~ Auto Buzz ~: 10/04/15

Sunday, 4 October 2015

2016 Mini Clubman to launch in Australia next month



mini-clubman-4

The all-new Mini Clubman will go on sale in Australia next month, bringing new levels of practicality, equipment and luxury to the British city car brand’s showrooms.

As with its predecessor, the second-generation Mini Clubman will be a petrol-only affair, with the range initially featuring the entry-grade Cooper and sporty Cooper S variants. A high-performance Clubman JCW is expected to follow in 2016.

While local pricing and specifications won’t be finalised for another couple of weeks, we expect the 2016 Clubman to cost about the as much as the old one, with the Cooper starting at around $35,000 and the Cooper S approximately $10K more.

Mini Australia promises the new model will be significantly better equipped than the first-gen Clubman, however, with features designed to make it competitive with the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and other vehicles in the premium compact class.

mini-clubman-3

The new Clubman boasts a number of features never previously offered in a Mini.

On the tech front there are the electric barn doors at the rear that can be opened by kicking under the bumper, power-adjustable front seats, and an electric park brake.

Inside the Clubman is available with diamond-pattern leather seat stitching, 40:20:40 split folding rear seats, and various ambient and decorative lighting panels.

The four-cylinder Cooper S Clubman will also become the first Mini available in Australia with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Both variants will come standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, while the three-cylinder Cooper will be available optionally with a six-speed auto.

mini-clubman-2

The specs of those engines – both turbocharged and direct-injected – are familiar from the three- and five-door hatch models.

The Cooper’s 1.5-litre triple produces 100kW at 4400-6000rpm and 220Nm between 1250-4300rpm. It’s said to motivate the Cooper from 0-100km/h in 9.1 seconds, while consuming fuel at a rate of 5.1-5.3 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle.

The 2.0-litre in the Cooper S makes a meatier 141kW at 5000-6000rpm and 280Nm between 1250-4600rpm, launching it from 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds (7.2sec for the manual), while average fuel use ranges between 5.8-6.3L/100km (the auto is more efficient).

Four other variants with unique engines available overseas won’t be offered in Australia due to their anticipated poor take-up in our market. These include the One base petrol, and the three diesels: the One D, Cooper D, and Cooper SD.

mini-clubman-1

The first-generation Clubman had a niche following in Australia. Annual sales peaked at just a few hundred units during its seven years on sale between 2008 and 2014.

Mini Australia corporate communications general manager Lenore Fletcher believes the new Clubman will appeal to a much broader audience.

“There’s plenty of space in the front, there’s plenty of space in the rear and there’s plenty of space in the cargo, so it makes it a car that can easily take the family,” Fletcher said.

“I think it’s going to go right across the age groups from people with young kids, to active people, to empty nesters who are active as well.

“But I think most of all who we’ll see buying it is people who are very keen on making a statement. They want a point of difference, extroverts, and they want to be noticed. People who don’t just want another car from a sausage machine. People who want to express their personality with their vehicle. And people who have a passion for the brand.”

mini-clubman-6

Fletcher identified mainstream and premium small cars and small SUVs as obvious rivals for the Clubman, while acknowledging that Mini buyers often cross-shop with other personality-packed vehicles from entirely different segments.

“I guess you could talk about the [Volkswagen] Golf to some degree if that were the competitor that you were looking at, the Audi [A3].

“There’s been a huge increase in SUVs in the Australian market and they’ve basically taken the place of the traditional locally manufactured station wagon. But I think also there’s a growing awareness of people wanting to go into something a little more accessible, a little more flexible, not necessarily such a large vehicle, and this provides you with the ability to actually have fun driving and have that flexibility where perhaps the same can’t be said of some of the SUVs around.

“Because it’s such a strong personality of a vehicle, there are people who will shop Mini against things you wouldn’t expect them to shop. We’ve had people shop four-wheel-drives against Minis. It’s just really interesting to see the different types of people who are looking at them.”

mini-clubman-5

Stay tuned for our written and video reviews of the 2016 Mini Clubman, which will be published when the embargo lifts on Wednesday.

