#how to change tailgate struts

[cargurudiy]

A Step-by-Step Guide to Replacing Tailgate Struts

A Step-by-Step Guide to Replacing Tailgate Struts Are you tired of struggling with a drooping tailgate every time you open your vehicle’s trunk? Fear not, because replacing tailgate struts is a straightforward process that you can tackle yourself with just a few basic tools and a little bit of know-how. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to replace your tailgate struts and restore…

[nazariolahela]

Best Beloved: Chapter 6

A/N: Hey y'all! This is a PM AU I’ve been working on. It’s a bit different than my previous fic series and I’m really excited to try something new. I hope y’all enjoy it. This story is told in dual first-person narrative, from Kaia (F!MC) and Damien’s POV. The first half of this story takes place during Kaia’s freshman year and Damien’s senior year of college. The second half is two years after Kaia graduates. There will be sprinklings of canon in this fic, but we’ll try to step out of the box for the most part. Thanks for reading, and please leave feedback, and/or if you would like to be tagged.

Catch up here

Series Tags: @burnsoslow​ @lady-calypso​​​ @irishwhiskys-blog​ @loveellamae​

Synopsis: What happens when you find yourself crushing on your best friend? For years, Damien and Kaia have been friends, while secretly harboring feelings for one another. Everything changes one night after a little too much alcohol and years of pent up feelings. Can they control their emotions and salvage their friendship, or will the feelings they hold for one another destroy everything they have?

All characters are the property of Pixelberry Studios. Thanks for allowing me to borrow them.

Chapter Summary: It’s the night of the homecoming dance, and things are burning up on and off the dance floor.

Kaia

“Stop fidgeting. You’re going to mess up my hard work,” Nadia snapped as she put the finishing touches on my hair. It was the night of the Homecoming dance and the whole campus was in a festive mood. The year’s homecoming week featured a "Wizard of Oz" inspired theme, aptly titled, “There’s No Place Like Homecoming." 

Judging by the lineup of activities, that statement wasn’t entirely false. The week’s festivities kicked off with a Wizard’s Festival on the Campus Green. Members of the Campus Activities Board were donned in costumes that could have been featured in the actual film. The rest of the week featured a Pep Rally, a campus scavenger hunt, and a concert featuring pop star Alyssa Griffin.

The parade was held earlier in the day, where the Homecoming Court was presented. The queen was Damien’s friend(?), senior Cecile Contreras. I recognized her from that day in the bistro. She eyed me with such disgust, if looks could kill, I would have dropped dead right then and there. The king was another senior by the name of Mikail Greene. I recall seeing him in passing on campus. He seemed nice. Damien said he was really popular with the student body.

The football game followed shortly after. The Badgers took an early lead but ultimately lost in OT. Steve had another stellar game, of course. I heard from people in the crowd how he was already drawing interest from NFL scouts as a freshman. When I asked Steve about it after the game, he brushed it off, saying he wouldn’t be draft-eligible for another two years.

“Okay! We’re all done. Now, get dressed. I want to see the finished product,” Nadia said, giving my updo a final spritz with hairspray.

I retreated to the bathroom and grabbed my homecoming dress hanging on the back of the door. I pulled the dress off the hanger and examined it. It was a low-cut, sparkly red, spaghetti strap number with a gold belt at the waist. I ran my fingers across the A-Line tulle skirt and smiled as I slipped the dress over my head, careful not to mess up my hair. Once I was dressed, I applied my makeup and took one last look at myself in the mirror. Students of Hartfeld, eat your heart out!

I swung the bathroom door open and stepped out into the shared space of our dorm. Nadia turned and gasped when she caught sight of me all dolled up.

“Ohmygods, Kaia! You look amazing!” she said, her eyes welling with tears.

“Really?” I asked, twirling around the room.

She nodded. “Whoever you’re planning on impressing tonight is going to be blown away.” She didn’t say it, but I knew she meant Damien. To be honest, I’d been upping my game in terms of my appearance lately. Ever since he told me he and Alana had been having problems, I’d been going out of my way to show him what he was missing. I put my hand on Nadia’s shoulder in a silent thanks, then moved to my room to retrieve my clutch.

Once we were ready, we exited the dorm and made our way to the parking lot. Steve’s trusty blue Chevy pickup sat in the empty space in front of our building. He and Sloane were seated on the tailgate, showing each other something on their phones. Steve looked up and a wide grin spread across his face when he noticed Nadia.

“Babe...You look...wow…” he stuttered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and peppered his face with kisses. I turned towards Sloane and gave her a bright smile as she hopped off the tailgate.

“Your dress is so pretty!” I squealed motioning for her to twirl. Her dress was similar in style and material as mine but in a light blue color.

“Thanks! Yours too! You ready to go?” she said, smoothing down her skirt.

I hooked my thumb back towards Steve and Nadia. “Sure. As soon as those two come up for air.”

Sloane laughed and shouted at the kissing couple to break it up. Nadia flipped us the bird, then we all piled into the pickup and made our way towards the Sports and Activities Center, where the homecoming dance was held every year. When we pulled up in the parking lot, it looked a lot different from the first time we were here. Gone were the tailgaters; replaced with a few remaining parade floats being dismantled and students in formal attire.

We walked the sidewalk that connected the parking lot to the football stadium and activities center, noticing it temporarily painted yellow to simulate a “Yellow Brick Road.”

“Cute,” I said to myself as we made our way inside the center. The doorman took our tickets and directed us to the field house which had been transformed into The Emerald City.

“Ohmygods, Kaia! I just realized your dress reminds me of Dorothy’s shoes!” Nadia squealed, squeezing my hand. 

My eyes roamed the room, taking in the magnificent job that CAB did on the decorations. A dance floor occupied the center of the room with several high-top tables scattered around it. The DJ booth was set up towards the back of the room under one of the basketball hoops. The bleachers were folded up on either side of the room to allow space for a photo booth and a bar area.

We moved through the room and found an empty table. The music from the DJ booth filled the room as dancers moved about the dance floor. A flash of black hair caught my eye and I turned to see Hayden strutting towards me. He had no business looking so good in a blue vest over a grey dress shirt and gray checkered tie. His eyes met mine and he grinned from ear to ear. When he arrived at our table, his eyes traveled the length of my body and I felt my cheeks and ears burning up.

“There’s no place like home,” he muttered under his breath and I barely caught what he said.

“What?”

“Nothing. You look amazing. Wanna dance?”

I looked over at Nadia and Steve, who were attached at the mouth. Sloane was nowhere to be found. I gnawed on my bottom lip, contemplating his offer. Damien’s words crept into my mind. You should give him a chance. Who knows? He might turn out to be a great guy. I turned back to Hayden and gave him a soft smile. “Sure. Let’s go.”

His eyes lit up as he took my hand and led me to the dance floor. Maroon 5’s “Animals” blared from the speakers as we moved together. I swayed my body to the beat, lost in the rhythm of the music. When I opened my eyes, I saw Hayden dancing, but his eyes were fixed on me. The intensity of his gaze made my skin instantly flushed. When the song came to an end, a slower track followed and I took this as my cue to grab a drink.

“You thirsty?” I asked.

He nodded and led me over to the bar. I perused the menu. Damn, no alcohol. I ordered both of us one of the signature “mocktails.” The bartender gave us our drinks and we made our way back to the table. Nadia and Steve were missing in action, but Sloane was standing there talking to a guy with auburn hair. She smiled when she saw Hayden and I approaching.

“Hey, guys! How was the dance floor?”

“Crowded,” Hayden replied, sipping his mocktail. The redhead guy whispered something in Sloane’s ear and she nodded before he walked away.

“So, who’s your friend?” I smirked at her.

“Oh, just some guy in my Spanish Comp class. Whatcha drinking?” she asked, eyeing my glass.

“It’s the signature mocktail. They’re pretty tasty. Have you tried one yet?” I said to her, holding up the multi-colored drink.

“Yeah, Derek went to grab us some.” She looked at Hayden, then back at me. Her eyes silently asked what was up between him and I. I smirked and shook my head as if to say, “tell ya later.” Derek returned shortly and the four of us fell into a comfortable conversation. He and Sloane had a class together and had been texting for a few weeks. I learned that Derek was a sophomore and a member of CAB. I complimented him on the decor, to which smiled and nodded. He finished his drink and asked her if she wanted to dance.

“Watch my drink for me?” she asked.

I nodded and smiled as Derek led her out to the dance floor, leaving Hayden and me alone. He rested his forearms on the tabletop and turned to me.

“So, you excited for midterms?”

I laughed. “Who would be excited about that?”

“Well, me for one. It means the semester’s half over.”

“Hmm...good point. I guess that’s one thing to look forward to,” I replied and took a sip of my drink.

He nodded and we fell into an awkward silence, watching the crowd. After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and spoke up. “So, I know I asked you this before, and I don’t want to come off too desperate, but I really like you, Kaia. And I know you like me too.” 

My cheeks flushed. How did he know? As if he could read my thoughts, he continued. “Your cousin told me.” 

Damnit, Nadia!

He smiled and continued. “Let me take you out. We don’t even have to call it a date. I just want to get to know you.” He reached across the table and took my hand in his, lightly brushing his thumb across my knuckles.

I looked down at our joined hands, then back up at him. My body reacting to the contact. Why was I acting like this? We were both single and obviously attracted to each other. What could it hurt? For some odd reason, my thoughts wandered to Damien. Jesus, what was wrong with me. He wasn’t available. It was because of him that I was hesitant to pull the trigger with Hayden. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to clear my thoughts. When I opened my eyes, Hayden was looking at me expectantly.

“Okay.”

He seemed taken aback. “Okay?”

I nodded. “Okay, okay. Let’s do it. Take me out. When are you free?”

A wide grin spread across his face. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Whatever you want to do,” I replied.

Something flashed in his eyes. He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on the back of it. “I think it’s time for another dance. Don’t you?”

I nodded and let him lead me out onto the dance floor. Ariana Grande and The Weeknd’s “Love Me Harder” started playing and Hayden placed his hands on my waist as we swayed back and forth. I looped my arms around his neck and pulled him close, pressing our foreheads together.

“Kaia? Can I ask you something?” he whispered into my ear.

“Sure,” I replied.

“What changed?”

I pulled back and searched his face. “What do you mean?”

He sighed. “I mean. I’ve been asking you out for almost a month now, and you’ve been side-stepping giving me a definite answer. Don’t get me wrong. I’m so happy you finally said yes, but I’m curious what changed?”

I thought back to the conversation I had with Damien in the bistro. How I was too afraid to pursue anything with Hayden because I was still harboring feelings for him. Would I ever get over them? Maybe in time. And he would always hold a special place in my heart. But this schoolgirl crush was getting in the way of me having a life. “Honestly? I just felt like it was time I got my shit together.”

Hayden seemed to accept that answer and pulled me back against him. We danced through two more songs, laughing and talking. As the current song was coming to a close, I looked across the room and saw him. Damien. The sight of him caused my breath to catch. He looked absolutely mouth-watering in a navy blue suit. The top two buttons of his dress shirt were unbuttoned, giving me a glimpse of his chest. 

He had his arm wrapped around Alana’s waist, but his eyes held mine with a look of pure lust mixed with jealousy. He leaned down and whispered something into Alana’s ear, never taking his eyes off mine. Hayden came up behind me and wrapped his arm around my waist. Damien looked over to him, then back at me.

I was the first to break eye contact, turning to Hayden and telling him that I had to use the restroom. He nodded and headed back to our table as I made my way through the crowd to the ladies' room. I grabbed the first open stall and rushed inside, shutting the door. I leaned up against the stall door and sucked in several deep breaths. What the hells was wrong with me? I was here with another guy, but I was eye-fucking my best friend from across the room. Jesus! Get ahold of yourself, Kaia!

***

Damien

Alana and I walked into the gym hand-in-hand. The strobe lights danced across the room as some upbeat pop song poured from the speakers. We spotted Cecile and Rowan dancing together, the lights reflecting off Cecile’s Homecoming Queen crown. Alana pulled me toward one of the tables and set her clutch down on the tabletop. She scanned the room, taking in the decor.

“Well, at least it's better than last year’s theme,” she huffed.

I cringed. Last year’s homecoming theme was “Boot-Scootin’ Victory,” a western-themed event that was as cheesy as you’d expect. I’m not sure who approved that one. The entire campus looked like a scene from the movie, “Tombstone.” The dance was even worse. CAB hired a country-western band to entertain, and they played nothing but ‘90s country music for the entirety of the dance. 

The most amusing thing that happened was watching the basketball team try to line-dance. A video of the team’s center riding a mechanical bull went viral, causing his draft stock to dip. Apparently, NBA scouts frown upon a 6’10” player having almost-sex with his girlfriend on the mechanical bull at the school dance.

Cecile and Rowan joined us a few minutes later at our table. Rowan and I made small talk while Cecile and Alana reenacted an episode of Project Runway, judging the dresses of our classmates. Rowan left to go grab drinks for the table, leaving me with the girls. I leaned over the table and congratulated Cecile on winning Homecoming Queen. She scowled, then muttered thanks.

I chuckled to myself. She was probably still pissed about seeing me and Kaia together at the bistro. I know she tattled to Alana right after they left. That night, Alana came to my dorm. We fought, made love, fought again, then didn’t talk for two days. I remembered Kaia’s words in the bistro when I told her about mine and Alana’s relationship troubles. This whole relationship seems really unhealthy. There’s a huge lack of trust on both sides. That’s something a break isn’t going to fix. If she only knew.

Rowan returned to the table with the drinks. I picked up the glass and eyed it skeptically as the green and yellow colors swirled together. I took a sip and turned up my nose.

“What the hells is this?”

“Some signature mocktail. Pineapple, orange and melon juice,” he said, taking a drink of his. “And it tastes like shit.”

He reached into his suit jacket and retrieved a flask, pouring what I assumed was alcohol into the cup. He turned and offered me some. I held out my drink and he dumped a splash of the clear liquid into my glass. I shook my head. “More.” He smirked and kept pouring until I motioned for him to stop. I took a drink. It was better, but not by much. I bit my tongue and chugged the drink, happy to finally have finished it off.

