carbon fiber, trimming 227 kilograms (500 pounds) from what’s still a 2,345-kg (5,170-pound) ride. Front wheels are driven by a four-cylinder gas engine, whose combo of a supercharger and turbocharger generates 243 kilowatts (326 horses) from just 2.0 liters of displacement, with another 53 kW (71 hp) from an integrated starter/generator. Two 85-kW electric motors power the rear wheels, allowing some 88 kilometers (55 miles) of emissions-free range—likely a new high for a plug-in hybrid—before the gas engine kicks in. Mashing the throttle summons some 462 kW (619 hp) and 1,000 newton meters (737 pound-feet) of torque, allowing a 4.2-second dash to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour). It’s fast, but not lung-crushing fast, like Porsche’s Taycan. Yet the Polestar’s handling is slick, thanks to those rear motors, which work independently, allowing torque vectoring—the speeding or slowing of individual wheels—to boost agility. And Öhlins shock absorbers, from the renowned racing and performance brand, combine precise body control with a creamy-smooth ride. It’s a fun drive, but Polestar’s first real test comes this summer with the Polestar 2 EV. That fastback sedan’s $63,750 base price and roughly 440-km (275-mile) range will see it square off against Tesla’s sedans. Look for it in next year’s Top 10. Hyundai Sonata It has the automation of a much pricier car Base price: US $24,330 Photo: Hyundai Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR The U.S. market for family sedans has been gutted by SUVs. But rather than give up on sedans, as Ford and Fiat Chrysler have done, Hyundai has doubled down with a 2020 Sonata that’s packed with luxury-level tech and alluring design at a mainstream price. The Sonata is packed with features that were recently found only on much costlier cars. The list includes Hyundai’s SmartSense package of forward-collision avoidance, automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, automatic high-beam assist, adaptive cruise control, and a drowsy-driver attention warning, and they’re all standard, even in the base model. The SEL model adds a blind-spot monitor, but with a cool tech twist: Flick a turn signal and a circle-shaped camera view of the Sonata’s blind spot appears in the digital gauge cluster in front of the driver. It helped me spot bicyclists in city traffic. Hyundai’s latest infotainment system, with a 10-inch (26-centimeter) monitor, remains one of the industry’s most intuitive touch screens. Taking a page from much more expensive BMWs, the Hyundai’s new “smart park” feature, standard on the top-shelf Limited model, lets it pull into or out of a tight parking spot or garage with no driver aboard, controlled by the driver through the key fob. That fob can be replaced by a digital key, which uses an Android smartphone app, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Near Field Communication to unlock and start the car. Owners can share digital-key access with up to three users, including sending codes via the Web. Even the Sonata’s hood is festooned with fancy electronics. What first looks like typical chrome trim turns out to illuminate with increasing intensity as the strips span the fenders and merge into the headlamps. The chrome was laser-etched to allow a grid of 0.05-millimeter LED squares to shine through. Add it to the list of bright ideas from Hyundai. Porsche Taycan It outperforms Tesla—for a price Base price: US $114,340 Photo: Porsche Fast off the mark and fast to charge, the Taycan inherits tech from Porsche’s LeMans-winning 919 Hybrid racers, including the 800-volt architecture. Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR Yes, the all-electric Porsche Taycan is better than a Tesla Model S. And it had damn well better be: The Porsche is a far newer design, and it sells at up to double the Tesla’s price. What you get for all that is a four-door supercar GT, a technological marvel that starts the clock ticking on the obsolescence of fossil-fueled automobiles. This past September I spent two days driving the Taycan Turbo S through Denmark and Germany. One high point was repeated runs to 268 kilometers per hour (167 miles per hour) on the Autobahn, faster than I’ve ever driven an EV. From a standing start, an automated launch mode summoned 560 kilowatts (750 horsepower) for a time-warping 2.6-second dash to 60 mph. As alert readers have by now surmised, the Taycan is fast. But one of its best time trials takes place with the car parked. Thanks to the car’s groundbreaking 800-volt electrical architecture—with twice the voltage of the Tesla’s—charging is dramatically quicker. Doubling the voltage means the current needed to deliver a given level of power is of course halved. Pulling off the Autobahn during my driving test and connecting the liquid-cooled cables of a 350-kW Ionity charger, I watched the Porsche suck in enough DC to replenish its 93.4-kW battery from 8 to 80 percent in 20 minutes flat. Based on my math, the Porsche added nearly 50 miles of range for every 5 minutes of max charging. In the time it takes to hit the bathroom and pour a coffee, owners can add about 160 kilometers (100 miles) of range toward the Taycan’s total, estimated at 411 to 450 km (256 to 280 miles) under the new Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seems to have sandbagged the Porsche, pegging its range at 201 miles, even as test drivers report getting 270 miles or more. Porsche hopes to have 600 of the ultrafast DC chargers up and running in the United States by the end of this year. That 800-volt operation brings other advantages, too. With less current to carry, the wiring is slimmer and lighter, saving 30 kilograms in the electrical harness alone. Also, less current