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A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people over cargo. There are around one billion cars in use worldwide. The car is considered an essential part of the developed economy.

The French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first steam-powered road vehicle in 1769, while the Swiss inventor François Isaac de Rivaz designed and constructed the first internal combustion-powered automobile in 1808. The modern car—a practical, marketable automobile for everyday use—was invented in 1886, when the German inventor Carl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Commercial cars became widely available during the 20th century. The 1901 Oldsmobile Curved Dash and the 1908 Ford Model T, both American cars, are widely considered the first mass-produced and mass-affordable cars, respectively. Cars were rapidly adopted in the US, where they replaced horse-drawn carriages. In Europe and other parts of the world, demand for automobiles did not increase until after World War II. In the 21st century, car usage is still increasing rapidly, especially in China, India, and other newly industrialised countries. (Full article...)

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Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. Lexus brand name vehicles are sold in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Africa, and Latin America; in the United States, Lexus is the highest-selling brand of luxury cars. In 2005, the Lexus marque launched in Japan, marking the continued global expansion of the luxury division.

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has developed a reputation for the luxury and reliability of its vehicles, along with the quality of its customer service. In 2007, consumer ratings firm J.D. Power and Associates named Lexus the most reliable brand in the U.S. based on its Vehicle Dependability Survey, a measure of over 53,000 vehicle owners and the problems they experienced in the first three years of vehicle ownership. It was the thirteenth consecutive year that Lexus achieved this top rating. In recent years, Consumer Reports has also named Lexus among the top five most reliable brands in its Annual Car Reliability Surveys of over one million vehicles nationwide. Additionally, Lexus ranks highly on surveys of dealership service experience. The British Top Gear and Auto Express satisfaction surveys have had Lexus at the top of their ratings since the entry of the luxury division, with high reliability and quality among the main selling points of Lexus around the world. (more...)

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BMW 2002

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Did you know...

...that the racing version of the Dauer 962 Le Mans, winner of 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans, is a roadcar converted from a Porsche 962 racecar, which dominated Le Mans, Group C and IMSA during the 1980s?
...that the 25 Millionth VW Golf rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg in March 2007? The first Golf started production in 1974, 33 years later the 1.4 litre TSI version became the 25 Millionth car.
...that the 2011 Ford Crown Victoria was the last car to offer a cassette tape player as an option?
...that the first production turbocharged cars were General Motors' A-body 1962 Chevrolet Corvair and Oldsmobile F-85?
...that Jeep introduced the 1993 Grand Cherokee and 2007 Wrangler in the same way — by driving them through a plate glass window?
...that a small number of Renault 20s, badged as Dacia 2000, were made in the 1980s by Dacia in Romania for Romanian communist dignitaries of that time?
...that the Autobianchi Primula was the Fiat's first automobile with the front-wheel drive, transverse engine setup and rack and pinion steering?
...that the Plymouth Sundance is a liftback, even though the outside appearance might suggest that it is a sedan?
...that the name Volvo really means 'I Roll?' That's how Volvo rolls.

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The McLaren Senna GTR will produce a tonne of downforce

McLaren is now busying itself turning the Senna GTR track-only special from a Geneva show ‘concept’ into a finished item. A fast one.

To mark the start of the car’s dynamic testing, Woking has confirmed big numbers for the Senna GTR. The headline is downforce: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of it, though the speed at which you have a tonne of aerodynamic grip available isn’t disclosed. Not that the Senna GTR will want for speed: its 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 will develop 814 bhp (607 kW; 825 PS) – up from 789 bhp (588 kW; 800 PS) in the road-going Senna. Torque output remains 800 N⋅m (590 lb⋅ft).

Ridiculous downforce comes courtesy of the Senna GTR shunning road-legality, and employing active aero banned in the top echelons of motorsport. This sketch shows what to expect from the ‘production’ car – McLaren notes there’s a wider track, wider fenders, a ginormous front splitter (our word, not theirs) and a moveable rear wing ‘coupled’ to the rear diffuser.

We’ve also been given more clues about the Senna GTR’s light-weighting inside. No airbags, no infotainment touchscreen, no folding instrument binnacle – the only concession to comfort is air-conditioning. McLaren’s also included an interesting sounding ‘radar-assisted rear collision avoidance system’, which presumably boosts the car forward if its bonkers braking performance catches out an over-keen track-day goer behind. Or, perhaps it has missiles.

Though there’s no official weight for the Senna GTR yet, McLaren has promised it’ll be lighter than the 1,198 kg (2,641 lb) road-legal Senna. It’ll also cost £1.1m (around Rs 10.41 crore) plus taxes, but the 75 slated to be made are all sold, to brave individuals who desire a car with GT3-spec racing suspension, slick tyres and 3g capability. That’s 3g as in cornering G-force, not on-board internet.

So, this thing’s going to be very much the antithesis to the slippery, equally sold-out Speedtail, then. Got a favourite?

Source:[1]

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Note: Article entries are now being transcluded directly on the main portal page. However, this page should be retained for historical reference.

Jeffrey Brian Straubel (United States) is the Chief Technical Officer of Tesla, Inc. Straubel was born in Iowa on December 20, 1975. Straubel graduated with a B.S. in Energy Systems Engineering and an M.S. in Energy Engineering from Stanford University in 1998. He is on the board of directors with Solar City.

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On this day September 28

1938 — Charles Duryea dies

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This type of technology, unheard of 10 or 15 years ago, is real. And it's coming. It's just another step toward the fully automated driving experience. Which is anathema to those of us who are drivers' drivers who are suckers for the thrill of controlling a speed machine.

But that's why people like us will always have motorcycles!

—Bob Lutz on the possibilities of future automated automobiles

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