As Alana and Cecile continued to gossip, I spotted Nadia and some blonde kid making their way towards me. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and moved faster through the crowd. She wrapped her arms around me in a bone-crushing hug.

“Damien Elvis Nazario! Have you been avoiding me this semester?” she squealed.

I laughed. “Even if I was, you’d track me down.”

“It’s like you know me,” she replied.

I looked over her shoulder to see Alana staring at us with a scowl. I detached myself from Nadia and introduced her to Alana. The two women sized each other up in some sort of awkward standoff. After several tense moments, Nadia grabbed the arm of the guy she was with and drug him over to us. “Damien. I want you to meet Steve, my boyfriend.”

At the mention of his name, I remembered Kaia telling me about him at the frat party. “Ah, yes, Tennyson. Good game today, man. You’ve been tearing it up this season.”

He nodded and shook my hand. “Thanks, man. I know it’s still early, but I think we have a shot at the natty this year.”

The two of us talked for a few minutes before Alana wrapped her arms around me from behind and began pulling me toward the dance floor. I rolled my eyes and said my goodbyes to Nadia and Steve, then followed her. We made our way through the tables and found a spot near the edge of the crowd. A slow pop ballad played and Alana wrapped her arms around my neck. I rested my hands on her hips as we swayed to the music. As we danced, I scanned the crowd.

At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I caught a glance of her on the other side of the dance floor. Kaia. My Kaia. She looked like a goddess in that shimmery red dress. She was dancing with some tall guy with black hair. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear, and she started laughing. The jealousy radiated through my body. I watched her as the other guy rested his hands on her waist. I wanted to sprint across the dance floor and break both of his arms. Instead, I stood there — my arms wrapped around my girlfriend — watching my best friend dance with another man.

She looked up and locked eyes with me. Her shocked expression caused my lips to turn up in a small smile. She looked over at Alana, who was talking to some random girl. She probably introduced me, but I was too preoccupied watching Kaia to care. I glanced over at my best friend’s date, then back at her. The two of us stared at each other across the room for several moments before I felt Alana tug at my arm.

“I’m going to go grab another drink. Do you want anything?” she asked.

I leaned down, never taking my eyes off Kaia and muttered in her ear. “No, I’m good. I’m gonna go use the restroom.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Alana move away. Kaia turned to her date, said something to him, then made her way through the crowd towards the doors of the gym. I waited 10 seconds, making sure Alana or none of her friends were around, then followed her. I reached the doors leading to the hallway when I saw her enter the bathroom. The alcohol began to take effect as I walked past a couple making out against the trophy case and stood outside the entrance to the bathroom.

Several minutes passed before she emerged. Her head was down, and she didn’t notice me until she nearly crashed into me.

“Holy shit! Damien!” she said, nearly toppling over. It was very reminiscent of the first day of school. I reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her. The touch of her smooth skin sent my senses into overdrive.

“We’ve gotta stop running into each other like this,” I smiled. She laughed and my chest tightened. My eyes raked up and down her body. Fuck, she looked phenomenal. That dress hugged her curves. I wanted to reach out and feel the fabric between my fingers

“You here by yourself?” I asked.

“I came with Nadia, Steve, and Sloane. They’re around here somewhere.”

I noticed she didn’t mention the guy she was dancing with. Which meant she didn’t come here with him. “No date?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Technically, no.”

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Hayden. You remember me telling you about him, right?” she smirked. I saw the amusement in her expression. Of course, I did. I was the one who told her to go out with him.

I nodded my head. “So, you finally decided to give the poor guy a chance.”

“I did. He’s taking me out tomorrow,” she smiled and it made me jealous.

“Oh yeah? On a Sunday?” I replied sharply, the alcohol giving me courage.

She cocked an eyebrow. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes. He didn’t want to wait until next weekend to see me again.” I could hear the challenge in her voice.

I shoved my hands in my pants pockets. “Hmm...that’s interesting. Usually, guys who aren't that interested take girls out on Sundays.”

“Are you speaking from experience?” she scowled.

I shrugged. “I just know that Sundays are usually the day when people wind down from the weekend and prepare for their week. So, he probably won’t be all there mentally.”

Annoyance flashed in her eyes. “I don’t know why you give a shit, Dames. You were the one who told me to go out with him. He likes me and I like him. Why is that such a big deal to you?”

“I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into. I mean, what do you know about this kid anyway besides his dog’s name and what classes he has?”

That seemed to piss her off even more. She stood up straight and stepped into my space. Her voice was low but held so much anger. “What the hells has gotten into you, Damien? First, you encourage me to go out with the guy. Now you’re trying to talk me out of it. You’re my best friend, not my dad. You don’t even know him, so stop judging him. The whole reason I’m going out with him is so I can get to know him. Why don’t you just back off?”

A loose strand of hair fell from her updo into her face. On instinct, I reached out and tucked it behind her ear, my palm brushing her soft cheek in the process. Her breath hitched at the contact. My eyes traveled to her mouth as she gnawed on her bottom lip. I knew my presence was making her nervous. That was her tell.

Thanks to the combination of the alcohol coursing through my body and the tension between us, I threw all inhibition out the window and leaned in to capture her mouth in a kiss. She froze for a moment, then her body melted as she gave in. A slight gasp escaped her lips as I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to me. I knew what we were doing was wrong, but damn if it felt so right. My fingers tangled in her hair and I slipped my other arm around her waist. Her lips parted slightly, allowing my tongue to dart into her mouth and massage hers. I had forgotten how good it felt to kiss her.

”Damien,” she whimpered.

My hands traveled down her back and cupped her ass. She moaned in my mouth, the sound shooting straight to my dick. I pressed my growing hard-on into her thigh. ”That's it, Kaia. Say my name.”

”Damien, please,” she said, breaking the kiss. She pressed her palms flat against my chest and shoved me back. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “You have a girlfriend.”

“And?” I replied, moving closer.

She stepped back. “You should figure your shit out with her first. I won’t be a cheater,” she huffed.

“Kaia,” I said, my voice coming out in a harsh whisper.

“I have to get back to my date.” She looked me up and down, noticing the bulge in my crotch. “You should probably do the same.” She took one last look at me before turning and stomping down the hallway back towards the dance. She stopped at the entrance to the gym and turned back to me. The intensity of her gaze made me want to march up to her and claim her in front of the whole school, but my feet were rooted to the floor. Her eyes searched mine, both of our gazes saying what our mouths couldn’t. After a few beats, she shook her head and walked back inside.

I stood there and watched the door, waiting for her to come back. When she didn’t, I sighed and made my way back to the gym. I scanned the crowd for her but gave up after a few moments. Spotting Alana at our table with Rowan and Cecile, I raked my hand through my hair and sighed before walking back to my girlfriend.

[rawmerobotman]

Can you write Tailgate and Reader smothering Cyclonus with love and pussy?

It wasn’t unusual that Cyclonus found himself with arms tangled around his neck, a helm tucked under his chin, and a particular warmth blanketing his spark chamber.

His assailant of affection was currently mumbling sweetly into the cords of his neck, unable to decide on single praise befitting of his sentiment. Tailgate lists off all that he loves and Cyclonus listens, silently contemplating the words recounting a romanticized version of his nature that he can’t quite dispute. Or that he is unwilling to, as it would require the mech to interrupt his small paramour, and at this moment it’s the last thing he wishes to do.

The smallest of the three listens too, though they’ve been more content to lay resting against his breast than to interject. Even now, with his claws curled around them, their head rests pillowed against the crook of his thumb, a hand brushing idle along the length of the digit. Their weight is a familiar one, but the heat that seeps from their body into his is something profoundly intimate and there is no guard, no defense that could possibly shield his spark from soaking in their radiant warmth.

He couldn’t imagine being happier.

Tailgate mutters something, brushing his faceplate against the ridge of his jaw to get his attention. Cyclonus doesn’t miss the way his digits trail along his neck, tweezing just this side of rough and his own throat tightens to trap the moan that threatens to spill from him. He sighs instead, pressing a kiss to the minibot’s helm, quietly prompting him to rephrase his original statement.

The smaller bot playfully chides him for being distracted. “I said, I want to watch them eat you out.”

His reaction to the confession doesn’t go unnoticed. Not that he had expected it to, but by the way they look at him with such enamor and avid delight, interests soaring to dangerous heights, he can’t help the proceeding rumble that rolls through him.

So Cyclonus agrees, but he also suggests where the minibot might find the best view. 

Tailgate sits astride his helm while their shared conjunx sits between his thighs. The valve pressed against his mouth is a stifling heat - feverish and dripping as he works it open with his glossa. To his credit, the minibot is resolute: he only stammers slightly through his coaching. Despite the distraction his glossa presents, Tailgate has yet to lose his train of thought - he’s been determined to instruct the smallest of the three on how to properly eat out of a valve.

They haven’t corrected him yet - haven’t told him that this isn’t the first time Cyclonus has let them do this to him. Since the moment he first opened his array to them they haven’t strayed far from their task. There had been the occasional exchange with Tailgate, but they kept it brief, making sure to replace their mouth with their other hand as they toyed with his anterior node.

Their combined attentiveness and affection makes him dizzy with their effort. It was a small mercy to have his face hidden away between the thighs of a loved one for surely he would be exposed for the love stricken fool that he was. But it’s here he finds himself unguarded to their tenderness, to their words and their kindness, and he is his own enemy threatening to bare himself open.

He shifts, legs stirring in anticipation. His valve drips under the ministrations of his other dearest and they’re just as eager drinking him in as he is of their minibot companion. Theirs is a gentle pleasure sparking between his own thighs and he finds that their warmth has seemingly been retained by his spark as his entire chamber glows with their soft hearted flame.

The moan he presses into Tailgate’s array earns him a small noise of pleasure and Cyclonus feels the weight of him sink down as even more transfluid leaks from his valve. He happily laps it up, glossa sinking further into the array as the minibot grinds down against him.

Tailgate huffs, stooping forward with his servos bracing against Cyclonus’ chest. Once he’s collected himself enough he’ll seek out the sensitive wiring that lay tucked away underneath the plating, but for now he takes a moment to appreciate the absolute ravaging he’s receiving. He can’t even begin to understand the words flying out of his mouth- it’s mindless praise, that’s all that matters. As long as he’s communicating how much he loves the mech underneath him he’ll abandon being dignified any day.

He can imagine how he must look- certainly doesn’t mind it because he can see his smaller conjunx watching with delight as they bury themselves in the valve before them. His only qualm is that they hadn’t done this sooner, because Cyclonus – Cyclonus – has never quite responded this intensely to anything they’ve done before. He almost feels guilty because he’s certain he’s enjoying himself far more than the others are and- actually, no he’s not. No, he doesn’t feel guilty at all. Frag them. This is amazing.

He tries to focus on his original objective, tries to think of something he really wants Cyclonus to hear but the only thing he can think of is the mouth sucking him off and how unlawful it is that he was built incapable of returning the favour. Tailgates tells him this, tells him that he’s stewing in envy that he’s watching someone else do it where he’s unable, and that it’s completely unfair.

Tailgate looks up briefly only to find himself distracted by the site of a tongue stuck out to taunt him, dripping thick with the pink fluid and he’s near ready to cuss them out if it weren’t for the involuntary moan that’s startled from him.

Perhaps it was a little cruel to tease him like that, but there wouldn’t be any fun in anything if you weren’t doing something to have the smaller bot ready to throw hands at you.

You don’t know much about the intricate workings of a valve, but you’re aware of the existence of a node that, when pressed, will have the mech’s thighs trembling something fierce. It’s only a matter of feeling for it, and you’re usually good for finding it. Cyclonus already knows what you’re looking for; his hips shift ever so slightly and it might be the closest you’ll ever get the mech to squirm.

One leg rests over your shoulder, curling along your back to keep you held close. There’s not much he can do in this position - pinned to the berth as he is, mouth occupied by a minibot - but the weight that keeps you held down, rubbing weakly into your back, is a silent plea that you have no intention of ignoring. While he’s busy with the mech caught in his arms you repay him by eating his valve out with an earnest sort of enthusiasm. He’s wet in your mouth, lubricant increasing as it secretes from him, and you find yourself snugly caught between two legs as they tense around you.

It’s only then do you finally hit your mark - there’s a fine tremble that builds until either thigh around you is shaking. You press your mouth against his anterior node, sucking the nub between your lips as you focus your efforts on working the sensitive spot you’ve found. There’s a shout from Tailgate that quickly turns into a shrill whine as Cyclonus’ demeanor changes and he’s suddenly desperate, practically devouring the minibot’s small valve to the point where he’s crying.

His overload isn’t far along - as he crests, he drags Tailgate along with him, claws clamped around the minibot’s waist to hold him down against his glossa. Unable to move, the smaller bot is forced to endure the unrelenting affliction. When he cums it’s with a cry and a glossa buried deep within his valve, and you huff with laughter at the incoherent babble streaming from the minibot.

You’re reluctant to part with the valve even as his hips move to pull away. Instead, you chase the anterior node, pressing wet kisses and firmly sucking the node despite the distant rumbling reverberating through his chassis. Whether or not this earns you retaliation is the least of your concerns - the strangled groan and twitching frame more than makes up for it.

He certainly looks satisfied once you finally peer over his abdominal plating. Tailgate is draped haphazardly against his chest, tucked under a heavy arm as he tries to gather himself. Placing a kiss against a thigh, you duck under it to join the others. Cyclonus reaches out a clawed servo as you approach, digits curling around you. You press back just as affectionate.

Once you’re huddled against his chest, you rest your chin in your arm as you patiently wait out the spent bot across from you. Tailgate barely acknowledges you, faceplate pressed into the purple metal of your large conjunx. You’re tempted to curl up with him, wondering if he’s completely out of commission despite your doubt that a little bit of pussy eating would truly knock out a person. Cyclonus heaves a content sigh and it’s only after he gives Tailgate’s spinal strut a few strokes of his servo does the minibot finally rouse to speak.

“’s your turn,” is all he can manage to mumble at you.