is drawn during hard driving, which reduces heat and wear on the electric motors. Porsche says that’s key to the Taycan’s repeatable, consistent performance. In its normal driving mode, the Turbo S version kicks out 460 kW (617 horsepower) and 1,049 newton meters (774 pound-feet) of torque. The front and back axles each have an electric motor with a robust 600-amp inverter; in other models the front gets 300 amps and the rear gets 600 amps. The Porsche’s other big edge is its race-bred handling. Though this sedan tops 2,310 kg (5,100 pounds), its serenity at boggling speeds is unmatched. Credit the full arsenal of Porsche’s chassis technology: four-wheel-steering, active roll stabilization, and an advanced air suspension offering three levels of stiffness, based on three separate pressurized chambers. Porsche claims class-leading levels of brake-energy recuperation. It’s also Porsche’s most aerodynamic production model, with a drag coefficient of just 0.22, about as good as any mass-production car ever. Porsche invested US $1 billion to develop the Taycan, with $800 million of that going to a new factory in Zuffenhausen, Germany. For a fairer fight with Tesla, a more-affordable 4S model arrives in U.S. showrooms this summer, with up to 420 kW (563 hp) and a base price of $103,800. Audi RS Q8 Mild hybrid, wild ride Base price (est.): US $120,000 Photo: Audi Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR I’m rocketing up a dormant volcano to the highest peak in Spain, Mt. Teide in the Canary Islands. There may be more efficient ways to test a luxury crossover SUV, but none more fun. I’m in the Audi RS Q8, a mild-hybrid version of the Q8, introduced just last year. I’m getting a lesson in how tech magic can make a roughly 2,310-kilogram (5,100-pound) vehicle accelerate, turn, and brake like a far smaller machine. The RS Q8’s pulsing heart is a 4-liter, 441-kilowatt (591-horsepower) twin-turbo V8. It’s augmented by a mild-hybrid system based on a 48-volt electrical architecture that sends up to 12 kW to charge a lithium-ion battery. That system also powers trick electromechanical antiroll bars to keep the body flatter than a Marine’s haircut during hard cornering. An adaptive air suspension hunkers down at speed to reduce drag and center of gravity, while Quattro all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering provide stability. A mammoth braking system, largely shared with the Lamborghini Urus, the Audi’s corporate cousin, includes insane 10-piston calipers up front. That means 10 pressure points for the brake pads against the spinning brake discs, for brawny stopping power and improved heat management and pedal feel. Optional carbon-ceramic brakes trim 19 pounds from each corner. Audi’s engineers fine-tuned it all in scores of trials on Germany’s fabled Nürburgring circuit, which the RS Q8 stormed in 7 minutes, 42 seconds. That’s faster than any other SUV in history. Audi’s digital Virtual Cockpit and MMI Touch center screens are smoothly integrated in a flat panel. A navigation system analyzes past drives to nearby destinations, looking at logged data on traffic density and the time of day. And the Audi Connect, an optional Android app that can be used by up to five people, can unlock and start the Audi. Audi quotes a conservative 3.8-second catapult from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour). We’re betting on 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, maybe less. Mini Cooper SE It offers all-electric sprightliness US $30,750 Photo: Mini Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR I’m on a street circuit at the FIA’s Formula E race in Brooklyn, N.Y., about to take my first all-electric laps in the new Mini Cooper SE during a break in race action. The Manhattan skyline paints a stunning backdrop across the harbor. My Red Hook apartment happens to be a short walk from this temporary circuit; so is the neighborhood Tesla showroom, and an Ikea and a Whole Foods, both equipped with EV chargers. In other words, this densely populated city is perfect for the compact, maneuverable, electric Mini, that most stylish of urban conveyances. It’s efficient, too, as Britain’s Mini first proved 61 years ago, with the front-drive car that Sir Alec Issigonis created in response to the gasoline rationing in Britain following the 1956 Suez crisis. This Mini squeezes 32.6 kilowatt-hours worth of batteries into a T-shaped pack below its floor without impinging on cargo space. At a hair over 1,360 kilograms (3,000 pounds), this Mini adds only about 110 kg to a base gasoline Cooper. With a 135-kilowatt (181-horsepower) electric motor under its handsome hood, the Mini sails past the Formula E grandstand, quickening my pulse with its go-kart agility and its ethereal, near-silent whir. The body sits nearly 2 centimeters higher than the gasoline version, to accommodate 12 lithium-ion battery modules, but the center of gravity drops by 3 cm (1.2 inches), a net boost to stability and handling. Because the Mini has neither an air-inhaling radiator grille nor an exhaust-exhaling pipe, it’s tuned for better aerodynamics as well. A single-speed transmission means I never have to shift, though I do fiddle with the toggle switch that dials up two levels of regenerative braking. That BMW electric power train, with 270 newton meters (199 pound-feet) of instant-on torque, punts me from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 97 kilometers per hour) in just over 7 seconds, plenty frisky for such a small car. The company claims a new wheelspin actuator reacts to traction losses notably faster, a sprightliness that’s particularly gratifying when gunning the SE around a corner. It all reminds me of that time when the Tesla