More gadget review in www.mamaktalk.com

Hemmings Find of the Day – 1965 Chevrolet Malibu SS



1965 Chevy Malibu SS

In Pulp Fiction, globe-trotting hitman Vincent Vega drives a 1964 Chevrolet Malibu convertible, at least until he’s gunned down exiting a bathroom by on-the-lam boxer Butch Coolidge. While we don’t condone his choice of careers (or for that matter, his drug abuse), it’s hard to find fault with his choice of wheels. Though it’s the wrong year, wrong trim and sports a different interior, this 1965 Chevrolet Malibu SS convertible, for sale on Hemmings.com, will certainly look familiar to fans of Quentin Tarantino’s homage to tawdry crime novels. This example sports a 283 V-8 beneath the hood, mated to a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission and comes equipped with power steering and power brakes. Overall, the current owner describes the car as in fair to good condition, though it will likely need new trim, new bumpers and some re-assembly. From the seller’s description:

1965 Chevrolet Malibu Chevelle SS Convertible, I am the second owner of this clean title, matching numbers 1965 Chevelle Malibu Super Sport Convertible 283ci. All components are original and fully functional.

Drivetrain: The motor has been disassembled and cleaned for storage. The engine is a two-bolt main. Differential is an eight bolt. The transmission is a two-speed powerglide. Stock drive-shaft. Power steering and brakes.

Exterior: The doors, fenders, quarter panels, trunk lid, engine hood and underbody are in fair to good condition with minor dents and dings. All doors and windows operate perfectly. Most of the trim, front grill and bumpers will need to be replaced. The tires, wheels and hubcaps are all present and in good condition. The only rust/ pitting present on the car is in the trunk bed lining due to the original owner leaving wet floor mats there.

Interior: The cab, rocker plates and floor panels are in good condition and free of rust or pitting. The upholstery, door panels and carpet are in very good condition. Certain interior parts have been cleaned and re-chromed. The manually operated top is in good condition.

1965 Chevy Malibu SS 1965 Chevy Malibu SS 1965 Chevy Malibu SS 1965 Chevy Malibu SS1965 Chevy Malibu SS

Price: $25,000
Location: Fairfield, California
Status: Available

Find more Chevrolets for sale on Hemmings.com.

More gadget review in www.mamaktalk.com

Church Of MO One Fast Busa




This week’s Church of MO feature is all about speed. Specifically, we’re taking a look at NASCAR lead machinist Rich Yancy’s quest to have the fastest stock wheelbase Suzuki Hayabusa. Yancy is no stranger to fast motorcycles, and as we turn the clock back approximately 10 years, we see exactly what Yancy has done to his bike, as told by author Patrcick Barnett, because even though the wheelbase might remain stock, virtually nothing else on the Dale Earnhardt Jr. replica has remained that way. Also, to see more pictures of this beautiful Hayabusa, be sure to visit the photo gallery.


One Fast ‘Busa

Rich Yancy’s 260 mph Suzuki Hayabusa

As a lead machinist at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rich Yancy spends his days making the famous Budweiser Number Eight go very fast. Having personally raced everything from RZ350s to GSXR-1100s, with a track-prepped R1 in the garage for weekend fun, Rich decided in 2001 he wanted to build a genuine 200 MPH street bike.

This bike is, well, fast.

This bike is, well, fast.

So he ordered up a Mr. Turbo kit for his stock ‘Busa and started the journey that has seen him push the frontier of motorcycle speed ever outward, constantly traveling in uncharted territory. No one has ever gone this fast on a stock wheel-based machine. At least not before Rich and a few friends got to thinking…

The Record

On October 30, 2005, Rich Yancy’s Suzuki Hayabusa tripped the timing lights on the monster mile in Maxton, North Carolina at 260.28863 MPH to become the fastest open-wheel motorcycle in history. Producing over 475 horsepower from the Mr. Turbo-assisted power plant at the rear wheel, the scariest part of the equation is that the bike runs a stock wheelbase, and is totally street legal.