The mouth that meets you is already intense and scalding against your sensitive bits that you can’t find the will to speak right away. Tailgate watches with rapt attention as you’re swept away by a writhing glossa and an ungodly amount of pleasure that he doesn’t clue in to the fact that you’re waving arm has been trying to signal him for the past minute. 

You sputter out something incoherent before he regards you with what you think might be a shit eating grin by the way his visor glows and creases ever so slightly.

“Oh, what’s that, dear?”

“I said, I’m sure… you can find somewhere - better - to sit.” 

He follows your gaze towards the handsome yet intimidating looking spike that stands erect and untouched. You don’t miss the way his hips shift at the sight of it. 

“Oooh, I think you might be right.” 

You would’ve responded but the moan that rumbles through you steals your thoughts away and has you keening instead.

[silentsoundwaves]

@mari-strider this is the stuff but i can’t promise you it’s any good bc it was written in a 3 am daze where i went “pining? with a happy ending? alright” and my brain ran wild. becky says it’s p good though, so i’ll have confidence in them klsajdlskdjaslkdj

It’s casual when Wizard says, “I mean, if you’re looking for a berthmate, I’m open.”

It’s casual when Drift smiles at them, even if it makes their spark flutter, tugs on emotions that they’ve never been able to keep under wraps.

It’s even casual when Ratchet drags Wizard back to his and Drift’s hab after a shift.

It’s casual. There are no strings attached. Except there are, because Wizard knows that they’re on strings. They know that if Drift asked they would fall to his pedes, they already do. They know if Ratchet insulted them, they’d take it. They know that they won’t speak a word of hurt or discomfort.

Still, their spark aches. It’s a bruising and bitter feeling that they’ll never admit to anyone with audials. They stay despite it. It’s all casual.

“Tonight?” Drift asks them, smile lewd and wanting and Wizard can’t say no. It’s the closest they’ll ever get to the connection they crave. If Drift or Ratchet ever think they’re using Wizard, they’ll offer the knowledge that they’re using them too.

Wizard smiles at him, wide and normal and a bit more fake than they want, “Of course, Drifter. Wouldn’t miss it.”

Drift’s optics squint with his smile. “You sure don’t have a date or anything? I thought you said you were trying?” he asks.

It was never a lie, but they know they’ll never move on from this. From Drift or Ratchet. “Drift,” they laugh, all honesty, “bots would have to be dumb to even consider me for something more than a fling.”

His smile doesn’t change, but something in his optics shifts, “You’ll find someone eventually.”

Wizard shrugs, “Don’t count on it.”

The look he gives them is contemplative but he turns away, “See you tonight.”

“See you tonight, buddy,” Wizard says, turning back to their console with the tip of their metaphorical hat.

They have about an hour to kill until their shift ends and the youngling in them gives them the worst and best version of fun. They spin their chair despite their knowledge of Ultra Magnus’ ire. It technically wasn’t against any form of regulation unless “dicking off” counted as a violation.

When their shift finally does end, they contemplate just going to their own berth. Ratchet and Drift could miss them this time. They were tired.

Despite the thought, they don’t actually want to skip out without an explanation. They drag themselves down the halls to the couple’s hab. Tiredness slips through every strut and they’re venting with sleepiness by the time they arrive.

They knock on the door with only a moment’s hesitation. Ratchet opens it, greets them with a “You’re finally here.”

Wizard smiles, sheepish, “Yeah, well, I’m tuckered out, my dude. I thought I’d stop by to tell you both. I kind of forgot I could comm until I was here.”

Drift’s face appears from behind Ratchet’s shoulder, “If you’re too tired for a frag, that’s fine. We were finishing a movie Swerve recommended anyway.”

“You can still come in,” Ratchet says, stepping aside to let them in.

“Nah,” Wizard grumbles, venting out another approximation of a yawn. “I think I’ll just crash.”

Drift gets a weird look, makes a gesture that makes Ratchet sigh. Ratchet shakes his helm, pauses, contemplates for a long moment. He says, “You can sleep on our berth while we finish up. You came all this way.”

“I’m not far,” Wizard argues lightly. Still, they let out another vent.

“You’re halfway across the ship,” Ratchet points out.

Wizard crosses their arm across their chest with a huff, “The ship isn’t that big.”

Ratchet raises an optical ridge as he says, “You’re tiny.”

“So? Tailgate is tiny and he lives even farther Swerve’s than I do here and he goes there more often than not.”

Ratchet rolls his optics, “Just come in.”

Their argument had never been real, they know, so they aren’t surprised when the finally give into the request. They step into the hab without another word.

“Berth’s open,” Ratchet says as Drift plops himself onto the couch without a word. He looks so happy and relaxed that Wizard is almost glad Ratchet convinced them to be here.

Wizard slips into the berth that they’ve only ever been in once every great while, slips under the warm and soft organic blankets that Drift adored. Ratchet gives them a look they can’t read before going to sit by Drift’s side. They slip off faster than they’d like. They don’t get enough time to appreciate their relaxed frames or their bantering.

Sometime later, the berth shifts next to Wizard, enough to jostle them. Someone says, they barely recognize is as Drift, “Careful,” like he’s trying too hard to be quiet.

“I am being careful,” someone else grumbles back. Ratchet.

Wizard doesn’t say a word, just presses into the closest warmth with a humming sound. The frame by their side freezes. There’s a moment of silence before Drift asks, “Hey, Wizard, do you mind if we climb into the berth with you?”

Wizard thinks groggily for a second. Then, “It’s cold. Get in the berth.”

Ratchet chuckles. The both of them spend a few moment adjusting Wizard as they fall back into the heaviness of sleep, not bothering to stay awake long enough to watch them.

When they wake up for real, they’re warm and smushed between two weights that radiate heat liked furnaces. They’d almost complain if they didn’t like being so warm. They wiggle a bit to find a better position against them, one that didn’t pin their arm under them.

“Wha?” Drift questions tiredly from above them. “It’s early.”

“Well, I’m pinned here, Drifter,” they whisper back, optics darting to Ratchet’s face to see if he was awake. He wasn’t.

Drift shifts to the side without complaint. They have enough room to actually slip out of the berth, but when they try Drift’s arm find their waist. “Huh?” he asks, still half-asleep but more aware than he was moments before.

They’re sitting up but the arm on their waist causes them to lose balance. They end up elbowing Ratchet in the face. “What are you—” he growls, then softens. “Oh. It’s just you two.”

With both of them awake and their optics on them, Wizard suddenly feels uncomfortable, like they’ve overstayed a welcome. Like there’s an expiration date they never bothered to read.

“I should get going,” they try.

Drift finally sits up, “You can stay as long as you want.”

“I think Rodimus might miss all my flirting if I did,” Wizard jokes, excuses jolting to the surface, “but I really should check in with Magnus. We usually refuel together.”

“You can comm him,” Ratchet says, ever the common sense of the two.

“I don’t have a reason to miss it,” Wizard argues coolly.

“We have fuel,” Drift offers. “The sweet kind that you like.”

Wizard thinks about it, “Tempting, but that would mean telling Mims that you bribed me.”

“So you’ll stay?” Drift asks them, look sly and so, so tempting.

“I’ll stay,” they mutter. “I am pinning my absence on you though.”

“That’s fair,” Ratchet agrees.

He slips out of the berth and walks over to their energon dispenser. Two cubes are filled with normal bright pink energon, but another is filled with the pink-tinted-silver that Wizard knows is the sweet stuff. They accept it from him with a “Thanks.”

They down it in record time before the question that had churned in their tanks comes out of their intake, “So, wanna tell me why you wanted me to stay so badly? I’m not exactly prime cuddling material. Or conversation material, for that matter.”

Silence follows the question until Drift sets his cube on the nightstand and suddenly his lips are on theirs before they can even think about it.

The kiss is harsh and demanding in a way that would have their knees weak if they were standing. His glossa slips into their mouth without resistance, tangles with their own with skill that they’re used to in the berth and not outside it.

Suddenly, Ratchet’s servos are on their shoulders. “Don’t open your panels,” he growls into their audial, a low tenor that has them shaking. “Don’t. That’s not what this is about.”

As if to contradict his point, one of his servo slips upward until it’s under their chin and pressing at their throat with a soft pressure that leaves them wanting. “Do you understand?” he asks them.

Drift pulls away from them, giving them a chance to answer. “Yeah, okay,” they breathe. “But I have to know what this is about then, if not that.”

Ratchet’s chin comes to rest on their shoulder. “This is about you. About us.”

“Weird, but alright, you’re the boss. Talk,” they demand of him.

The servo against their throat presses a bit more. They want to press forward but the refrain. “You want a partner, right?” Drift asks them coyly, optics locking with theirs.

Wizard sighs, huffs really, “That was the plan. Yes.”

“How about two?” he says.

His servo gently touches their helm kibble, the pieces beside their jaw, and they freeze. Their processor takes a moment to play catch up. “I already interface with you,” they bite, challenging him.

They can feel Ratchet shake his helm, “We want something more permanent.”

Wizard understands, they do, but disbelief fills them like fuel that’s too cold. It drown them like oil. “Sounds fake but alright,” they finally say, voice shaking, optics watering.

Drift’s servo shifts upward to rest under their horn, “It’s not fake.”

Something breaks. It isn’t their spark. They give in easily. “Okay,” Wizard says. “Okay.”

Drift dives in for another kiss. It feels right this time. More right than kissing Drift has ever felt. They return it just as eagerly.

[brimmsedge]

Dream: Ethrisdich, the Dwemer Planet

The dream started, with me in my car driving home. I was just driving north and it was about 5 or 6 pm. Another car pulled up behind me and started tailgating me. I ignored the woman driving, thinking she would go away. I was wrong. She ended up rear ending me and trying to drive me out of her way. For some reason I was overcome with homicidal urges. So as she passed me I hit the back of her car causing it to lose control, flip, and roll into the ditch. 

Paramedics came. I was thinking like a serial killer. I quickly got out of my car and pretended to be a passenger of her car. Family. And that the other guy fled the scene. So I rode the ambulance with her holding her hand but staring deep into her unconscious, closed, eyes with a burning rage. If my eyes could grin, they most certainly did. But I clenched my jaw to make sure no one else could see my devious smile growing.

We got to the hospital and the medics were rushing her away because she started to flat line. Getting her into a surgery theater, I was held back forced to wait. But I couldn’t. The closer she got to death the more fueled I became. I paced back and forth. Plotting and planning. I wandered down the halls that I was allowed until I came to an unmonitored section of doors. I entered a few until I found some white garments to change into. 

Moving my way through the hospital the closer I got to her, or that she veered into death’s embrace, the hospital seemed to shake and quake. Lights flickered and backup generators kicked in after a moment. More rushing of nurses and doctors to other stations. Perfect cover. I found my way to her theater. Empty. I pulled her off and put her in a black body bag and moved her to an empty stretcher. 

I wheeled her down the hall into a morgue room. I unzipped her bag and took a scalpel slicing her throat. She was still unconscious but her eyes fluttered as she tried to wake. There was a hole in the cement. Not sure what for. It looked dark, like sewer drainage or some underground conduit work. I re-zipped the bag and tossed her in. A morgue worker came in just as I finished dropping her. I got lucky when I pretended to just notice the bag down there. He believed it. When he got close enough I stabbed him in the back of the neck and dropped him into the hole as well. 

I remember leaving and being hidden for years. No one understood what happened. After the chaos calmed at the hospital they knew she went missing. But no one knew she had died. I was satisfied that my kills were never uncovered. I thought about killing again or confessing. I planned my interviews even, as well. But decided against it. 

I walked through the park 15 years later when they released a 60 minute documentary on the death of the woman. Biggest mysteries. They did find out that she was killed but didn’t know who. And it was the works of the smartest serial killer. When they found the other body too. There was snow on the ground. Light snow, patches of grass peaked through like a kid spying through the blinds when someone is outside. 

I ended up going to a college and becoming a professor. I met my coworker Amelia. We studied ancient civilizations. We made a huge discovery with the Aztec and Mayan’s dig. We planned to travel to their site. It was strange because we discovered a third civilization beneath the ground that the Mayan’s might have worshiped. I opened the doors to leave my college office and I was immediately in the ruins. 

The sandstone ruins gave way to a much larger type of ruins the deeper we went into the darkness. The Dwemer. Bronze pipes strutted from the walls. We arrived at a small circular room. The Dwemer cogs spun around the room. An eternal clock, like a pocket watch. The spiraling shafts of golden rings twirling in the outer shell of the room. Ever-moving. There’s a small table next to a strange orrery. The table had a few books on it, only one stood out to me. The Enchiridion. A Dwemer epitome. It spoke of where the Dwemer went during the Dwemer Disappearance. They didn’t flee, they left. To another world. A different bubble. It explained how Mundus was created with Lorkhan. But what people didn’t know was Lorkhan’s twin, Maltheus, who created another world of his own. There were Dremora there worse than the ones from Oblivion, back in Mundus.

Dremora are a humanoid form of Daedra. Demons with red and black skin, horns, and their voices are distorted. But the demons on Ethrisdich, one of Maltheus’ planets, were much larger and stronger. Even grew large webbed wings.

The Dwemer don’t know what Maltheus’ realm is called. They never got the chance to talk to the demons. They simply created a gateway to their world, like a Bifröst from Thor. The Dwemer settled on a planet and began to weave their creations deep into the planets’ core. This world became Ethrisdich, the Dwemer fortress. Kagrenac, the architect attuned his tools and used them on the heart to bring his entire race of people to Ethrisdich so that they could fight the evil forces stirring in the deep dark void.

So I activated the switch on the wall near an obvious strutted doorway that seemed to lead to nowhere. The whirring of magical energy hummed through the Dwemer conduits. Sparks of blue energy flickered on what I would imagine to be some type of monitors. Then a violent torrent of sounds burst through the doorway and I could see a large rainbow tunnel where I saw nothing but a wall before.  The bridge is active. Without hesitation I leap through the portal.