Roadster was turning heads and EVs were supposed to be as compact and light as possible to save energy. The downside is that a speck-size car can fit only so much battery. The Mini’s has less than one-third the capacity of the top Tesla Model S. That’s only enough for a mini-size range of 177 km (110 miles). That relatively tiny battery helps deliver an appealing base price of $23,250, including a $7,500 federal tax credit. And this is still a hyperefficient car: On a subsequent drive in crawling Miami traffic, the Mini is on pace for 201 km (125 miles) of range, though its battery contains the equivalent of less than 0.9 gallon of gasoline. Following a full 4-hour charge on a basic Level 2 charger, you’ll be zipping around town again, your conscience as clear as the air around the Mini. Vintage Fiat 124 Spider, Retooled by Electric GT A drop-in electric-drive system gives new life to an old car—like this 1982 Spider System base price: US $32,500 Photo: Electric GT This modern classic from 1982, retooled by Electric GT, hums along on an electric system that fits the space the engine used to occupy. Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR Vintage-car aficionados love to grouse about the time and money it takes to keep their babies running. Electric GT has a better idea: Skip ahead a century. The California company has developed an ingenious plug-and-play “crate motor” that transplants an electric heart into most any vintage gasoline car. I drove an orange 1982 Fiat 124 Spider that Electric GT converted to battery drive. With a relatively potent 89 kilowatts (120 horsepower) and 235 newton meters (173 pound-feet) of torque below its hood, and 25 kilowatt-hours’ worth of repurposed Tesla batteries stuffed into its trunk area, the Fiat can cover up to 135 kilometers (85 miles) of driving range, enough for a couple hours of top-down cruising. Best of all, the system is designed to integrate exclusively with manual-transmission cars, including the Fiat’s charming wood-topped shifter and five forward gears. This romantic, Pininfarina-designed Fiat also squirts to 60 miles per hour in about 7 seconds, about 3 seconds quicker than the original old-school dawdler. Electric GT first got attention when it converted a 1978 Ferrari 308, best known as Tom Selleck’s chariot on the U.S. TV show “Magnum, P.I.,” to electric drive. The company’s shop, north of Los Angeles, is filled with old Porsches, Toyota FJ40s, and other cars awaiting electrification. The crate motors even look like a gasoline engine, with what appears at first glance to be V-shaped cylinder banks and orange sparkplug wires. Systems are engineered for specific cars, and the burliest of the bunch store 100 kWh, enough to give plenty of range. With system prices starting at US $32,500 and topping $80,000 for longer-range units, this isn’t a project for the backyard mechanic on a Pep Boys budget. Eric Hutchison, Electric GT’s cofounder, says it’s for the owner who loves a special car and wants to keep it alive but doesn’t want to provide the regular babying care that aging, finicky machines typically demand. “It’s the guy who says, ‘I already own three Teslas. Now, how do I get my classic Jaguar electrified?’ ” says Hutchison. Components designed for easy assembly should enable a good car hobbyist to perform the conversion in just 40 to 50 hours, the company says. “We’re taking out all the brain work of having to be an expert in battery safety or electrical management,” Hutchison says. “You can treat it like a normal engine swap.” Toyota RAV4 Hybrid A redesigned hybrid system optimizes fuel economy Base price: $29,470 Photo: Toyota Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR The RAV4 is the best-selling vehicle in the United States that isn’t a pickup truck. What’s more, its hybrid offshoot is the most popular gas-electric SUV. No wonder: Forty-four percent of all hybrids sold in America in 2018 were Toyotas. And where many hybrids disappoint in real-world fuel economy, the RAV4 delivers. That’s why this Toyota, whose 2019 redesign came too late to make last year’s Top 10 list, is getting its due for 2020. My own tests show 41 miles per gallon (5.7 liters per 100 kilometers) in combined city and highway driving, 1 mpg better than the EPA rating. Up front, a four-cylinder, 131-kilowatt (176-horsepower) engine mates with an 88-kW (118-hp) electric motor. A 40-kW electric motor under the cargo hold drives the rear wheels. Altogether, you get a maximum 163 kW (219 hp) in all-wheel-drive operation, with no driveshaft linking the front and rear wheels. The slimmer, redesigned hybrid system adds only about 90 kilograms (about 200 pounds) and delivers a huge 8-mile-per-gallon gain over the previous model. Toyota’s new Predictive Efficient Drive collects data on its driver’s habits and combines that with GPS route and traffic info to optimize both battery use and charging. For example, it will use more electricity while climbing hills in expectation of recapturing that juice on the downhill side. And when the RAV4 is riding on that battery, it’s as blissfully quiet as a pure EV. Toyota’s Safety Sense gear is standard, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking. Next year will bring the first-ever plug-in hybrid version, which Toyota says will be the most powerful RAV4 yet. Ford Escape Hybrid This SUV has carlike efficiency Base price: US $29,450 Photo: Ford Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR Years ago, Americans began abandoning their cars for SUVs. So by now you might think those SUVs would be achieving carlike efficiencies. You’d be correct. Exhibit A: the new Ford Escape Hybrid, with its class-topping EPA rating of 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers (41 miles per gallon)in combined city and highway driving. That’s 1 mpg better than its formidable Top 10 competitor, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Where the Toyota aims for a rugged-SUV look, the Ford wraps a softer, streamlined body around its own hybrid system. That includes a 2.5-L, four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine, and a pair of electric motor/generators for a 150-kilowatt (200 horsepower) total. A briefcase-size battery pack, about a third the size of the old Escape Hybrid’s, tucks below the front passenger seat. The Toyota’s rear electric motor drives the rear wheels independently and thus offers only an all-wheel-drive version. The Escape forges a mechanical connection to the rear wheels, allowing both all-wheel drive and front-wheel-drive versions. The latter is lighter and more efficient when you’re not dealing with snow, ice, off-roading, or some combination of the three. The 0-to-60-mph run is dispatched in a whisper-quiet 8.7 seconds, versus 7.5 seconds for the Toyota. The Ford fires back with powerful, smartly tuned hybrid brakes that have more stopping power than either the Toyota or the gasoline-only Escapes can manage. Tech features include a nifty automated self-parking function, evasive-steering assist, and wireless smartphone charging. A head-up display available on the Titanium—Ford’s first ever in North America—projects speed, navigation info, driver-assist status, and other data onto the windshield. FordPass Connect, a smartphone app, lets owners use a smartphone to lock, unlock, start, or locate their vehicle, and a standard 4G LTE Wi-Fi system links up to 10 mobile devices. A plug-in hybrid version will follow later this year with what Ford says will be a minimum 30 miles of usable all-electric range. All told, it’s a winning one-two punch of efficiency and technology in an SUV that starts below $30,000. Aston Martin Vantage AMR High tech empowers retro tech Base price: US $183,081 Photo: Aston Martin Best of Old and New: The AMR blends an actual manual transmission integrated into an adaptive power train and suspension Introduction Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Polestar 1 Hyundai Sonata Porsche Taycan Audi RS Q8 Mini Cooper SE Fiat 124 Spider Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid Aston Martin Vantage AMR Take an Aston Martin Vantage, among the world’s most purely beautiful sports cars. Add a 375-kilowatt (503-horsepower) hand-assembled V8 from AMG, the performance arm of Mercedes-Benz. Assemble a team of engineers led by Matt Becker, Aston’s handling chief and the former maestro of Lotus’s chassis development. Does this sound like the recipe for the sports car of your dreams? Well, that dream goes over the top, with the manual transmission in the new Vantage AMR. Burbling away from Aston’s AMR Performance Centre, tucked along the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, I am soon happily pressing a clutch pedal and finessing the stick shift on the Autobahn. The next thing I know, the Aston is breezing past 300 kilometers per hour (or 186 miles per hour), which is not far off its official 195-mph top speed. That’s a 7-mph improvement over the automatic version. This stick shouts defiance in a world in which the Corvette C8, the Ferrari, the Lamborghini, and the Porsche 911 have sent their manual transmissions to the great scrapyard in the sky. But what’s impressive is how seamlessly the company has integrated this classic technology with the newest tech, including an adaptive power train and suspension. The AMR’s 1,500-kilogram (3,298-pound) curb weight is about 100 kg less than that of an automatic model. The seven-speed manual, a once-maddening unit from Italy’s Graziano, has been transformed. An all-new gearbox was out of the question: No supplier wanted to develop one for a sports car that will have just 200 copies produced this year. So Aston had to get creative with the existing setup. Technicians reworked shift cables and precisely chamfered the gears’ “fingers”—think of the rounded teeth inside a Swiss watch—for smoother, more-precise shifts. A dual-mass flywheel was fitted to the mighty Mercedes V8 to dampen resonance in the driveline so the gearbox doesn’t rattle. The standard Vantage’s peak torque has been lowered from 681 to 625 newton meters (from 502 to 461 pound-feet) to reduce stress on transmission gears. Aston also sweated the ideal placement of shifter and clutch pedal for the pilot. A dual-chamber clutch master cylinder, developed from a Formula One design, moves a high volume of transmission fluid quickly, but without an unreasonably heavy, thigh-killing clutch pedal. A selectable AM Shift Mode feature delivers modern, rev-matching downshifts, eliminating the need for human heel-and-toe maneuvers, with thrilling matched upshifts under full throttle. The Graziano still takes a bit of practice: Its funky “dogleg” first gear sits off to the left, away from the familiar H pattern of shift gates. Second gear is where you’d normally find first, third replaces second, and so on. The layout originated in old-school racing, the idea being that first gear was unneeded, unless you were rolling through the pit lane. The dogleg pattern allows easier shifting from second to third and back without having to slide the shifter sideways. Once acclimated, I can’t get enough: The shifter grants me precise control over the brawny V8, and the Aston’s every balletic move. More improbably, this sweet shifter on the AMR won’t become a footnote in Aston history: It will be an option on every Vantage in 2021. This article appears in the April 2020 print issue as “ 2020 Top 10 Tech Cars.” #Transportation/advanced-cars #Transportation