This is not anime.

This is not anime.

A fact I can attest to, having ridden the insane red beast on the quiet rural country roads outside Charlotte, North Carolina. With the turbo in place, Rich traveled to Maxton for an East Coast Timing Association event in late 2001.

With the bike producing 270 horsepower he came home with a recorded top speed of 178 MPH.

At the same event, land speed racing guru Scott Guthrie easily topped 200 MPH on the machine, which proved the bike’s potential to Rich. He was hooked.

Joining the exclusive 200 MPH club in the spring of ’02, Rich finished the year with an outright top speed of 211 MPH.

DSC_1816

During the following winter, the bike was torn down and the engine was rebuilt with the help of Charlotte performance mastermind and racer Lee Shierts. By the beginning of the ’03 season the crazy-fast bird of prey was making 360 rear-wheel horsepower with 12 pounds of boost on the dial. With these latest tuning enhancements Rich obtained a 224 MPH run, but he also picked up an alarming weave. With no desire to add extended swing arms, air shifters and the like, Rich thought that he might have found the bike’s limits. Wrong!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Turbo.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Turbo.

Jumping on the bike, Top Fuel Drag racer Wayne Pollack immediately clicked off a 227 MPH pass, in spite of scaring the living shiznit out of himself as the bike sawed its way through the timing lights. Back in the pit, street tires were fitted, and set to road riding pressure as Wayne deduced the slicks weren’t getting up to temperature in just a mile. He was right. Back on the monster mile he nailed a 236.7 MPH run, and a few weeks later 242 MPH.

With the boost turned up to 18.5 pounds, the bike was thumping over 420 horsepower to the floor, and Rich put in yet another call to Lee Shierts. As fast as Pollack was, he is a pretty big guy and was impeding the ‘Busa’s potential. Weighing well under 140 pounds soaking wet, the diminutive Shierts is a former professional road racer, and positively knows no fear.

Lining up at the Maxton mile in October of ’03 he rode the bike to a mind-blowing 250.00694 MPH. Setting the Internet ablaze and appearing on the cover of America’s largest motorcycle publications, Rich Yancy’s ‘Busa had pushed its own record to an even higher level.

That could have been the end of the story, but Lee and Rich decided the bike still had more potential. Over the next season, Lee and Scott Guthrie started edging toward the 260 MPH mark, ending ’04 with a staggering top speed of 256.410 MPH and a personal best for Rich of 244 MPH.

The bike was now producing an incredible 455 horsepower at the rear wheel, and over the winter it underwent a thorough rebuild in preparation for the 2005 season, as Yancy wanted more.

Yancy wanted more....

Yancy wanted more….

Exactly one year to the day of his 256 MPH run, Lee Shierts lined up on the old WWII runway in Maxton, NC once more, with the empty strip of badly-broken tarmac in front of him. Surrounded by waist-high weeds and the carcasses of old passenger planes, it is a lonesome place at best. But Lee wasn’t paying any attention to the surroundings. With exactly one mile to get up to speed, he wasted no time dropping the hammer and spinning the rear tire, riding the first half-mile with the front wheel in the air.

Way down at the timing marks the silence was almost eerie. The high temperatures and near 100% humidity were oppressive, and in the distance the old planes shimmered in the heat haze.

It started as a low whistle, building to a sound similar to a rain suit flapping in the wind before invading the air with the roar of a muted jet plane. Traveling 35 MPH faster than a Concorde at liftoff, Lee was through the timing lights before the sound arrived, fighting to get the two-wheeled bullet slowed before he ran out of stopping room.

He had topped out at precisely 260.28863 MPH, lived to tell the tale and set a record that could stand for a very long time.

It was without doubt an incredible moment, and one that might not be beaten for a long time to come. Inspecting the bike after the record run, Rich noticed a large gash in the rear tire, and the rubber worn through to the cords. The bright red Hayabusa had cheated death for the last time, as it has now been retired because Rich feels it has achieved as much as it can.