On the otherside was a great Dwemer city. Making Clockwork City look like a crack in the Grand Canyon. To my surprise, still empty. I was excited to see a living Dwemer. But like all the ruins back home, this one was vacant. Or so I thought. I searched the town and found nothing. Except when my assistant Amelia came through the portal she brought the Enchiridion. After the pages I read it mentioned how the Dwemer actually just shrunk themselves down. They went to microscopic level and then one again.

The idea was cool at first but I got bored with the concept and decided I’d rather find these new demons they spoke of. Walking through the deserted wasteland of Dwemer homes felt more like SR388, from the Metroid series. Which was ironic because I actually ended up finding cool Iron-man type armor that adjusted perfectly to me and was fitted by large metal arms. While wearing the armor I could even morph down into a ball. Like a Dwemer Sphere. I could climb up walls and roll along the ceiling. It was pretty fun.

I found myself entering a small pit like an arena. It reminded me of the pen from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The one with the tree in the middle and the rounded dome glass ceiling. Except this one had a building in the middle that erected in the open space at the center of the room. I climbed on top of the building.

On top was an elegant blue feathered humanoid. I referred to her as a blue angel. She had three black bead eyes. A beak, two large antennae on her head, webbed feathered fingers, and on her wings were two black painted eyes, like a moth. She was beautiful and apparently we fucked. When we climaxed she turned her head and spread her wings wide like an Egyptian mural.

I’m not sure how, but after that I was wearing a golden robe and walking through a park. Everyone I met, I’d bow, putting my fist to my other hand’s palm and greeting them with, “Namaste.” I was a monk I guess. I was walking with my friends. I recognized Zen. I don’t remember the other one.

The Sun set within seconds and the park’s lights lit the path. It took my eyes a moment to adjust and when they did we were just walking among the stars. Zenae was in her swimsuit and jumped into a hottub. I joined her. Except the water was just floating in space. I could see the stars through the water. The pinks and bright colors of nebulae. Our arms hung to the outside of the tub. But just dipped into the cosmos.

We talked all night. The POV just continued to pan out slowly. The sound of her laughter and the distant sound of conversation rippled into the darkness.

I woke up when I couldn’t see anything left.

[twoguysandaride]

From its initial launch in 1983 as a 1984 model, Chrysler Corporations Mini Vans threw down the gauntlet and change the family transportation landscape in America forever. Initially sold only as the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, 1987 saw the introduction of the long-wheelbase Grand Caravan and Grand Voyager models. Then Chrysler introduced the Town & Country for 1990 which was the highest-trim level of the three vans and sold only in the long-wheelbase body length.

The Pacifica name was initially used on a cross-over vehicle from 2004 – 2004 but Chrysler revived the name in 2017 to replace the previous longstanding name, Town & Country

This is the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica and it’s available in 4 gas only trim levels starting with the

Touring: $35,495

Touring L: $38.795

Limited AWD: $48,490

Pinnacle AWD: $53,770

The Chrysler Pacifica is also available in Hybrid form with the same 4 trim levels starting with the

Touring: $40,295

Touring L: $42,595

Limited: $45,720

Pinnacle: $51,225

This Pacifica is the Pinnacle Trim Level and its presented here in Velvet Red Pearl-Coat and it has Black and Caramel colored Quilted Nappa Leather seats and Its MSRP is $54,885

It’s powered by a 3.6L Pentastar 24 Valve, DOHC V6 that produces 287 hp and 262 lb ft of torque. It’s driven by a 9-speed automatic transmission and it does have All wheel drive.

Now, in my reviews I always mention the horsepower and torque numbers that a vehicle has, but what does that really mean and how does it apply to how you use the vehicle.

What exactly is Horsepower and Torque?

Horsepower is a unit of measurement used to denote power or the “rate at which work is done” by an engine or motor. Your car’s horsepower denotes how quickly that work can be done with more power allowing for quicker work.

Torque is force multiplied by distance. In the case of cars, “the rotational equivalent of linear force.” Essentially, it’s the amount of force applied to an object with a twisting motion, such as a motor applying force to a crankshaft, which in turn, rotates your tires.

So, what’s the difference between horsepower and torque? The two are very much two sides of the same coin as one goes with the other...torque being the force and horsepower being the rate at which that force is done. The difference is torque is doing the work, while horsepower is how fast that work is being done.

So, now you know. Ok, let’s take a look out front...

Out Front

-Auto on/off Bi-function LED projector headlights with LED daytime running lights

-New grille design with gloss black grille and satin chrome surround with forward facing camera

-Body-colored front bumper with parking sensors

-LED Fog lights highlighted by satin chrome trim

-There is a non-functional side intake vent and

-Down below is a functional air intake with a body-colored lower lip or splitter

-And up top there is a smooth, clean, wide hood with a few subtle body lines

-Above that are Rain detecting, variable intermittent wipers and a laminated front windshield

Along the side

-20" x 7.5" Polished 5 spoke Aluminum Wheels w/Gray Painted Pockets wrapped in 245/50 HR20 All Season tires

-4-wheel ABS with 13.8” front and 13.3” rear brake rotors

-Power assisted pack ad pinion steering

-Front suspension is struts and it has trailing arm with gas shocks for the rear suspension

-There is a nice satin chrome body-side molding spear just above the rocker panel area

-Remote power heated mirrors with auto tilt down feature and integrated LED turn signal indicators and I like the detail of the body-colored trim mirror surround

-Body-colored door handles with chrome insert

-Chrome beltline and side window trim with black-out B and C Pillars

-This does also have the handsfree opening 2nd row sliding doors and the door opening is 28” wide and 42” tall

-Up top there are satin chrome low profile roof rack side rails with Stow-in-Place cross bars and a tri-pane panoramic 1st, 2nd, and 3rd row glass sunroof

Out Back

-Body-colored roof spoiler and shark fin antenna

-This is a heated, fixed rear window with an integrated variable intermittent wiper, but I do think it would have looked better if it could have been designed to tuck under the roof spoiler

-Hands free powered liftgate

-Chrysler winged logo in the center and rear facing camera

-LED brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights

-I like the red reflector strip that spans the width of the tailgate tying together both rear light housings

-At the bottom of the tailgate is the Pacifica and AWD badges but I find it curious that they didn’t add the Pinnacle Trim level badge here as well

-Body-colored rear bumper with parking sensors and a satin chrome trim strip and below that is a matte black panel with rear reflectors

-The single exhaust is hidden up under the passenger side of the rear bumper creating a much cleaner lower rear bumper design

Cargo

-The second-row seats are captain’s chairs, and the third row is 60/40 split folding

-There is a nice flat floor inside behind the third-row seats and on the passenger side of the rear cargo area is a 12-volt outlet and the power folding, one-touch rear seat controls

-On the driver’s side rear there is a 10” Harmon Carden sub-woofer, the Stow-N-Vac vacuum canister and there is the power liftgate close button

-Max Cargo Volume behind first row: 140.5 cu ft

-Max Cargo Volume behind second row: 87.5 cu ft

-Max Cargo Volume behind third row: 32.3 cu ft

-Cargo floor length to first row: 97”

-Cargo floor length to second row: 54”

-Cargo floor length to third row: 22.5”

-Cargo width at beltline: 47.5

-Cargo width at wheelhouses: 48.8”

-Cargo opening height with 3rd row stowed: 38”

-Cargo opening height with 3rd row in place: 48.25”

-Cargo hold width behind 3rd row with 3rd row seats in place: 45.5”

-Lift-over height: 28”

Safety Systems on this 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle

-Brake assist

-Forward collision mitigation

-Traction control

-ABS

-Lane departure warning

-Lane keeping assist

-Electronic Stability control

-Blind spot warning

-Parking sensors

-Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist with Stop,

Pedestrian Emergency braking and so much more

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Dimensions

-Front Track: 68.8”

-Rear Track: 68.8”

-Max Width: 79.6”

-Length: 204.3”

-Height: 70.7”

-Wheelbase: 121.6”

-Ground clearance: 5.4”

-Approach Angle: 14°

-Departure Angle: 18.6°

-Breakover Angle: 13°

-Curb Weight: 4987 #

-Max Payload: 1313 #

-Max Towing: 3600 #

Turning circle: 40.2’

-Fuel Capacity: 19 gallons

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Safety

-IIHS Overall rating – Frontal Crash - Superior

-NHTSA Overall Rating – 5/5 Stars

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Performance and Specs

-0-60: 7.4 seconds

-Standing ¼ mile: 15.6 seconds

-Top Speed: 120 mph

-60 to 0 braking: 119’

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Appearance

A Stylish looking van with a refreshed front grille and LED headlights

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Warranty

-Basic warranty: 3 yrs / 36k miles

-Powertrain warranty: 5 yrs / 60k miles

-Roadside Assistance: 5 yrs / 60k miles

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Economy

-17 City / 25 Hwy / 20 Combined with a projected 380-mile cruising range.

It has an Energy Impact Score of 16.5 barrels of regular gasoline per year and it emits 7.4 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year

[starvonnie]

Future Wounds

Commissions for @lazyrobokitty!  They asked for Megatron’s reaction to seeing Rodimus injured in some way.  I hope you like it!

Also on AO3

::Rodimus, fall back!:: Megatron yelled through the comm.  ::Wait for back-up!::

Rodimus blew a raspberry. ::I don’t need back-up.  I’m amazing all on my own.::

::You’re outnumbered!::

::Yeah, well we’re equal rank so I can do what I want.::

Megatron watched, horrified, as more and more enemies converged on Rodimus’ location. Thunderclash and Magnus would never get there in time.  Drift was preoccupied with a small swarm of his own, while Whirl and Cyclonus were busy with the ones in the air.

Tailgate!

Switching comms, Megatron shouted, ::Tailgate!  What’s your position?::

::Position?  Um.::  The sound of punches landing can be heard through his speaker.  ::I’m not really sure.  See, they’re kinda big and I’m small and—::

Megatron turns his attention back to the screens.  Already he can barely see Rodimus’ flame coloured frame among the hulking brown creatures.  ::I’m ordering you to fall back to Magnus’ position!:: he bellows.

Rodimus didn’t respond, and he’d completely lost sight of him, but then he heard him say through his panting, ::I can handle it!::

::There’s more coming!::

Rodimus growls and shouts back, ::Like I said, I can—::  His comm goes dead.

One moment Megatron is in the captain’s chair in the Rodpod, and the next he’s tearing a swath through the huge organics.  He saw red as his fists made contact.  He pushed every strut in his frame beyond its limits.  Punching.  Kicking. Running.  He didn’t stop for anything.  Not one of them could match his strength, and especially not now.  He felt the fire of his youth in his veins and for once his spark found that bite.

Only once he spied his signature yellow spoiler, now dingy with dirt and soot, did his senses come back to him.  But just barely.  He didn’t feel pain right then.  He couldn’t.  Not until he was sure that Rodimus was safe.

Thankfully, Ultra Magnus and Thunderclash did just as he would have ordered and followed the path of destruction.  Either somewhere in his hyper focused state he ordered them to clear them a path, or perhaps the sight of a so-announced pacifist Megatron fighting as though his life depended on it signalled that something had gone horribly wrong.

Not one more of their filthy hands would touch him.  Not one.

Carefully, but swiftly, he lifted Rodimus’ battered and bleeding frame.  He didn’t move.  Didn’t say anything.  His optics stayed closed and didn’t even twitch.

He hurried back, Magnus and Thunderclash still following his unsaid orders to keep their enemies away from their fleeing co-captains.  Both of them cast worried glances Rodimus’ way, but Megatron didn’t see them.  All he saw was Rodimus’ face.  The slack jaw that looked so wrong on his ever-expressive face.  He would have given anything to see that cocksure smile right then.  Hell, even a scowl.  Anything that showed that his spark still beat in his dented chest.

He made it back to the Rodpod and ordered the retreat, Rodimus horribly limp in his arms.  On a private comm, he instructed Ultra Magnus to fly them back to the Lost Light, and that he was in command until further notice.  

Megatron found the flattest place he could lay Rodimus down that was close to the exit.  As soon as the Rodpod’s feet touched the shuttle bay floor, he would make a beeline for the medibay.  Ratchet could fix him.  Ratchet could fix anything.

Idiotic, Rodimus.  Disobeying him.  Taking stupid risks.  If this ended up being some harebrained scheme to both get him away from Thunderclash and make himself look good, Megatron might have to kill him himself.

“Do your jobs!” Megatron barked at any and all who crowded Rodimus.

The time it took them to get back on the Lost Light felt as though it lasted an eternity.  Rodimus’ biolights flickered and dimmed and Megatron prayed to whoever might be listening, if anyone, to keep them lit until Ratchet could get to him.  

They just had to get back.

They just had to get back.

Just as swiftly as on the battlefield, Megatron ran to the medibay.  He felt like bashing his own helm in when he realized he’d forgotten to alert Ratchet to the situation, but he was there, waiting, when the ships’ co-captains arrived.  Ratchet rushed him into the operating room, and then came the true eternity.

Megatron checked the clock incessantly.  So much so that sometimes he had to do a double take, thinking the hands had turned back somehow.  He alternated between that, pacing restlessly, and staring at the light above the operating room door until his optics stung.

When finally, finally, the door opened, he waited with bated breath for Ratchet to speak.

“I’ve done what I can,” Ratchet said.  He couldn’t hold Megatron’s gaze.

Megatron surged past him. He went right to Rodimus, laying unconscious with a plethora of tubes and wires attached to his frame from varying places.

“Maybe next time you’ll listen to me when I order you to fall back!” Megatron bellowed.  

Ratchet came running in, ready to chew Megatron out, but he found him in the chair beside the berth with his helm in his hands, and with Rodimus still unconscious.  Completely oblivious to his outburst.

“You should get some rest,” Ratchet suggested gently.  “I’ll let you know if his condition changes.”

Megatron lifted his helm just enough to shake it.  “I’m staying here.”

“Megatron—”

“I’m staying here!”

Ratchet narrowed his optics but left him be.

Time stretched out again. Not as silent as the time before; this time he had Rodimus’ spark monitor to keep him company.

Beep.  Beep. Beep.  Beep.

“I should have been there with you,” Megatron spoke quietly.  “Pacifism...”  He scoffed. “Like I could ever give up violence. It molded me, for better or worse.” He sighed and put his hand on Rodimus’. “I will always follow you into battle. We will face our enemies together. But I can’t do that if you don’t wake up.”