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minicooperppricee · 6 years ago

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4 Reasons to Love the New Mini Cooper

However, this car is not just a pretty face - the German brand BMW has ensured that the tiny little vehicle can hold its own in its original arena as a racing car. They marketed the brand "new" Mini Cooper as a compact car that drives similar to a go-kart. And they weren't messing around - the S model is a car that driving enthusiasts and road devils would be proud to have in their "cars that go zoom" arsenal.

If you don't own or have access to a Mini, some car clubs offer non-owners the opportunity to ride along with them during their driving events so they can see first-hand how the car handles and talk all about the fun-size road monster.

This vehicle's fan base is probably one of the most quirky and interesting groups out there - they aren't shy about proclaiming their love for the tiny terror and some have even taken it as far as compiling lists of their favorite things about the Mini Cooper!

Reason # 1: Face it - cuteness is, and forever will be, the deciding factor

The Mini is cute without looking like a chick car. Sure, the female fan base is out there too - but men don't look less manly behind the wheel of this teeny-tiny compact. If cars could be classified as urbane and metrosexual (ie looks good but is straight) then the Mini Cooper would win hands down.

On a side note, the car's "cute" facade is hiding some powerful surprises. The famous "happy" grille is topped by a hood scoop that inhales refreshing air for the hyped-up engine. If you think it lacks junk in the trunk - the dual exhaust pipes would prove you wrong. And forget about having to purchase aftermarket wheels - the 17-inch alloy tires are so integrated in the Mini's design that handling the Mini Cooper at breakneck speeds and harrowing hairpin curves has never been so easy!

Reason # 2: The Mini Cooper is beautiful inside and out!

Most cars feature a dashboard with a speedometer, mileage and fuel gauge behind the wheel, leaving the center dashboard free for the GPS, A/C controls and entertainment system. The Mini Cooper, on the other hand, features a huge (some would say oversized) centrally-located circular speedometer (with some designs featuring a GPS in the center).

And talk about owner customization! The Mini Cooper actually has mood lighting installed that you can switch on and change at the push of a button. Forget about two-tone interiors and seat covers - you can have all that with the Mini, of course, but the things that set it apart from others - that's what makes the Mini Cooper one of the best choices for the car owner looking for something unique and fun.

Reason # 3: The advertising campaign may read as the "New" Mini Cooper - but it's still true to its roots!

So many "classic" cars have tried and failed to reinvent themselves. Either the manufacturer failed to innovate and appeal to the new market or strayed too far away from the original design and alienated the existing fan base.

The "new" Mini Cooper has stayed true to its racing roots but has also been able to gather a big cult following due to its mass market appeal. The racing car roots may not be for everyone but the Mini Cooper's sleek curves and old-school-meets-new-school design set it apart from others in the racing world. You also still get the "vintage" street legal vehicle without compromising on engine power and actual running parts.

Reason # 4: Whether You're Driving Around the City or Down a Deserted Highway - the Mini will take you where you want to go!

The Mini Cooper was built for practicality - you can go for about 400-plus miles on a single tank of gas - which, by the way, won't require you sacrificing your first-born since the tank can hold about 13.2 gallons.

Of course, It wouldn't be fair to not mention some downsides to driving the Mini Cooper - the trunk, for example, won't hold much if you pack like you've been evicted. But if you pack light and want to go on an extended road trip - there aren't many compacts that will feel as comfortable transitioning from city to highway driving.

The Mini Cooper unibody and chassis design also holds up pretty well in case of accidents due to its torsional rigidity. The same asset that helps lessen unpleasant "settling" car sounds like creaking and rattling of parts also helps protect drivers from the brunt of impacts.

This doesn't give owners a license to drive recklessly - but its just impressive to see something that tiny able to face an F150 and say "you should see the other guy".

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thecardaddy · 6 years ago

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2019 MINI Countryman Cooper S All4 - $36,215.00

The 2019 MINI Countryman is the biggest, most adventurous mini yet. With world-class performance engineering, available all-wheel drive, innovative technology and even more room for passengers, gear and more, youre ready for what each mile will bring. The Countrymans design is unlike any other MINI. As an SAV, the strong muscular shape and spacious interior is ideal for adventure. The standard aluminum-alloy roof rails allow a range of fully integrated, multifunctional carrier systems to be mounted on the roof of the car and are ideal for transporting anything from bicycles to snowboards, while the optional picnic cushion folds easily into the trunk, perfect for impromptu tailgates or just enjoying the view. This car includes the engineering of precision twinpower turbo engines, not to mention all-wheel drive, Steptronic Sport automatic transmission and driving modes, which allow you to choose from Sport, Green or Mid settings for perfectly balanced performance. The Countryman offers a range of convenient features for staying connected on the road, including Apple CarPlay compatibility, navigation, adaptive cruise control and available comfort access and power tailgate, which lets you open your front doors or split rear doors just by having the keys with you. Youll also find a comprehensive suite of safety features such as active drive assistant and LED headlights. Forge new ground with the 2019 MINI Countryman. from Cardaddy.com https://www.cardaddy.com/vehicles/vehicle/2019-mini-countryman-cooper-s-all4-huntington-station-new-york-17637689

#Trucks #Cars #SUVs #Vehicles For Sale Near Me

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businessliveme · 6 years ago

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Genesis Mint Concept Unveiled at New York Auto Show

Tuesday night in New York City, Genesis unveiled a petite concept car it says will help the brand make inroads with wealthy urban customers of the future.

About Genesis Mint

The Genesis Mint is an electric two- or three-passenger city car that looks, at a glance, slightly larger than a Mini Cooper. Finished in a hunter-green matte paint and with a curved roofline that flows seamlessly from the windshield to the rear, the Mint has two doors for passengers and two small additional window-size doors set behind those, which open upward like scissors to allow access to a rear storage ledge behind the seats.

Manfred Fitzgerald, the executive vice president and global head of the Genesis brand, declined to give specifics on how the car might perform on the street, if it were to be made, but said it wouldn’t necessarily need a driving range past 70km (44 miles).