Realizing defeat, the jet in the background just plain gave up.

Realizing defeat, the jet in the background just plain gave up.

With a massive investment of time and money over the last five years, Rich says it’s time to kick back and do some drag racing and the occasional track day. And who can blame him? Beginning with a stock Suzuki Hayabusa, in five years Rich Yancy did what many people have tried and failed to do. He built a street legal motorcycle that is capable of topping 260 MPH.

My Turn!

Believe it or not, my day came and I seized the chance to ride this insane machine. Shifting cautiously through first, second, and into third before nailing the throttle, the ‘Busa hurtles forward as if shot from a cannon, and there is no sensation of being connected to the ground. The handlebars start dancing in my hands as I force myself to hang on until the boost gauge hits 15 pounds, which translates to 380 horsepower at the rear wheel.

Rich Yancy boxed up his need for speed and plugged it into the motorcycle.

Rich Yancy boxed up his need for speed and plugged it into the motorcycle.

I jam the shift lever into fourth, hoping for some relief from the massive force propelling me forward at such an alarming rate. No chance! Fourth gear just gives more of the same, and the bars start dancing again as the front wheel says goodbye to terra firma. The boost gauge climbs rapidly and the bike tops 180 MPH with two gears to go! With everything in hyperactive fast forward, I force myself to stay on the throttle a fraction longer and a quick look shows me that the boost needle has hit fifteen. At this point I back off. In an instant the madness ends. The six-pot calipers crush down on the stock discs and the Bud ‘Busa comes rolling easily to a halt. I had just ridden the fastest street bike on the planet, and might never be the same again.

The Down and Dirty on This Birdy

Running a stock wheelbase, with an Ohlins rear shock and fork internals, Rich’s ‘Busa rolls on Dymag wheels and street tires. Brakes are stock Suzuki fare, with the addition of stainless-steel brake lines and race-compound pads. The bodywork is by Sharkskin and the tank is carbon fiber painted to match Dale Earnhardt Jr’s race car. Being lowered, the bike uses a custom aluminum side stand, and a machined triple clamp with the ignition switched relocated.

The big news is under the bodywork, where the fire breathing Mr. Turbo lives. Currently cranking out 490 bhp with 29 lbs of boost, the motor displaces 1363cc thanks to a set of 2mm oversize JE pistons running 10:1 compression. These ride on Carrillo rods, and stainless steel Ferrea valves are also fitted (stock sized intake valves, with 2mm-larger exhaust valves). Camshafts remain stock, but the head was mildly ported and reassembled with a Cometic head gasket.

Stripped down this bike is still insane.

Stripped down this bike is still insane.

The bottom end is standard, as is the transmission, though a Brock-Davidson clutch basket was added to contain the stock plates and heavy-duty springs. A Spearco intercooler was also added, housed in an aluminum icebox fabricated by Yancy’s friend Mike Logan, which adds 30 horsepower. Breathing through a Yoshimura race system, Rich had the pipes and the turbo thermal coated at a local race facility before the bike was reassembled. With the addition of a data acquisition system, the bike is armed, extremely dangerous and ready for flight. If anyone is interested, it’s currently up for sale.

Church Of MO – One Fast ‘Busa appeared first on Motorcycle.com.



Gadget Reviews: mamaktalk.com
Car Reviews: automoview.com
Entertainment News: 38now.com
Today's Promotions: freepromotoday.com

Virginia Tech Bolt To Contest eMotoRacing Finale at Daytona




eMotoRacing has announced that the Virginia Tech Bolt electric motorcycle road racing team will contest the Woodcraft Technologies eMotoRacing season finale at Daytona International Speedway on October 16-17. CR Gittere, of Stanley, North Carolina, will pilot the Virginia Tech Bolt 3. Gittere has raced at the Isle of Man TT and has had success in AMA pro racing as well.