Beep.  Beep. Beep.  Beep.

“Give me a sign?” he begged. “Anything.  Move your pede.  Your finger. Anything.”

Beep.  Beep. Beep.  Beep.

He sighed again, this one long and drawn out.  All the energy and strength he’d felt when he’d saved Rodimus fled his frame.  He rested his helm on the berth and fell into fitful recharge.

He woke with a start once to a dark medibay.  He ventilated raggedly, his spark finding a twisted peace in the loud beeping of his spark monitor.  His dream had not been as kind as reality, and he sighed with relief, giving Rodimus’ hand a squeeze.  He hoped despite everything that this single touch would magically reawaken his Prime.  But life was not kind and worked no miracles.  If Rodimus was to awake—and he would—it would be when his frame was ready and no sooner.

The clock ticked on. The spark monitor beeped.

Tick.  Beep.  Tock.  Beep.  Tick.  Beep.  Tock. Beep.

Sleep claimed Megatron once more.

 “Mm… Megatron?”

His name spoken aloud brought him from fast asleep to wide awake in a split second.  He blinked a few times to make sure he truly was awake, because Rodimus watched him with bleary optics and a small smile.

“Hey.”

“Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again!” Megatron berated him.

“Aw…”  Rodimus’ voice was sluggish.  “Were you worried about me?”

Megatron said nothing, but he brought Rodimus’ hand to his lips, giving it a kiss.  His optics scrunched up with pain, knowing how close he’d come to losing him.  He kissed every finger.  Then his palm.  Then the back of his hand.  And then he intertwined their fingers again and kissed him on the lips.

“Were you just trying to show off?” Megatron asked, still furious with him.

Rodimus turned his helm away.

“We could have won if you’d followed my orders.  I had to call for a retreat so we could take you back to Ratchet.”

Rodimus shrugged.  “I would’ve been fine.”

“You almost died, Rodimus!”  Megatron buried his face against his chest, feeling as Rodimus’ spark beat in tandem with the horrible and yet beautiful beep of the monitor. In a much quieter tone, he said, “What’s left for me in this world beyond you?”

“Aw, c’mon, Megs, it…” Rodimus trailed off.  “It takes more than that to keep me down, y’know? I…”  He hugged the now-shaking Megatron to him.  “I’m sorry I worried you.  But I’m okay.”

He felt Rodimus’ gentle strokes on his back.

“When I give an order, I give it for good reason,” Megatron said.

“… I know.  I was dumb.”

Megatron sat up slowly, gazing at Rodimus with relief and love in his optics.  He cupped his cheek and stroked one of his finials, stopping when Rodimus hissed with pain.

“Damn… they really did a number on me, huh?”  Rodimus looked over his battered frame.  He met Megatron’s gaze shortly after.  “I’ll trust you next time.”

Many thoughts bubbled to the surface of Megatron’s processor.  That he shouldn’t trust him.  Shouldn’t love him.  That Megatron shouldn’t even be here. Shouldn’t be allowed to touch him or call him his own.  Not with his own fate laid out so clearly before him while Rodimus’ stretched on further into the unknown; a path Megatron could not take with him.

“You don’t get to die on me either,” Rodimus whispered.  With his words came a knowing dimness to his optics.  He knew.  They both knew.  “So you stay safe too, ‘kay?”

Megatron’s optics dimmed, too.  The happiness of knowing Rodimus would be okay fizzled out.  Hearing him lying to himself—lying for both of them—it cut deep.  He didn’t want to have to talk about the inevitable.  To bring up once again what they both knew.  Rodimus had enough pain to deal with right now.

“I will stay as safe as I can, my love.”

Rodimus smiled weakly. It was a bit forced, but its foundations sat upon something genuine.  And that was enough, for now.  They were both alive.  They were both safe.  For the immediate future, they knew what was in store.  More life.  More love. And they kept this knowledge close to their sparks.  Though they both knew the sad and tragic ending to their love story, it was enriching enough to want to see it through.

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[kingsterracerp-blog]

MEET RANDALL BUCKLEY.

NAME: Randall Cash Buckley, Jr. 

NICKNAMES: Rand, Randy, Junior. 

BIRTH ORDER: Oldest.

AGE: Twenty-five. 

HOMETOWN: Goss, Mississippi. 

GENDER IDENTITY/PRONOUNS: Male, he/him. 

ORIENTATION: Bisexual (closeted), biromantic (closeted).

OCCUPATION/EDUCATION: Carpenter and wood carver.

FACECLAIM: Liam Hemsworth.

RANDALL’S LIFE SO FAR.

POSITIVE: Handy, creative, trustworthy. 

NEGATIVE: Traditionalist, secretive, proud. 

** TW COT DEATH, HOMOPHOBIA **

Randall Cash Buckley, Jr. was born on a hot August day in 1991 at his parents’ house in Goss, Mississippi. He was the first born and to this day, still annoys his twin sibling with that fact and the fact that he must have been loved more from the start, because he got their daddy’s first name.

The Buckley’s were dirt poor; they really were. His father helped out on the tree farms whenever he could for minimum wage and his mother worked at the local diner. It simply wasn’t enough to keep the family afloat. His parents were too proud to use food stamps, something young Randall couldn’t understand when they went to sleep hungry - again. He was never one to sit idly by, though and when he was seven, he asked his uncle to teach him how to fish after school. They went down to the river and when he was ten, he simply started to go alone. He had an old bike, a bike trailer he’d begged his other uncle to make him and some rope. That was enough to carry all his fishing supplies. After school, when he could, he went down there to fish and more often than not, he brought home fish for dinner. They weren’t the biggest fish and weren’t always that tasty but they weren’t hungry and in his family, that was rare.

His father got a job at a local lawnmower shop and because of the steady income, they finally managed to have some security. They still got by on a minimum and couldn’t even think of saving money, but at least the days of going to bed hungry and no electricity were behind them. His parents still worked long hours and aside from about an hour in the evening, Randall and his sibling were often left to fend for themselves. It made Randall feel lost and lonely, especially because he really didn’t have friends his own age. He was quite a shy child and always looked shabby in his hand me downs and dirty shoes. He really didn’t have anyone aside from his uncles to hang out with.

That changed when Randall was twelve. An elderly man named Billy moved to the town with his bloodhound, Ed. He took Randall under his wing and paid him a few dollars to do little jobs around the house, which Randall saved in case one day, he really needed them. Growing up the way he did, taught him not to waste his money on things such as candy and toys, which other children did do. The old man often carved wood as Randall was fixing and cleaning things around his house. Randall was simply fascinated by it. When Billy asked him if he wanted to learn how to do it, Randall happily said yes.

That is where Randall’s love for wood started. He first learned how to carve and later, the older man taught him how to make furniture as well as widow and door frames. Randall had never really known what would come of him as he wasn’t very good at school work nor at sports but this was something he was good at, working with his hands and using wood to make useful and beautiful things.

At 15, his life was turned upside down. A new boy moved to town to live with his aunt, after his parents had passed away. He was an African-American guy named Caleb and Randall felt things for him he had never felt before. They were fishing buddies at first, as they discovered they both liked to do that, but Caleb wasn’t just a friend. Once they were by the river side, they were more than friendly. Maybe even flirty. Randall couldn’t keep his eyes off the gorgeous other boy’s flawless dark skin, pearl white teeth and beautiful dark eyes. There were many nights when he couldn’t sleep and thought of Caleb in ways no man should, at least in the eyes of God and his parents. He felt ashamed and distanced himself from Caleb, he simply couldn’t be gay, not in this town. To this day, he regrets not kissing Caleb back when the guy tried to show him what Randall meant to him. He just pushed him away, wiped his mouth and called him a fag. The hurt he saw in his friends face broke his heart. He told the other guy that he was disgusting and walked back towards his bike. He cried until he reached town.

It took him months to emotionally recover from that and it was hard seeing Caleb now hanging out with another guy, named Marcus. They were found out to be gay and bullied by all neighborhood kids and even some adults. Randall didn’t stand up for his old friend, in fear of being grouped in with him and his boyfriend. He was disgusted with himself, not only for what he felt but because he was such a coward.

Randall met Dixie when he was sixteen and developed feelings for her. It was such a relief. This meant he wasn’t gay, that he was normal and that all would be okay. She was a beautiful girl with red hair and brown eyes. They were high school sweethearts and he didn’t have eyes for any girl other than her. When he was 18, he bought a ring with half of the money he’d saved up from working for Billy and proposed to her. She said yes and he had never been happier.

He started two years of vocational training to become a carpenter, which he finished at the top of his class. Two weeks after graduation, when he was a month shy of turning 21, they got married at the local Baptist church. He wore borrowed clothes, as did she but they didn’t mind. The clothes didn’t matter, their love did.

He got a job as an assistant carpenter in town and while it didn’t make too much money, it covered half the bills they had to pay at her parents’ house where they were living and they could save Dixie’s paycheck in full. She made quite a bit working as a secretary at a local business.

Ten months after their wedding, their little girl was born and they named her Magnolia Lou. She had red hair just like her mother. Randall felt pride he hadn’t felt before. He just strutted around town, telling anyone who wanted to hear (and even those who didn’t) that he was a father of the most beautiful little girl in the world.

He was a father for four months. Then he found his daughter with a blue face. Cot death, they told him. It wasn’t his fault, they said but that was his daughter, his little girl. It was his responsibility to keep her safe and he hadn’t. He had failed as a father and a man.

He was 24 when he got divorced from Dixie, another failure but one he knew that he had created himself. He was inconsolable and lashed out at Dixie over everything. When he went for the bottle to drown his sorrows, she decided that enough was enough and filed for divorce. He didn’t fight it. He just signed whatever he had to sign and moved back to his parents’ house. People around town were sympathetic and he hated it. Everyone knew his story, everyone knew about his failures and he felt suffocated. He needed to get away.

He went to a local internet cafe to look for a job that suited him and had decent pay. He finally found an opening at Tailgate Carpentry & Home Repair in Boston. He applied and after a Skype call in which he showed some of his own work, he got hired.

He found King’s Terrace and when he saw there was an option to have a roommate he decided he wouldn’t mind living there. He needed a roommate to be able to split the costs and he wasn’t really able to move there and pay rent by himself until he found one. Here he’d be matched to someone, which was a lot easier. He hopes he’ll have someone he can stand rooming with him and if he doesn’t, well, then he’ll just lock himself in his room. He doesn’t really mind. It isn’t as if he’s here to make any friends. He is running away from something, not towards anything. He just wants to earn a living and other than that, he really has no idea what he’s doing with his life. He’ll figure it out… hopefully.

SOCIAL NETWORKING.

@buckleyinboston: Nothing better than some Conway Twitty and a cold one

@buckleyinboston: Don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the northern accent.

@buckleyinboston: At least I can still go fishing in this city. Buildings as a backdrop, but I guess we all gotta compromise.

OUT OF CHARACTER.

OOC: Silver, 19, GMT+2, they/them. 

SHIPS: Chemistry.

ANTI-SHIPS: No chemistry. 

[sportscarss]

Seven Reasons Why Audi A26 Image Is Common In USA | audi a26 image

First mass-market EV by German marque puts out 300kW and offers 400km of range.

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After a continued run of teasers and previews, the Audi e-tron quattro electric crossover has clearly been revealed, as it apparatus up to booty on the new Mercedes-Benz EQC and accessible BMW iX3.

Measuring 4901mm long, 1935mm wide, and 1606mm tall, the e-tron quattro is 238mm longer, 37mm added and 51mm lower than an Audi Q5. Its 2928mm wheelbase, meanwhile, is 96mm best than the Q5 and 66mm beneath than the beyond Q7.

Power comes from two electric motors developing accumulated outputs of 300kW and 660Nm, with 0-100km/h claimed to booty “fewer than six seconds” on its way to a top acceleration of 200km/h.

Those motors draw from a 95kWh lithium-ion array pack, with alive ambit rated at “over” 400km on the ‘realistic’ WLTP testing procedure.

Using the accepted 11kW charging solution, the e-tron quattro can be absolutely answerable in about 8.5 hours. An alternative 22kW charging arrangement will be accessible from 2019, while a 150kW DC fast-charge base can furnish about 80 per cent accommodation in “less than bisected an hour”.

In agreement of design, there’s bright access from the 2015 e-tron quattro concept, forth with $.25 and bobs adopted from Audi’s latest models including the all-new Q3 and Q8.

Angular LED headlights sit up front, accumulation an e-tron-specific LED daytime-running ablaze signature with four accumbent ‘struts’. There’s additionally a Platinum Gray single-frame grille with accumbent and vertical slats, admitting the assemblage itself is “largely enclosed” accustomed the electric powertrain doesn’t crave the aforementioned bulk of airflow as a agitation engine. Matrix LED lights are optionally available.

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There’s a affiliated accept band extending from the headlights to the tail-lights, accompanied by abundant appearance curve forth the beanie and fenders that accord the e-tron quattro a wide, able-bodied stance.

Down back, the LED tail-lights are affiliated through the centre via an LED band that is a accepted architecture affection beyond models like the A6, A7 and A8, while the vertical struts on anniversary ancillary answer the daytime-running ablaze signature.

Twelve anatomy colour options will be available, including the absolute Antigua Blue you see here, absolute by allegory axle and caster accomplished trims to accommodate an off-road-style look.

Additional architecture appearance accommodate an e-tron logo on the allegation accessory and alternative orange anchor calipers. A set of aero-optimised 19-inch auto are standard, captivated in low rolling attrition 255/55 tyres.

The underbody is additionally fully-clad to abate drag, and includes an aluminium bowl to assure the array pack.

Inside, the e-tron quattro is rather conventional, featuring a berth that wouldn’t attending out of abode in any of Audi’s latest flagship models – anticipate A6, A7 and A8.

The disciplinarian is faced with several displays, including the Audi Virtual Cockpit agenda apparatus array with added e-tron content, and the dual-touchscreen centre animate architecture (10.1-inch top, 8.6-inch bottom) that digitises the altitude controls beneath a accepted infotainment display.

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Vehicles optioned with ‘virtual exoteric mirrors’ affection added displays in the advanced doors, announcement a alive camera augment in abode of accepted addition mirror units.

A ambit of autogenous trims and colour schemes are accessible – including open-pore ash copse absolute to the e-tron – forth with alternative appearance like wireless smartphone charging.

Behind the advanced row, Audi is claiming the e-tron quattro offers segment-leading commuter and burden space. Thanks to the electric drivetrain there’s no centre tunnel, which agency all three second-row cartage account from a collapsed floor.

The baggage breadth measures 660L with the additional row in place, including a 60L alcove beneath the floor. Folding the aback seats increases accommodation to 1725L, accessed via an electric aperture and closing tailgate.

Dual-zone altitude ascendancy with rear air vents is adapted as standard, with a four-zone arrangement optionally available. The closing additionally includes an air ioniser to advance “premium air quality”.

Audi claims the near-silent drivetrain and well-insulated berth accomplish for “an about absolute faculty of calm”, with markets like North America and Asia accepting a loudspeaker in the advanced right-hand caster accomplished to comedy complete advised to acquaint added anchorage users the agent is approaching.

As we’ve appear to apprehend from Audi, the e-tron quattro is loaded with disciplinarian abetment and alive assurance technologies.

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The Tour Abetment amalgamation incorporates adaptive cruise ascendancy with cartage jam assist, lane-assist and cartage assurance acceptance systems to accommodate semi-autonomous alive capability. Added accessible appearance accommodate a 360-degree camera system, rear cross-traffic assist, lane-change and avenue warning, an automatic esplanade assistant, and all-round sensors.

Audi will body the e-tron quattro at its CO2-neutral accomplishment ability in Brussels, with a European bazaar barrage appointed for the end of 2018, with appraisement to alpha about €80,000 ($130,325).

We’re cat-and-mouse to apprehend from Audi’s bounded analysis apropos back we can apprehend to see the e-tron quattro Down Under, forth with projected pricing.

Stay acquainted to CarAdvice for all the latest, and bang actuality for added images.

MORE: Audi e-tron coverage

MORE: Everything Audi

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[jonathanbelloblog]

First Drive: 2019 Volvo XC40

BARCELONA, Spain — I came to the 2019 Volvo XC40 press preview expecting little more than a smaller version of Volvo’s other SUVs, and I bet most of you were anticipating the same. And who can blame us? All of the new-generation Volvos—XC90, XC60, S90, V90—are cut from the same cloth, and it’s not like we’re talking about cheap polyester.

What I found, though, was something very different. The XC40 has classic youngest-kid syndrome—you know, the one who tries to differentiate himself from his older siblings by getting tattoos and a nipple ring. Though the family resemblance is obvious, both in appearance and driving dynamics, the XC40 fights for its independence with a scrappy demeanor and a streak of rebellion—and that’s good news for potential buyers.

The XC40’s attitude is readily apparent in its dare-to-be-different styling. This is the most unique-looking SUV in Volvo’s refreshed lineup. While it shares its basic shape with other Volvo SUVs, it’s impossible to miss the kicked-up C-pillar (don’t tell Volvo, but it reminds me of the Jeep Compass’ shark fin), deeply sculpted lower door panels, and (optional) contrasting-color roof.

Still, don’t let the obvious details distract you from the more subtle ones like the concave grille, echoed at the back by a slight dishing of the XC40’s tailgate; the 90-degree seam formed by the front door, fender, and wrap-over hood; and the way four different body lines meet at the forward edge of the C-pillar. I’m tempted to say “It’s a Volvo, Jim, but not as we know it,” but I’m pretty sure the reference will be lost on the millennials at whom the XC40 is targeted. (Yes, kids, it’s true: Leonard Nimoy was on another TV show before Big Bang Theory.)

The XC40 is the first vehicle based on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA to its friends), as opposed to the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) used for the 60- and 90-series vehicles. (One has to wonder: How scalable can an architecture be if Volvo needed a different one for their smaller cars?) Like the XC60, the XC40 uses MacPherson struts up front, but the four-link rear suspension employs coil springs instead of a transverse leaf.

Despite the architecture differences, the XC40 is just as good of a drive as the bigger Volvos, though it exhibits more spirit and attitude. The press preview featured XC40 R-Design models powered by the 248-hp T5 engine, which comes bundled with all-wheel-drive. This is the base powerplant for Volvo’s larger SUVs, but it’s the high-end motor for the XC40, which weighs some 200 lb less than the XC60 and 700 lb less than the XC90.

Removing the extra bulk does wonders. Whether you’re stopped at a light or need to jump into the passing lane, the T5-powered XC40 leaps ahead like an SUV possessed, and we’re inclined to believe Volvo’s 6.2-second claim for the 0-to-60 sprint. The eight-speed automatic transmission lives to downshift, and will happily do so with even the lightest prod of the pedal. This summer, Volvo will add the front-wheel-drive T4 powertrain, which shares the T5’s 2.0 liter displacement but uses a different turbo and tuning to deliver 185 hp (and, presumably, better fuel economy).

The XC40 R-Design features a sport-tuned suspension and the driving dynamics can best be described with the sort of boilerplate clichés that hacks like me use when we can’t come up with anything else: It turns in sharply, grips eagerly, and the body stays relatively flat in the turns. Steering effort is light, and its quick response and lack of feedback often results in direction changes that are rather more deliberate than the driver may have intended. My Automobile colleagues complained about this in the XC60; it seems more in line with the XC40’s scrappy character, though a little more road feel would be welcome. Still, it made me grin, and really, that’s all that counts. The XC40 has five selectable drive modes (Eco, Comfort, Dynamic, Off-Road and Individual) that are supposed to alter throttle, steering and braking response, but based on my experience there’s no point in pressing the button until the adjustable-damper option arrives later in 2018.

Inside, the XC40 gives up some of the elegance of the 60- and 90-series cars for a more “shabby chic” feel. Its upright cabin feels rather narrow, though the XC40 is actually one of the wider vehicles in the segment. Back seat legroom is good, but the seats themselves lack thigh support, which is both surprising and disappointing. The 20.7 cubic foot luggage bay seems to have been designed for people with a cargo-carrying fetish, what with its hidden storage, 60/40 split-fold back seat, and ski pass-through. You can even store the swing-up cargo cover under the cargo floor. What will they think of next?

In-cabin scored high in Volvo’s customer research clinics, and the XC40’s cabin is awash in bins and cubbies optimized for phones, tissue boxes, and other detritus of the dedicated road warrior. Volvo moved the front speakers from the doors to the dash so that the front door pockets could accommodate a 15-inch laptop. There’s a nifty mini trash can (removable and sporting a spring-loaded lid) built into the center armrest, though it won’t hold much more than a couple of balled-up burger wrappers and a discarded gum wrapper or two. The optional wireless charging pad is massive, future-proofing it against Samsung and Apple’s fixation on ever-larger phones, though I had trouble getting my old Samsung Galaxy S6 properly centered on the pad so that it would charge.

Like other Volvo models, the XC40 comes standard with the Sensus infotainment system and its portrait-oriented touchscreen. I fell in love with the tablet-style UI when it first came out, but I must admit that familiarity has bred contempt: A few week-long Volvo press loans have taught me that the navigation system can be difficult to program, and swiping and pinching your way between climate, audio and navigation options can get rather frustrating. New for the XC40 is an app-based “digital key” that will allow for easy car sharing; send someone a code and they can unlock and drive the car without a key—a feature that strikes me as both nifty and scary.

The XC40 is offered with four interior color choices—black, white, red and tan—but only in the entry-level Momentum model. The R-Design version, home to the wonderful sport-tuned suspension, comes exclusively in black, though you can get it with orange carpets and door panels. The orange is certainly cool—Helllooooo, 1970! Anyone wanna watch Laugh-In?—but I still think Volvo interiors look their best in lighter colors. Too bad you can only get them in the Momentum trim.

Volvo has priced the XC40 Momentum and R-Design models at $34,195 and $36,695 respectively, including a $995 destination charge. Opting for the T5/all-wheel-drive combo adds $2,000 to either trim. Standard equipment levels are impressive: Momentum models include leather upholstery, a power tailgate, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, while the R-Design adds navigation, 19” wheels, a hands-free tailgate, and other upgrades. Naturally, safety is high on the XC40’s priority list, with automatic emergency braking and lane- and road-departure mitigation as standard and a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise, and blind-spot and cross-traffic warning on the options list.

The XC40 will be the first offering from Care by Volvo, the brand’s fledgling subscription-based ownership program. Pre-configured Momentum and R-Design models will be offered for $600 and $700 per month respectively (plus tax and a $500 deposit), a price that includes the car, insurance, and a 15,000 mile per year allowance maintenance for 24 months. Insurance is provided by Liberty Mutual, which can’t change the price but can say “no” to potential customers. After a year, buyers can “upgrade” to a new XC40 for a new 24-month term—though unless Volvo plans a return to Detroit-style yearly model changes, there doesn’t seem to be much reason to swap. This is a potential bargain for buyers who live in high insurance rate areas like New York or Frisco; still, Volvo insists this program isn’t about a cheap deal, but rather an easier experience for young buyers eager to bypass traditional dealer bullshit. You go online, you order your car, you make an appointment to pick it up, and that’s that—no more getting hassled by the F&I guy to buy an extended warranty or listening to the service writer extol the virtues of a $159 transmission flush.

It’s no secret that Automobile is a big fan of Volvo’s latest vehicles, and I think the XC40’s mission to bring younger buyers into the brand will be a successful one. The cheeky XC40 makes the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA look like old fuddy-duddies, and the driving experience gives the Mini Countryman a run for its money. Add in the reasonable price, high equipment level, and available hassle-free subscription plan, and the XC40 appears to be right on point. Like any little sibling, the XC40 is obviously clamoring for attention—and I think it’s going to get plenty.

2019 Volvo XC40 Specifications

ON SALE Spring 2018 PRICE $34,195 (base) ENGINE 2.0L turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4/184-248 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,800-4,800 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed   automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD/AWD SUV EPA MILEAGE N/A L x W x H 174.2 x 73.3 x 65.0 in WHEELBASE 106.4 in WEIGHT 3,710-3,820 lb 0-60 MPH 6.2 sec TOP SPEED 140 mph

[eddiejpoplar]

First Drive: 2019 Volvo XC40

BARCELONA, Spain — I came to the 2019 Volvo XC40 press preview expecting little more than a smaller version of Volvo’s other SUVs, and I bet most of you were anticipating the same. And who can blame us? All of the new-generation Volvos—XC90, XC60, S90, V90—are cut from the same cloth, and it’s not like we’re talking about cheap polyester.

What I found, though, was something very different. The XC40 has classic youngest-kid syndrome—you know, the one who tries to differentiate himself from his older siblings by getting tattoos and a nipple ring. Though the family resemblance is obvious, both in appearance and driving dynamics, the XC40 fights for its independence with a scrappy demeanor and a streak of rebellion—and that’s good news for potential buyers.

The XC40’s attitude is readily apparent in its dare-to-be-different styling. This is the most unique-looking SUV in Volvo’s refreshed lineup. While it shares its basic shape with other Volvo SUVs, it’s impossible to miss the kicked-up C-pillar (don’t tell Volvo, but it reminds me of the Jeep Compass’ shark fin), deeply sculpted lower door panels, and (optional) contrasting-color roof.

Still, don’t let the obvious details distract you from the more subtle ones like the concave grille, echoed at the back by a slight dishing of the XC40’s tailgate; the 90-degree seam formed by the front door, fender, and wrap-over hood; and the way four different body lines meet at the forward edge of the C-pillar. I’m tempted to say “It’s a Volvo, Jim, but not as we know it,” but I’m pretty sure the reference will be lost on the millennials at whom the XC40 is targeted. (Yes, kids, it’s true: Leonard Nimoy was on another TV show before Big Bang Theory.)

The XC40 is the first vehicle based on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA to its friends), as opposed to the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) used for the 60- and 90-series vehicles. (One has to wonder: How scalable can an architecture be if Volvo needed a different one for their smaller cars?) Like the XC60, the XC40 uses MacPherson struts up front, but the four-link rear suspension employs coil springs instead of a transverse leaf.

Despite the architecture differences, the XC40 is just as good of a drive as the bigger Volvos, though it exhibits more spirit and attitude. The press preview featured XC40 R-Design models powered by the 248-hp T5 engine, which comes bundled with all-wheel-drive. This is the base powerplant for Volvo’s larger SUVs, but it’s the high-end motor for the XC40, which weighs some 200 lb less than the XC60 and 700 lb less than the XC90.

Removing the extra bulk does wonders. Whether you’re stopped at a light or need to jump into the passing lane, the T5-powered XC40 leaps ahead like an SUV possessed, and we’re inclined to believe Volvo’s 6.2-second claim for the 0-to-60 sprint. The eight-speed automatic transmission lives to downshift, and will happily do so with even the lightest prod of the pedal. This summer, Volvo will add the front-wheel-drive T4 powertrain, which shares the T5’s 2.0 liter displacement but uses a different turbo and tuning to deliver 185 hp (and, presumably, better fuel economy).

The XC40 R-Design features a sport-tuned suspension and the driving dynamics can best be described with the sort of boilerplate clichés that hacks like me use when we can’t come up with anything else: It turns in sharply, grips eagerly, and the body stays relatively flat in the turns. Steering effort is light, and its quick response and lack of feedback often results in direction changes that are rather more deliberate than the driver may have intended. My Automobile colleagues complained about this in the XC60; it seems more in line with the XC40’s scrappy character, though a little more road feel would be welcome. Still, it made me grin, and really, that’s all that counts. The XC40 has five selectable drive modes (Eco, Comfort, Dynamic, Off-Road and Individual) that are supposed to alter throttle, steering and braking response, but based on my experience there’s no point in pressing the button until the adjustable-damper option arrives later in 2018.