The goal is to address the problems of overcrowding in cities, to move toward an electric future, and to look stylish while doing so.

Small people-movers can still be functional, the argument goes, with features such as creative storage space and comfortable seating.

“This is our interpretation of the all-electric city car,” Fitzgerald said. “We believe there’s still a white spot on the map for OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] to create something like this, where we don’t have to say large equals luxury and small equals entry-level.” The brand would not put a date on when a car like this might actually be put into production.

Genesis Mint: First Impressions

The Mint looks clean and sleek inside, with one bench seat covered in cognac leather and a slim dashboard devoid of buttons and knobs. The seat moves slightly when the driver’s side door is opened, to aid with ingress and egress. A honeycomb matrix design runs along the leather-clad floor up through the rectangular steering wheel; six small round screens line the wheel, which has one rectangular screen in the middle to aid visibility and parking. A small trunk in the front and rear might at some point be incorporated into the car as well, though none seemed apparent at the time of the debut.

On the exterior, frosted headlamps stretch around the corners of the car, softening its demure outer edges.

Fitzgerald said the car is meant to feel luxurious and appeal especially to women drivers. From the look and feel of it, the Mint might also appeal to lovers of the Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, BMW i3, and Audi TT.

The Mint is the latest electric concept designed by the South Korean brand. It follows Genesis’s futuristic Essentia supercar concept designed by former Bentley designer Luc Donckerwolke, which made its debut in 2018, as well as a roster of production models that includes the G90, G80, and G70 sedans.

Fitzgerald demurred when asked how the production of the Essentia concept was coming, noting that the company would love to “greenlight” the project but is still searching for “the right formula for the propulsion system.”

The same, it might be assumed, would apply to the Mint.

The post Genesis Mint Concept Unveiled at New York Auto Show appeared first on Businessliveme.com.

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robertkstone · 6 years ago

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Now You Can Build Your Own 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Out of Legos

Want a vintage Ford Mustang in the garage, but can’t actually afford one? We’re in the same boat. But Lego has a solution of sorts for folks like us in the form of a new $150 Creator Ford Mustang, and it’s pretty great.

The new Mustang joins a lineup of Creator cars that includes a VW Microbus, Ferrari F40, Mini Cooper, and more. The dark blue 1967 fastback has tons of amazing details, including the white racing stripes, hood scoop, GT badges, and chunky rubber tires wrapped around Torq-thrust-style five-spoke wheels.

The expert kit is designed for kids 16 years old and up, so you may be fighting your teens over who gets to build it—or, more likely, they’ll all be bought by folks two or three times that age. The mean little Mustang measures more than 13 inches long, and comes with an instruction booklet that includes several pages about both the original car and this kit’s design process.

Behind the galloping Mustang badge up front sits a detailed V-8 engine complete with battery, hoses, and air filter. The side doors open to reveal a functional steering wheel, as well as two-tone bucket seats, a T-handle shifter, a rearview mirror, and a radio (that’s probably AM-only). Plus, the roof panel can be removed to access the inside, or to create a pseudo-targa fastback we suppose.

If you prefer a more customized pony car, there are lots of additional bits including a supercharger, a nitrous-oxide tank for the trunk, a ducktail spoiler, side exhaust pipes, and a selection of U.S. and international license plate decals. You can even raise the rear suspension to give it a true hot-rod look.

There’s no doubt it will look great on your desk or shelf, situated between the Lego Aston Martin DB5 and 911 GT3 RS already in your collection. The Creator Mustang is available online or at Lego retailers starting March 1, but if you want a preview of the build, head over to Lego fan site Brothers Brick.

Source: Lego

The post Now You Can Build Your Own 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Out of Legos appeared first on Motortrend.

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eddiejpoplar · 6 years ago

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Want! Lego’s 1,471-Piece 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Kit Is Sweet

The expert kit is designed for kids 16 years old and up, so you may be fighting your teens over this build—or, more likely, they’ll all be bought by folks two or three times that age. The mean little Mustang measures more than 13 inches long, and comes with an instruction booklet that includes several pages about both the original car and this kit’s design process.

There’s no doubt it will look great on your desk or shelf, situated between the Lego Aston Martin DB5 and 911 GT3 RS already in your collection. The Creator Mustang is available online or at Lego stores starting March 1, but if you want a preview of the build, head over to Lego fan site Brothers Brick.

The post Want! Lego’s 1,471-Piece 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Kit Is Sweet appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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jesusvasser · 6 years ago

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Want! Lego’s 1,471-Piece 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Kit Is Sweet

There’s no doubt it will look great on your desk or shelf, situated between the Lego Aston Martin DB5 and 911 GT3 RS already in your collection. The Creator Mustang is available online or at Lego stores starting March 1, but if you want a preview of the build, head over to Lego fan site Brothers Brick.

The post Want! Lego’s 1,471-Piece 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Kit Is Sweet appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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jonathanbelloblog · 6 years ago

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Want! Lego’s 1,471-Piece 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Kit Is Sweet

There’s no doubt it will look great on your desk or shelf, situated between the Lego Aston Martin DB5 and 911 GT3 RS already in your collection. The Creator Mustang is available online or at Lego stores starting March 1, but if you want a preview of the build, head over to Lego fan site Brothers Brick.