For those not familiar with eMotoRacing, the electric road racing series runs in conjunction with AHRMA and visits some of the finest racetracks in America. The upcoming round at Daytona caps off the Fall Cycle Scene activities at the track during the area’s annual Biketoberfest bike week.

Information on the zero emissions motorsports series can be obtained on the web at www.eMotoRacing.com. More up to the minute details are available on the eMotoRacing Facebook page.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

Virginia Tech Bolt To Contest eMotoRacing Finale at Daytona appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.



Gadget Reviews: mamaktalk.com
Car Reviews: automoview.com
Entertainment News: 38now.com
Today's Promotions: freepromotoday.com

Piaggio Forms New Urban Mobility Think Tank




The Piaggio Group has created a new company with some of the brightest young minds out of Harvard and MIT all working to improve urban mobility. Piaggio Fast Forward will work out of Cambridge, Mass., bringing together students  from different backgrounds and disciplines to research solutions to today’s transportation problems and meet the demands of the future, especially as cites become more complex and densely populated.

100215-piaggio-fast-forward

In a sense, the new company is following Piaggio’s own history. Founded in 1884, Piaggio started out producing trains but turned its attention to building aircraft for the two World Wars. Following WWII, Piaggio’s manufacturing capabilities were in ruins, as was Italy’s economy and infrastructure. Enrico Piaggio, son of founder Rinaldo Piaggio, turned the company’s focus away from the aeronautics industry and toward designing lightweight vehicles for the masses could handle Italy’s torn-up roads. This led to the first Vespa scooter in 1946 and the rest is moto-history.

100215-piaggio-fast-forward-Negroponte

Piaggio Fast Forward held its first event today, called “The Shape of Things to Come”, with speakers from the technology, design and engineering fields such as Jeffrey Schnapp, company chief executive officer and Harvard professor and co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder of MIT Media Lab, and Sasha Hoffman, PFF’s chief operating officer and investment banker-turned co-founder of travel startup Fuzzy Compass.

[Source: Piaggio]

 

Piaggio Forms New Urban Mobility Think Tank appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.



Gadget Reviews: mamaktalk.com
Car Reviews: automoview.com
Entertainment News: 38now.com
Today's Promotions: freepromotoday.com

Honda Grom 50 Scrambler Concepts




Honda will debut two new Grom Scrambler concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The two concepts are actually based on the 50cc Honda Monkey platform as opposed to the 125cc Grom; the Monkey brand has a long history in Japan so it’s an odd choice to adopt the relatively new Grom name here.

The concepts are powered by the Monkey’s 50cc air-cooled Single, and like the Monkey, have the exhaust pipe running straight up before making a 90-degree turn towards the tail. Honda did not release any technical details, or describe plans for a production model, though we would definitely welcome more Grom variants.

The silver-colored Grom 50 Scrambler Concept-One is the racier-looking of the two, looking a bit like a combination of the Ducati Scrambler and the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer. The handlebars are lower, with the mirrors mounted to the bar ends. The headlight uses an LED ring similar to Ducati’s Scrambler. Behind the fly screen is a digital color display.

The Grom 50 Scrambler Concept-Two pictured at the top has a taller profile with a retro-looking matte green tank and tan seat. Its headlight is also an LED, as are the front turn signals. The digital display is mounted dead center above the handlebar mount instead of off to the side as on the Concept-One.

Will either of these concepts become a production model? That’s hard to say. Hopefully, Honda will provide more information at the Tokyo Motor Show.

[Source: Honda]

Honda Grom 50 Scrambler Concepts appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.



Gadget Reviews: mamaktalk.com
Car Reviews: automoview.com
Entertainment News: 38now.com
Today's Promotions: freepromotoday.com

Dream Racer Wins Best Feature Film Award + Video




Internationally acclaimed film, Dream Racer, won “Best Feature Film” award at the New York 2015 Motorcycle Film Festival. This after tasting success with awards won in Los Angeles, Barcelona, New Delhi and Milan.