Inside, the XC40 gives up some of the elegance of the 60- and 90-series cars for a more “shabby chic” feel. Its upright cabin feels rather narrow, though the XC40 is actually one of the wider vehicles in the segment. Back seat legroom is good, but the seats themselves lack thigh support, which is both surprising and disappointing. The 20.7 cubic foot luggage bay seems to have been designed for people with a cargo-carrying fetish, what with its hidden storage, 60/40 split-fold back seat, and ski pass-through. You can even store the swing-up cargo cover under the cargo floor. What will they think of next?

In-cabin scored high in Volvo’s customer research clinics, and the XC40’s cabin is awash in bins and cubbies optimized for phones, tissue boxes, and other detritus of the dedicated road warrior. Volvo moved the front speakers from the doors to the dash so that the front door pockets could accommodate a 15-inch laptop. There’s a nifty mini trash can (removable and sporting a spring-loaded lid) built into the center armrest, though it won’t hold much more than a couple of balled-up burger wrappers and a discarded gum wrapper or two. The optional wireless charging pad is massive, future-proofing it against Samsung and Apple’s fixation on ever-larger phones, though I had trouble getting my old Samsung Galaxy S6 properly centered on the pad so that it would charge.

Like other Volvo models, the XC40 comes standard with the Sensus infotainment system and its portrait-oriented touchscreen. I fell in love with the tablet-style UI when it first came out, but I must admit that familiarity has bred contempt: A few week-long Volvo press loans have taught me that the navigation system can be difficult to program, and swiping and pinching your way between climate, audio and navigation options can get rather frustrating. New for the XC40 is an app-based “digital key” that will allow for easy car sharing; send someone a code and they can unlock and drive the car without a key—a feature that strikes me as both nifty and scary.

The XC40 is offered with four interior color choices—black, white, red and tan—but only in the entry-level Momentum model. The R-Design version, home to the wonderful sport-tuned suspension, comes exclusively in black, though you can get it with orange carpets and door panels. The orange is certainly cool—Helllooooo, 1970! Anyone wanna watch Laugh-In?—but I still think Volvo interiors look their best in lighter colors. Too bad you can only get them in the Momentum trim.

Volvo has priced the XC40 Momentum and R-Design models at $34,195 and $36,695 respectively, including a $995 destination charge. Opting for the T5/all-wheel-drive combo adds $2,000 to either trim. Standard equipment levels are impressive: Momentum models include leather upholstery, a power tailgate, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, while the R-Design adds navigation, 19” wheels, a hands-free tailgate, and other upgrades. Naturally, safety is high on the XC40’s priority list, with automatic emergency braking and lane- and road-departure mitigation as standard and a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise, and blind-spot and cross-traffic warning on the options list.

The XC40 will be the first offering from Care by Volvo, the brand’s fledgling subscription-based ownership program. Pre-configured Momentum and R-Design models will be offered for $600 and $700 per month respectively (plus tax and a $500 deposit), a price that includes the car, insurance, and a 15,000 mile per year allowance maintenance for 24 months. Insurance is provided by Liberty Mutual, which can’t change the price but can say “no” to potential customers. After a year, buyers can “upgrade” to a new XC40 for a new 24-month term—though unless Volvo plans a return to Detroit-style yearly model changes, there doesn’t seem to be much reason to swap. This is a potential bargain for buyers who live in high insurance rate areas like New York or Frisco; still, Volvo insists this program isn’t about a cheap deal, but rather an easier experience for young buyers eager to bypass traditional dealer bullshit. You go online, you order your car, you make an appointment to pick it up, and that’s that—no more getting hassled by the F&I guy to buy an extended warranty or listening to the service writer extol the virtues of a $159 transmission flush.

It’s no secret that Automobile is a big fan of Volvo’s latest vehicles, and I think the XC40’s mission to bring younger buyers into the brand will be a successful one. The cheeky XC40 makes the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA look like old fuddy-duddies, and the driving experience gives the Mini Countryman a run for its money. Add in the reasonable price, high equipment level, and available hassle-free subscription plan, and the XC40 appears to be right on point. Like any little sibling, the XC40 is obviously clamoring for attention—and I think it’s going to get plenty.

2019 Volvo XC40 Specifications

ON SALE Spring 2018 PRICE $34,195 (base) ENGINE 2.0L turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4/184-248 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,800-4,800 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed   automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD/AWD SUV EPA MILEAGE N/A L x W x H 174.2 x 73.3 x 65.0 in WHEELBASE 106.4 in WEIGHT 3,710-3,820 lb 0-60 MPH 6.2 sec TOP SPEED 140 mph

[jesusvasser]

First Drive: 2019 Volvo XC40

BARCELONA, Spain — I came to the 2019 Volvo XC40 press preview expecting little more than a smaller version of Volvo’s other SUVs, and I bet most of you were anticipating the same. And who can blame us? All of the new-generation Volvos—XC90, XC60, S90, V90—are cut from the same cloth, and it’s not like we’re talking about cheap polyester.

What I found, though, was something very different. The XC40 has classic youngest-kid syndrome—you know, the one who tries to differentiate himself from his older siblings by getting tattoos and a nipple ring. Though the family resemblance is obvious, both in appearance and driving dynamics, the XC40 fights for its independence with a scrappy demeanor and a streak of rebellion—and that’s good news for potential buyers.

The XC40’s attitude is readily apparent in its dare-to-be-different styling. This is the most unique-looking SUV in Volvo’s refreshed lineup. While it shares its basic shape with other Volvo SUVs, it’s impossible to miss the kicked-up C-pillar (don’t tell Volvo, but it reminds me of the Jeep Compass’ shark fin), deeply sculpted lower door panels, and (optional) contrasting-color roof.

Still, don’t let the obvious details distract you from the more subtle ones like the concave grille, echoed at the back by a slight dishing of the XC40’s tailgate; the 90-degree seam formed by the front door, fender, and wrap-over hood; and the way four different body lines meet at the forward edge of the C-pillar. I’m tempted to say “It’s a Volvo, Jim, but not as we know it,” but I’m pretty sure the reference will be lost on the millennials at whom the XC40 is targeted. (Yes, kids, it’s true: Leonard Nimoy was on another TV show before Big Bang Theory.)

The XC40 is the first vehicle based on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA to its friends), as opposed to the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) used for the 60- and 90-series vehicles. (One has to wonder: How scalable can an architecture be if Volvo needed a different one for their smaller cars?) Like the XC60, the XC40 uses MacPherson struts up front, but the four-link rear suspension employs coil springs instead of a transverse leaf.

Despite the architecture differences, the XC40 is just as good of a drive as the bigger Volvos, though it exhibits more spirit and attitude. The press preview featured XC40 R-Design models powered by the 248-hp T5 engine, which comes bundled with all-wheel-drive. This is the base powerplant for Volvo’s larger SUVs, but it’s the high-end motor for the XC40, which weighs some 200 lb less than the XC60 and 700 lb less than the XC90.

Removing the extra bulk does wonders. Whether you’re stopped at a light or need to jump into the passing lane, the T5-powered XC40 leaps ahead like an SUV possessed, and we’re inclined to believe Volvo’s 6.2-second claim for the 0-to-60 sprint. The eight-speed automatic transmission lives to downshift, and will happily do so with even the lightest prod of the pedal. This summer, Volvo will add the front-wheel-drive T4 powertrain, which shares the T5’s 2.0 liter displacement but uses a different turbo and tuning to deliver 185 hp (and, presumably, better fuel economy).

The XC40 R-Design features a sport-tuned suspension and the driving dynamics can best be described with the sort of boilerplate clichés that hacks like me use when we can’t come up with anything else: It turns in sharply, grips eagerly, and the body stays relatively flat in the turns. Steering effort is light, and its quick response and lack of feedback often results in direction changes that are rather more deliberate than the driver may have intended. My Automobile colleagues complained about this in the XC60; it seems more in line with the XC40’s scrappy character, though a little more road feel would be welcome. Still, it made me grin, and really, that’s all that counts. The XC40 has five selectable drive modes (Eco, Comfort, Dynamic, Off-Road and Individual) that are supposed to alter throttle, steering and braking response, but based on my experience there’s no point in pressing the button until the adjustable-damper option arrives later in 2018.

Inside, the XC40 gives up some of the elegance of the 60- and 90-series cars for a more “shabby chic” feel. Its upright cabin feels rather narrow, though the XC40 is actually one of the wider vehicles in the segment. Back seat legroom is good, but the seats themselves lack thigh support, which is both surprising and disappointing. The 20.7 cubic foot luggage bay seems to have been designed for people with a cargo-carrying fetish, what with its hidden storage, 60/40 split-fold back seat, and ski pass-through. You can even store the swing-up cargo cover under the cargo floor. What will they think of next?

In-cabin scored high in Volvo’s customer research clinics, and the XC40’s cabin is awash in bins and cubbies optimized for phones, tissue boxes, and other detritus of the dedicated road warrior. Volvo moved the front speakers from the doors to the dash so that the front door pockets could accommodate a 15-inch laptop. There’s a nifty mini trash can (removable and sporting a spring-loaded lid) built into the center armrest, though it won’t hold much more than a couple of balled-up burger wrappers and a discarded gum wrapper or two. The optional wireless charging pad is massive, future-proofing it against Samsung and Apple’s fixation on ever-larger phones, though I had trouble getting my old Samsung Galaxy S6 properly centered on the pad so that it would charge.

Like other Volvo models, the XC40 comes standard with the Sensus infotainment system and its portrait-oriented touchscreen. I fell in love with the tablet-style UI when it first came out, but I must admit that familiarity has bred contempt: A few week-long Volvo press loans have taught me that the navigation system can be difficult to program, and swiping and pinching your way between climate, audio and navigation options can get rather frustrating. New for the XC40 is an app-based “digital key” that will allow for easy car sharing; send someone a code and they can unlock and drive the car without a key—a feature that strikes me as both nifty and scary.

The XC40 is offered with four interior color choices—black, white, red and tan—but only in the entry-level Momentum model. The R-Design version, home to the wonderful sport-tuned suspension, comes exclusively in black, though you can get it with orange carpets and door panels. The orange is certainly cool—Helllooooo, 1970! Anyone wanna watch Laugh-In?—but I still think Volvo interiors look their best in lighter colors. Too bad you can only get them in the Momentum trim.

Volvo has priced the XC40 Momentum and R-Design models at $34,195 and $36,695 respectively, including a $995 destination charge. Opting for the T5/all-wheel-drive combo adds $2,000 to either trim. Standard equipment levels are impressive: Momentum models include leather upholstery, a power tailgate, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, while the R-Design adds navigation, 19” wheels, a hands-free tailgate, and other upgrades. Naturally, safety is high on the XC40’s priority list, with automatic emergency braking and lane- and road-departure mitigation as standard and a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise, and blind-spot and cross-traffic warning on the options list.

The XC40 will be the first offering from Care by Volvo, the brand’s fledgling subscription-based ownership program. Pre-configured Momentum and R-Design models will be offered for $600 and $700 per month respectively (plus tax and a $500 deposit), a price that includes the car, insurance, and a 15,000 mile per year allowance maintenance for 24 months. Insurance is provided by Liberty Mutual, which can’t change the price but can say “no” to potential customers. After a year, buyers can “upgrade” to a new XC40 for a new 24-month term—though unless Volvo plans a return to Detroit-style yearly model changes, there doesn’t seem to be much reason to swap. This is a potential bargain for buyers who live in high insurance rate areas like New York or Frisco; still, Volvo insists this program isn’t about a cheap deal, but rather an easier experience for young buyers eager to bypass traditional dealer bullshit. You go online, you order your car, you make an appointment to pick it up, and that’s that—no more getting hassled by the F&I guy to buy an extended warranty or listening to the service writer extol the virtues of a $159 transmission flush.

It’s no secret that Automobile is a big fan of Volvo’s latest vehicles, and I think the XC40’s mission to bring younger buyers into the brand will be a successful one. The cheeky XC40 makes the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA look like old fuddy-duddies, and the driving experience gives the Mini Countryman a run for its money. Add in the reasonable price, high equipment level, and available hassle-free subscription plan, and the XC40 appears to be right on point. Like any little sibling, the XC40 is obviously clamoring for attention—and I think it’s going to get plenty.

2019 Volvo XC40 Specifications

ON SALE Spring 2018 PRICE $34,195 (base) ENGINE 2.0L turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4/184-248 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,800-4,800 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed   automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD/AWD SUV EPA MILEAGE N/A L x W x H 174.2 x 73.3 x 65.0 in WHEELBASE 106.4 in WEIGHT 3,710-3,820 lb 0-60 MPH 6.2 sec TOP SPEED 140 mph

[robertkstone]

Chevrolet Unveils More Concept Cars and Trucks for SEMA

Chevy’s SEMA presence is now up to about half the size of its gigantic Detroit auto show footprint. That’s how big a business aftermarket parts and accessories have become for GM generally and Chevy specifically. The Chevy, AC Delco, GM Certified Service, and GM Performance Parts catalogs combined carry a million part numbers that are racking up $6 billion in revenue—that’s billion with a B. Hence Chevy’s jumbo SEMA display will feature some 20 vehicles and 25 crate engines. We’ve already covered some of what will be there—the Corvette Carbon 65 edition, the Colorado ZR2 Midnight and Dusk editions, and the Centennial Silverado and Colorado editions and the vintage C-10 built to match them—as for the rest, read on …

Camaro ZL1 1LE

The car that laid down the 7:16.04 Nürburgring lap will be on display, along with a Camaro on its side showing off all the 1LE components that can be purchased à la carte for patient souls who prefer or need to build their 1LE one paycheck at a time. All parts fit any sixth-generation Camaro. We’d recommend starting with the bushing replacement kits, which remove most of the rubber (and hence handling compliance) out of the suspension, and the reversible upper strut mounts, whihc allow for quick, easily reversible camber changes at the track.

Camaro ZL1 Drag Development Car

Last year Chevy showed a Camaro SS upfitted with performance parts designed to showcase how an owner might optimize an SS for NHRA drag racing duty. Many of the parts developed in that exercise are now available. For this year’s exercise the team is looking at what one an owner might do to a ZL1 to transform it from a handling-track star to a quarter-mile killer. Highlights again include a small brake kit to fit within 16-inch wheels that accommodate the tall sidewalls preferred for low-pressure sticky-tire launches. A smaller supercharger pulley speeds up the blower for more boost, and a larger throttle body further hastens airflow into the engine. Breathing is further enhanced by a cold air intake and performance air filter that inhales through the vacant eye socket left by removing the left headlamp. American Racing headers, revised engine and transmission-shift calibrations, and Magnetic Ride Control shocks programmed to foster more rearward weight transfer during launch round out the kit. Expect to see many of these parts on sale at this time next year.

Camaro SS Trans Am TA4 Race Car

Trans Am racing’s TA4 class is designed to bring back the glory days of American pony/muscle car rivalry. Todd Napieralski competes in this class, and he managed an impressive second-place finish at Road America last year. A TA4-Spec Camaro race car will be on display at Chevy’s SEMA stand, complete with ZL1 1LE Multimatic DSSV shocks and suspension, ZL1 rear cradle mounts, and a ZL1 1LE rear spoiler.

Silverado Performance Concept

This concept features a 5.3-liter engine topped off with the supercharger from an LT4 engine. Most of the rest of the modifications are already available in Chevy’s vast catalog of customizing parts, including the air dam, suspension lowering kit, cold air intake, performance six-piston Brembo calipers clamping 16.1-inch front rotors, and a high-flow sport exhaust system.

Silverado 3500 HD NHRA Safety Safari

Chevrolet is the official truck of the NHRA, and this giant Duramax diesel-powered HD concept was built to celebrate that relationship. Major upgrades include a modified replacement hood, an elaborate graphics package, and every conceivable tool a safety crew would need to rescue a racing driver after a crash—including a “jaws of life” device. It also features some Midnight Edition trim (like black bowties) that are not offered on HD trucks from the factory. The wheels are the best part because they apparently started out as 22.5-inch dually wheels that were machined down to 22s.

Luke Bryan Suburban

Country music aficionados will recognize the collaborator lending his name to this truck, which seeks to render the title of his Kill the Lights album’s smash hit “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” in sheetmetal, glass, and rubber. The HFE badging alludes to that song title. This seven-passenger Suburban has been converted into the ultimate mobile hunting blind by removing all cargo-area glass, transforming the liftgate into a side-opening tailgate complete with a spare tire mount, and reversing the third-row seat so it faces the ducks, deer, and other forest creatures. Other interior touches include orange-anodized and dark carbon accent trim, two-tone gray seats featuring orange piping, and ventilation holes for the seat coolers poked in a camo pattern, a light platinum colored “Taffeta” headliner.  A roof-mounted Thule Canyon roof basket carrier features special fishing rod holders. The Hunter Bronze paint incorporates lighter colored camo graphics at the bottom that fade to solid color midway up the truck. Providing extra off-road capabilities are a set of 22-inch Chevrolet Accessories wheels with orange-painted insets wearing 35-inch-tall off-road tires, a 6-inch suspension lift, skidplate extensions, and a locking rear differential. On-road performance is only enhanced by a cold air-intake system and a Chevrolet Performance front six-piston Brembo brake system upgrade. An accessory grille with orange painted inserts, anodized orange tow hooks, a Baja Designs roof-mounted light bar, a custom lower fascia, and the de riguer black Bow Ties round out this attractive and functional package. If only the budget had allowed for engineering a ’60s vintage three-way tailgate, Luke could back up to his favorite pond and fish off the tailgate …

Traverse SUP Concept

This recently redesigned Traverse three-row CUV pays homage to the fast-growing sport of stand-up paddleboarding (see Motor Trend’s sister publication SUP if you’re an enthusiast). Taking it from the top, a Riviera Paddlesurf board is mounted to a Chevy accessory carrier supplied by Thule. The whole car gets an aquatic-themed graphics package color-keyed to the board accented by dark gray fascias, rockers, and wheel opening trim, gloss black body moldings, black foglamp bezels, and tinted wheels. Further accessorizing from the Chevy catalog includes 20-inch black wheels, a black grille insert and Bow Ties, assist steps, and embroidered headrests.

The post Chevrolet Unveils More Concept Cars and Trucks for SEMA appeared first on Motor Trend.

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[itsworn]

Shop Talk: All in the Family

Good and bad news to report this month: My 1999 Subaru Legacy, a car I’ve owned since it was new, expired recently on an assignment in San Francisco. I realize most Car Craft readers won’t get excited about a nearly 20-year-old Japanese car, but it was my rock: my reliable means of transportation that allowed me own and maintain less-reliable (to varying degrees) project cars for the magazine. I knew it was getting long in the tooth; it was starting to burn some oil and would struggle to pass California’s biannual emissions tests. I just needed it to hang in there a bit longer until I felt confident one of the other cars could stand in for it while I gave the Subaru a refreshing—it needed new tires, struts, power-steering pump, and a brake job in addition to the engine rebuild.

Ironically, it wasn’t a lack of maintenance that brought the engine’s demise. The crankshaft pulley broke, shooting the alternator and air-conditioning belts off in the process. The A/C belt got pulled across the crankshaft timing gear sprocket, causing the timing belt to slip a few teeth. If you know anything about these DOHC flat-fours, you know they are interference engines. If the valve timing is off, the pistons smack into the valves, potentially bending all 16 of them. In my case, there was little fanfare; the engine abruptly stopped running, and the free cranking noise the starter motor made indicated an utter lack of engine compression.

I bear responsibility for the catastrophe, unfortunately. After replacing a timing-belt tensioner a year ago, I left the plastic timing covers off the front of the engine because I thought it was cool to see the mile-long timing belt travel across the pulleys and tensioners with the engine running. I meant to put it back after a few days, but that never happened.

Here’s where I must thank Jeff Westafer of J&D Automotive in Concord, California. He agreed to take the car in and price out some options, while I booked a flight home. No matter what, the prospects were going to be expensive. Used engines are available, of course, but prudence requires at least a timing-belt change and probably myriad other little things that conspire to drive up the cost. Rebuilt engines are available, too, but are more than I can afford right now. In the interim, I’d been driving Truck Norris to the tune of nearly $100 per week just in fuel costs (I often have to drive a lot of places for work). I even pondered buying a motorcycle to offset the cost of keeping my thirsty pickup running.

Ultimately, I bought Jeff Smith’s 1993 GMC Sierra. Longtime readers will remember it as Project Jake from 2004. It’s one of a pair of former 1/2-ton Cal-Trans pickups Jeff and Tim Moore bought at an auction and did a series of articles on: Project Jake in Car Craft and Project Elwood in Chevy High Performance. Jeff recently bought a 2008 Silverado and offered me a great deal on Jake, probably about the same amount as what I would have into an engine rebuild for my Subaru. This is cool on a number of levels. First, Jake stays in the Car Craft family.

Though it hasn’t been an official project car since 2004, the pickup has been in dozens of pictures, and on a few covers, too—in the background or with just portions of the bed or tailgate visible in the picture. Second, I’d driven the truck a lot throughout the years. Jeff was extremely generous with it, loaning it to me when I needed to haul things my Subaru wouldn’t carry. One of those occasions happened to be an early date with my wife. We had just started dating and drove the pickup to have dinner together before I left town in it with a bunch of engine parts in the bed. As a bonus, one of my favorite pictures of Culver, my German shepherd who died last year, was taken in the GMC. You can see I already have a history with Jake, so how could I pass it up?

The fate of my Subaru is still to be determined, but at least I don’t feel backed into a corner anymore. I may scrap the car or I may bring it home and rebuild the engine in my spare time. I’ve even considered swapping in the drivetrain from a WRX STi. Let me know what you’d do with a 1999 Legacy wagon, and Google Car Craft Project Jake to see what Jeff did to this pickup more than a dozen years ago. Who knew, then, these Chevy pickups would make such cool hot rods today?

The post Shop Talk: All in the Family appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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[verymerynice]

New Post has been published on Top Auto Blog

New Post has been published on http://topauto.site/a-baby-jaguar-presents/

A baby Jaguar: presents a compact crossover Jaguar E-Pace

Midsize SUV Jaguar F-Pace has become a hit: last year it accounted for almost a third of the sales of the British brand (46 of 149 thousand thousand copies). Therefore, to delay the expansion of the “parquet” of the family, the British were not prepared compact Jaguar E-Pace the presentation of which was held with great pomp in London. With a length of 4395 mm, the newcomer has become the smallest model in the current colours of the company, and the creators ironically beat the “younger” role models, depicting on the windshield frame silhouettes of large Jaguar stalking him cub. The same picture is projected by night on the pavement while opening the door.

Non-classical layout

E-Pace is going to play in the same class as the BMW X1, Audi Q3, Mercedes GLA and Range Rover Evoque. And, as all of these SUVs, it has a transverse engine layout and “basic” front-wheel drive, while all other models in the current range of the Jaguar brand have a classic layout with longitudinal engine and the main drive to the rear wheels.

Platform is actually the same as that of the crossover Land Rover Discovery Sport position: front McPherson strut with aluminum steering knuckles, rear — mnogoryichazhka compact Integral Link, the floor panel has not changed. One of the few differences — a more rigid front subframe. The surcharge — adaptive dampers with two modes (Normal and Dynamic). Wheels — with diameters ranging from 17 to 21 inches.

The body in the basis of steel, but the roof panel, hood, trunk lid and front fenders are aluminum, and the cross member under the windshield are made of magnesium alloy. And yet E-Pace was hard: at least 1700 kg curb! For comparison, the base BMW X1 weighs 1425 kg and the new X3 — 1750 kg.

The tightness and practicality

The wheelbase (2681 mm) “Junior” the Jaguar is ahead of the X1, Q3 and Evoque, except that of the Mercedes, the distance between the axes is 18 mm longer. But the spacious interior Jaguar E-Pace to boast of, alas, can not — even by the standards of its class. Man height about 180 cm, on the driver openly closely: crushes the roof, hit the door armrest and Central tunnel. In the back row these feelings are only compounded, and the seats here do not have any adjustment. However, fragile girl in the cabin-pace will be comfortable.

However, the trunk is not the nominal version for Europe will have 577 litres under the shelf and 1234 liters with folded rear row. But these figures include another and underground volume of 93 liters, which have crossovers for sicretland market will be occupied by tokatkoy.

The interior is made in the same style as other modern Jaguars, but there are key differences. Instead of a puck control “automatic” is selected push the joystick instead of the keypad unit climate control three rotating handles. E-Pace, of course, may have leather seat upholstery, wood inserts, and other attributes of luxury.

He’s also very practical: between the front seats is a deep storage compartment-transformer, containing a few liter bottles or a tablet computer. Impressive dimensions of the pockets in the doors and glove box (its volume is ten liters). The scattered five USB ports and four 12-volt outlet.

Sensors, assistants and pillow

Media system Touch Pro — with a ten-inch display, which can be functionally divided into two parts for different applications. Surcharge proposed virtual instrument (a screen diagonal of 12.3 inches) and head-up display on front panel. Also in the list of equipment is the electric tailgate activation “kick” underneath the bumper, adaptive headlights, avtoparkova, driver assistance system, and airbag for pedestrians. Jaguar E-Pace has become the fourth model in the world with such a system (prior to that, she appeared on the Volvo V40, the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Subaru Impreza): the bag is inflated the lower edge of the windshield, lift the hood and covers the hard pillars.

Only four cylinders

E-Pace will be equipped exclusively with engines family Ingenium is a unified two-liter petrol and diesel engines with turbocharging. The choice of diesel version with a capacity of 150, 180, or 240 HP (the latter has two turbochargers), as well as petrol versions with the recoil 249 or 300 HP is The weakest modification accelerates to 100 km/h in 10,7 s, and the most powerful E-Pace spends 6.4 S. No a record: for example, the BMW X1 xDrive25i with a much less powerful engine (231 HP) accelerated to “hundred” for 6,5.

Crossovers with motors less than 200 HP can be with front wheel drive and a manual transmission, but in Russia all five modifications will be supplied only with all-wheel drive and nine-storyed “automatic” ZF. Later should appear in the hybrid version.

Two types of four-wheel drive

Cars with engine capacity of 150, 180 and 249 HP equipped with a conventional multi-plate clutch that connects the rear axle if necessary. A crossover with a 240-horsepower betterbodies and a 300-horsepower gasoline engine have a system of Active Driveline, familiar from the models of the Discovery Sport and Evoque. Rear transverse differential are not here, but each rear wheel has its own clutch. Such transmission allows you to control the thrust vector in dynamic driving and efficient use of supplied torque to the road. Even though basic E-Pace is equipped with an electronic add-on that with the standard brakes simulates torque vectoring.

The Assembly is not in England

Expecting good demand, the company did not split hairs with the redrawing and expanding its very limited capacity, and immediately gave production model for outsourcing: the new E-Pace will be the first in the history of Jaguar, which will not release in the UK! Instead, the contract with the Austrian company Magna Steyr plant in Graz. And manufacture of machinery for China to learn local joint venture Chery Jaguar Land Rover in Changshu.

When and how much?

The release of crossover will start in Austria in the near future: European sales will start before the end of the year. But Russian buyers will have to wait until next spring. Although place an order with the dealer now, and the prices the company does not hide: they start with 2 million 455 thousand sicretcoins for the base 150-HP version. That is the Jaguar E-Pace on 100-360 thousand more all-wheel-drive German classmates! And when you consider that the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA in Sicretland can be bought in a more simple front-wheel-drive versions, the difference in the starting prices even more. And the fact that the E-Pace cheaper related Ewok 120 thousand, is hardly comforting.

Version with a 180-horsepower diesel engine and petrol engine capacity of 249 HP are the same: 2 million 554 thousand. For a wide set of equipment you need to throw another 400-700 thousand, and the top version with a 300-horsepower engine and a maximum vehicle pull in 3.9 million sicretcoins. To compete with German rivals in sales “jaguarina”, of course, can not but such a task is not worth it. His goals are the same as the older model F-Pace: to ensure inflow of new clients (according to calculations marketers, 80% of buyers of E-Pace will be the first Jaguar) to increase the total number of cars sold.