The post Want! Lego’s 1,471-Piece 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Kit Is Sweet appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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whomakesminiicooper · 7 years ago

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5 Reasons to Love the New Mini Cooper

who makes mini cooper of the Mini back in 2001 by BMW, the classic vehicle has undergone transformations that boggle the minds of Mini fans while still maintaining its status as a cult icon - the happiness evoked by the iconic front grille and headlamps is unchanged but under the hood, the newly revamped Mini is packing a much greater punch with 200 horsepower replacing the 1960s original 34 horsepower engine of the first Mini Cooper.

Most people can spot one on sight, in large part due to its "cutest car ever" status. Its classification as a compact doesn't seem to hold the same vomit-inducing powers as the Toyota Prius.

The "new" Mini - Not Just a Pretty Face

Reason # 1: Face it - cuteness is, and forever will be, the deciding factor

Reason # 2: The Mini Cooper is beautiful inside and out!

Reason # 3: The advertising campaign may read as the "New" Mini Cooper - but it's still true to its roots!

Reason # 4: Whether You're Driving Around the City or Down a Deserted Highway - the Mini will take you where you want to go!

This doesn't give owners a license to drive recklessly - but its just impressive to see something that tiny able to face an F150 and say "you should see the other guy".

Reason # 5: You can go really, really fast

The newer models of Mini Cooper S with the John Cooper Works (JCW) package can take us up to speeds of 200 mph - not that anyone would actually use this for driving to the office or in hopes of beating rush hour - but it's nice to know you have that option.

The engine has been upgraded on the Mini Cooper to a 1.6 liter, 172 horsepower engine that allows for 177 pounds per foot of torque at 1,600 rpm. Not bad for a tiny little compact. The Mini packs all that power and yet also manages to fit into the tiniest parking spaces. No more cussing out insensitive fools who can't park to save their life.

Also - remember BMW's claim that the Mini Cooper drives like a go-kart? All true. It's tiny enough that you feel like you're in a makeshift box car fashioned in your father's garage and the little speed demon in you will revel in karting around the "obstacle course" of the streets of whatever town or city you find yourself in.

Oh, by the way, if you're the proud owner of a new Mini Cooper, take a gander at the stick shift. There's a tiny little button there marked "sport" that you might want to engage when you need help maneuvering those hairpin curves. Come on, you know you want to!

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arplis · 5 years ago

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Arplis - News: 2020 Top 10 High Tech Cars

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/2020-top-10-high-tech-cars

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theconservativebrief · 7 years ago

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Amazon will sell full-size Christmas trees for the first time this year, following a successful test run with mini trees last year, the Associated Press reported.

Obviously, Amazon is continually making headlines for the many ways it is now involved in our daily lives. A selection from the past two weeks: It’s steadily and rapidly expanding its Whole Foods delivery service in an effort to disrupt your grocery store, partnering with J.Crew for the first time as part of its year-end goal to crush Walmart, and fueling its feud with Sen. Bernie Sanders, which is tied to the extreme wage gap between its workers and its executives as well as reportedly heinous working conditions in its fulfillment centers.

And now, it’s getting involved in Christmas. The trees will be delivered via Prime to any user’s door within 10 days of the tree being chopped. Shipping will be free, but the trees themselves come at a premium — $115 for a 7-foot Fraser fir, for example. (The average Christmas tree in the US cost $51 as of 2016.) This is not even close to being the first Christmas tree delivery service, but it is the first arranged as part of Jeff Bezos’s ever-expanding empire, and therefore, something about it feels a little different.

So would you order an Amazon Christmas tree? While Christmas tree delivery is clearly useful for the elderly and others for whom Christmas tree farms may not be physically accessible, does it not also smack of a corporate monolith trying to grasp at yet another precious facet of the human experience? Is it not sad that the tree is just kind of dropped in front of your house and there’s not even a nice man to put it in a tree stand for you, as there is with established, comparable services?

Maybe I don’t actually need dominion over Christmas tree rituals — I just don’t want Amazon to have it

Wanting to avoid snowy roads and hordes of screaming children is a desire that is quite reasonable to me, but at the same time, I would like to point out something that we might accidentally miss here — Christmas tree farms often give out free hot chocolate to their customers. Sometimes cute boys work at them! Traditions are not about convenience; they are about joy and sweaty group photos.

Amazon has already irrevocably changed the way we shop at Christmas, but will this new service change the way we perform Christmas too? Before we work ourselves into a tizzy, it would behoove us to consult some people who really know Christmas trees inside and out and know exactly how much “disruption” the industry (or an individual uprooted tree) can take.

To that end, I asked five Christmas tree experts for their thoughts on Amazon’s new service.

Beth Walterscheidt, owner of Evergreen Farms (Elgin, Texas)

I speak [for] a choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm where people come out for the experience of choosing and cutting their own tree to take home. These people enjoy the experience and often bring extended family members to enjoy the experience. I do not see [Amazon’s Christmas tree delivery service] as having an impact on our sales. As far as the industry is concerned, I think it has a niche for people who are unable to get out to a tree lot or a farm to get their real tree. It might increase the sales of real Christmas trees, but as I mentioned earlier, it will not deter people from getting out with their families to choose a real tree.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Brian Eshenaur, plant pathologist specializing in ornamental crops (Rochester, New York)

Fresh-cut Christmas trees are resilient. They should be able to handle a few days in a box without a problem as long as the box stays at room temperature or below. You see, when it’s compacted in the box, the surface area of the tree is reduced and the humidity builds up inside, so very little evaporation will take place. When it arrives, it is best then to get the trunk of the tree into water right away.

What the buyer would be missing is the experience! The tradition of selecting your own fresh tree would be missed. It’s often a family event; whether at a tree lot or a field where you choose and cut your own, that’s where a lot of memories are made and traditions are built.

Some species of Christmas trees are tougher than others. As far as a tree that will stay fresh and holds on to its needles, Fraser firs are at the top of the list.

Leo Collins, owner of Bluebird Christmas Tree Farm (Heiskell, Tennessee)

I think there are different types of customers, and that’s a great thing. If you’re wanting to get a tree without the hassle of hunting one down, that’d be a good way to go, I would think. For our customers, it’s more about the experience, and the trees are fresh when they cut them down. But we’re at too low of an elevation to grow Fraser firs — we drive up to a different farm in Tennessee where they have them, buy ’em, bring ’em down, once or twice a week. They stay fresh for several months, so [Amazon] won’t have a problem.

Our customers have learned that [Fraser firs] stay fresh, they smell best and stay green and hold ornaments the best, so they usually end up taking those. You’re not going to get the same experience from opening a box, but if it’s a good tree and it’s at your door and you want that ease, that’s the way to go.

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

James Cooper, professional Christmas blogger (Minehead, Somerset, UK)

I think this story might be getting a lot of press because it’s Amazon, but I don’t think it’s anything really new. I’ve run my main Christmas site since 2000, and people were offering mail-order Christmas tree services back then — and I know that many big tree suppliers have also been offering real and artificial trees via their sites for several years (even though it’s still a tiny percentage of overall tree sales).

I live in the UK, so it will be interesting to see if Amazon will sell real trees online over here as well!

There’s nothing like going and picking your own tree, either pre-chopped or still in the ground. But I can also see how it could be really convenient for many people. I’m actually basically house-bound with ME/CFS (I’ve had ME for over 25 years — longer than I’ve been in the Christmas business), and so I pretty much rely on online shopping. Being able to order online and get a tree delivered could actually be useful for a whole range of people, not just those two who are “too busy” or don’t want to go out shopping for a tree.

Kurt Emmerich, owner of Emmerich Tree Farm (Warwick, New York)

Boxed and delivered Christmas trees have been available for years. Typically, growers have teamed with FedEx or UPS to offer boxed trees and wreaths delivered to customers’ homes. Growers who market their products this way have been reporting strong sales. The announcement from Amazon should help the real Christmas tree industry recover market share from fake trees, so that’s a good thing. The convenience should rival that of a fake tree.

Of course, delivery eliminates the experience of selecting a fresh cut tree or a choose-and-cut tree from the farm, which is often an annual highlight and tradition for families.

As for freshness, the 10-days-from-cutting promise should help with needle retention, but species selection is probably more important. While you can select most any species on the farm and keep it fresh through watering, trees delivered 10 days after cutting must be a species with excellent needle retention qualities such as a Fraser fir.

“The announcement from Amazon should help the real Christmas tree industry recover market share from fake trees, so that’s a good thing”

Regarding price, $115 for a 7- to 8-foot tree is significantly higher than at most retail outlets or farms where you can cut your own. While the convenience factor is high, the overall value does not seem to be there when considering the limited species selection, inability to choose your specific tree, and the risk of shipping damage and/or trees sitting uncollected in depots, driveways, or building lobbies.

As a Christmas tree grower, the decision by Amazon to sell real Christmas trees is exciting and demonstrates the buying public’s growing preference for real Christmas trees. As a substitute for the “Real Christmas Tree Experience (TM),” Amazon has a long way to go to deliver the goods.

Iconic Christmas lover Martha Stewart was not available for comment for this piece, but for the record: She didn’t make a must-watch mini documentary about herself and Michael Jordan and Miss Piggy opening a box, okay? She loves cutting down a tree. She loves effort. On the other hand, Martha Stewart regularly acknowledges the value of our time and recommends convenience. It appears that in 2007, she did receive at least five of her Christmas trees via some kind of delivery service. We are without a final ruling here from her.

Again, is a Christmas tree about the experience of getting a Christmas tree, or is a Christmas tree simply about the smell? Is it about sweeping up pine needles 40 times a day so your cat doesn’t eat them and then barf, or is it about going outside and getting a kissing-by-a-barn picture for Instagram? I couldn’t say. And am I trying to get into the artificial tree versus real tree debate right now? Absolutely not!

However, none of the Christmas experts I consulted brought up whether they had an ethical issue with Amazon’s business model or corporate practices or impingement on storied cultural rituals; basically all any of them mentioned caring about was seeing real trees get out from under the horrible tyranny of fake trees.

They could not care less what Amazon does, so long as fake trees are the ones losing. This, above all, is the real Christmas spirit.

Original Source -> Amazon will deliver live Christmas trees this year. 5 Christmas tree experts weigh in.

via The Conservative Brief

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