Based on the legendary, and dangerous, Dakar Rally, one of the most extreme motorsport races on the planet, consisting of 15 days, 10,000km through the desert and a 50% attrition rate, Dream Racer follows the tale of one man, his motorcycle, his tool roll, and his quest to complete the race. Considering many teams feature millions of dollars of sponsorships, numerous mechanics and support crews (and sometimes still fail to finish), this tale is sure to captivate.

“I wanted to make a film to show that anyone with a dream can actually make it come true, in my case it was competing in the Dakar Rally. Simon Lee (Director) and Adrian Barac (Editor) have done a fantastic job at capturing the core elements of a totally non-scripted adventure and has turned Dream Racer into a timeless story that will stand the test of time and inspire young and old for the next several decades. To be awarded Best Feature Film in New York is a great honour and I truly hope Dream Racer has inspired ordinary people, like myself, in doing extraordinary things with their life and be able to say at the end… yes, I am happy of having lived such a life” says Christophe Barriere-Varju (subject of the film).

Dream Racer has been subtitled in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German and Russian and is available for acquisition by TV Networks. Dream Racer is also available worldwide on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Video-on-Demand atwww.dreamracer.tv.

Dream Racer Wins Best Feature Film Award + Video appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.



Gadget Reviews: mamaktalk.com
Car Reviews: automoview.com
Entertainment News: 38now.com
Today's Promotions: freepromotoday.com

2016 Zero Motorcycles To Launch At AIMExpo




Zero Motorcycles has announced its 2016 line of motorcycles and accessories will be unveiled October 15-18 at the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) in Florida.

“In addition to great features, we have some new things in store that are the direct result of customer feedback,” said Scot Harden, Zero Motorcycles VP of Global Marketing. “After a record year in 2015, there is no doubt that we will bring many new riders on board in 2016.”

Zero invites motorcycle dealers, media and enthusiasts to visit at AIMExpo booth #1249. Demo rides will be available at AIMExpo Outdoors! on Saturday and Sunday, October 17-18.

2016 Zero Motorcycles To Launch At AIMExpo appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.



Gadget Reviews: mamaktalk.com
Car Reviews: automoview.com
Entertainment News: 38now.com
Today's Promotions: freepromotoday.com

Deep Thinking Episode 45 You Beat Rossi Once Now Available




This just in from Ed Sorbo, proprietor of Lindemann Engineering. Deep Thinking, The Motorcycle Road Racing Podcast, Episode 45 – “You Beat Rossi Once…” – is now available.

In Episode 45 of Deep Thinking, the motorcycle road racing podcast, racers Michael Gougis and Ed Sorbo talk about making World Superbike more interesting and the spectacular MotoGP race at Aragon. After watching the race, Gougis confesses that he has a new GP hero – Tony Elias. A discussion ensues about shoes, Kenyan marathoners and Paris Hilton. Seriously.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Deep Thinking Episode 45 “You Beat Rossi Once…” Now Available appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.



Gadget Reviews: mamaktalk.com
Car Reviews: automoview.com
Entertainment News: 38now.com
Today's Promotions: freepromotoday.com

Hemmings Sunday Cinema – Chitwood’s Chevrolets, Demon on Wheels, Goldfinger



Chitwood_1000

The use of thrill shows to promote the durability of your brand might have been old hat for the mid-Fifties, but we’ll never pass up the opportunity to show some Chevrolets flying through the air with Joie Chitwood at the wheel. And indeed, as this 1956 promo film shows, they can take quite a bit of punishment.

* The recently released documentary “Demon on Wheels” follows one Catskill Mountains Mustang owner as he resurrects his old steed and tells the stories of what made the car locally infamous.

* Finally, last week we noted that some people believe the chase scene in “The Marseilles Contract” influenced the “Goldeneye” chase scene. Except, of course, for the fact that the “Goldeneye” chase scene heavily referenced that from “Goldfinger,” down to the Aston Martin. You be the judge.

More gadget review in www.mamaktalk.com

Share This: