The Original Back To The Future DeLorean Is Getting Restored!

Putting a new turbocharger or supercharger won’t turn your ride into a time machine, but Bob Gale, co-writer for the Back To The Future saga, is going to need one to accomplish his next project: a full museum quality restoration of the original "A car" from the Back To The Future trilogy.

There were several vehicles used in the making of the BTTF saga, but the A car was the best, most detailed unit used on all three films. Apparently it has been left outside for a long time and is in need of serious TLC. Some say it sat outside the BTTF ride at Universal Studios, others say it sat in a car lot with other busted movie vehicles, but either way the car is now in a state of serious disrepair. 

The people he has hired to do the restoration are Joe Wasler, J Ryan, and Terry Matalas, all of whom have been involved in creating perfect BTTF DeLorean replicas in the past. Not only will they need a team of specialists to restore the vehicle to working order, they will also have to pay extra special attention to the many elements that make this car a unique piece of film history.

Bob Gale has taken to the internet to appeal for all fans of the movie to return any original parts of the car to them,  or to let them know where they can get new ones (if anyone has such information). The movie’s popularity has seen original parts get sold and passed around over the years, so some pieces of the original are missing.  He has created a Facebook page and Twitter account to connect with fans that may have information on the missing parts, and for anyone interested in following the restoration process.

 It will be fun to see this unique car go through its own time machine – question is, when it’s done, where do you think it will end up?

Why Are Many Diesel Cars Not Available in the U.S.?

With all the talk today about fuel efficiency and reducing emissions, you would think that more diesel powered cars would be available for purchase in the United States. Along with O2 Sensors, Air Fuel Ratio Sensors, and new ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, new diesel cars are not only very clean but get excellent gas mileage.  So why don’t we see more of them?

Diesel powered cars are popular around the globe, especially in Europe where diesel gas is often less expensive. There are many European car makers that produce diesel cars for their European markets, but they seldom make it to U.S. shores. This is mostly due to automakers reluctance to bring diesel cars to the U.S. because of low demand. 

2012 VW Passat

Diesel cars do not have the best reputation in America. Twenty years ago (or more), diesels were noisy, clunky, and produced a thick cloud of smoke whenever you pressed down on the gas pedal. They also rarely passed emissions testing, especially in ultra-strict California. Today’s diesels are worlds apart from their ancestors, but the poor qualities associated with them persist in public minds. 

In addition to already poor attitudes toward diesels, the great qualities of new generation diesels are often overlooked. Despite getting similar gas mileage and often better emissions than hybrid vehicles, it’s usually the hybrid sector that gets the most press for being green.  This is in spite of the fact that the batteries used in hybrid vehicles are full of toxic and carcinogenic materials that are downright hazardous to obtain. Chalk it up to good marketing on behalf of the hybrid car industry, and a lack of marketing dollars spent on pimping diesel cars as the new ultra-green hybrid alternative.

2012 Audi Q7 TDI

The last major obstacle in an increased demand for diesel cars here is the heavier tax levied on diesel fuel. Typically the price of gasoline is about 18% federal and state taxes – with diesel fuel it’s about 25%. This is due to outdated tax code and results in higher prices for diesel fuel at the pump: although owners may get much better gas mileage, they are still paying more per gallon. This can offset the benefit of fuel efficiency to the consumer.

With gas prices soaring, public attitudes are beginning to come around. In 2012 VW released the Passat, Jetta, and Golf TDI, BMW released both 3 Series diesels and the X5 XDrive 35d, and Audi released the A3 TDI and Q7 TDI.  If this trend continues we may get a decent selection of diesel engines available in the U.S., and if we’re lucky, new legislation to make taxes on diesel vs gasoline more fair. With greater awareness of the benefits plus some serious marketing push by automakers, more diesel-powered cars can definitely be in our future.

Who's Driving Tonight?

Won’t it be great when our cars can be the designated driver and we’re not left drawing straws to see who can’t drink on a Saturday night? When the wheel hub and bearing assembly are controlled by the car’s computer rather than a driver? It may have seemed like something out of a science fiction movie just years ago (cough, cough iRobot), but this idea is becoming more of a reality every day.

Google has been working on autonomous vehicles for a few years now, with several of their concepts already having logged over 160,000 miles in test runs. And how many accidents have been reported? Zero. Relying on what I assume to be a combination of the GPS system, cruise control, as well as sensors and cameras to detect other vehicles on the road, these cars have been testing in a sort of “legal limbo”. That is until this month when Nevada passed the first legislation that embraces what seems to be the future of the automobile industry. The new rules, which will allow autonomous vehicle testing in the state, still require there to be an “operator” available in case of a technical glitch. Yep, that means cars DD-ing you home will remain illegal for now (so no napping in the backseat while your car drives you home from the bar). However, you will be able to talk on your cell phone.

This technology is already available in many newer model cars. Companies like BMW and Audi have also been testing their self-driving systems which will probably appear for highway-only use in the coming years. The fact that Nevada recognizes this as the future and is adopting laws to aid its development is pretty awesome, and I’m sure in time other states will follow suit.  But for now, we wait.

You Can Brick Your 109k Tesla Roadster

It's always a bummer when your Air Conditioning Parts or AC Compressor quits out on you - you're stuck in the heat for a few days while you order another one and have it installed. It is a decently easy fix though, and (depending on where you shop) a not-so-costly repair. Other repairs are more expensive - as a few Tesla Roadster owners found out when their lithium-ion car batteries died and discovered a replacement runs $40,000.

 Yes, you read that right. After placing a $5000 deposit and then coughing up an additional $104,000 a few hundred people have driven home in a fully electric Tesla Roadster. The batteries that are used to power the Roadster are not unlike the ones used to power your cell phone - rechargeable, and apparently, once flat dead they cannot be revived.

Some technology enthusiasts will recognize the term "bricking" - it means when a piece of technology is rendered completely unusable, making it about as useful as a giant brick. Five Tesla Roadster owners so far have discovered that not only can they brick their Roaster, but the only solution is to purchase an entirely new and un-discounted battery from Tesla for 40k.

Surely, with such dire consequences it must be really difficult to brick a Tesla, right? Unfortunately, the parasitic load from the cars subsystems will render any unplugged Tesla a brick in time. With a full charge, that might take up to six weeks or so, but if the battery was already run down it could take as little as one week. Even plugged in, if the voltage going to the car isn't sufficient it can brick anyway as one unfortunate Tesla owner found out.

Insurance won't cover it, either. Tesla is no better - they specifically state in their terms upon buying the car that they are not responsible for "neglect" of the battery. You would think Tesla would recognize the danger here and go to great lengths to warn customers about this issue, but it is markedly absent from any of the paperwork and manuals given to new Tesla owners.

Given this information, buying a Tesla leaves you open for a huge un-insurable liability. There are those who want to go green while maintaining serious style, but with $40,000 in the balance, is it worth it?

Green Hybrid.. Military Vehicles?

When you typically think of "green" in the auto industry, things like O2 Sensor, oxygen sensors, and hybrid cars like the Toyota Pruis come to mind. I bet the last thing you would think of is the Army's all-terrain Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV), and yet here it is:

The advantage of going hybrid on a vehicle like this is not only to save gas (getting gas in the field in Afghanistan can cost upwards of $400/gallon... think about that next time you're at the pump); this vehicle can also run in silent (fully electric) mode for up to 8 miles. Combined with it's diesel engine it maintains the ability to go up 60 degree grades and reach a top speed of 80mph.

These capabilities make it extremely versatile: running a diesel engine at 3am isn't the best way to go unnoticed in stealth operations. The silent mode on this vehicle can sneak up on terrorists faster than a Prius when you step into the crosswalk. Plus there is admittedly some novelty to having a giant machine gun mounted to the top of a hybrid vehicle.

Fiskar Karma hybrid-electric vehicle.

This vehicle is part of a larger effort to save money and help the environment without sacrificing power and usability for soldiers in the field. It is being produced by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide (QTWW), the company that makes the Q-Drive, the 400 hp drive train of the Fisker Karma. If you  haven't heard of the Fisker Karma, here's a few details to fill you in: a claimed total range of 300 miles (483 km), the first 50 miles (80 km) of which is on tailpipe-emission free electric-only charge, and it looks absolutely amazing.

There was a time where it was difficult to even get pictures of CERV's, but as the Army has entered one to be on display at the Chicago Auto Show it seems the times are changing. The 25% better fuel economy this hybrid offers not only saves money, but enables military personnel to go longer without filling up. Time will tell if these become a permanent installation in the military, but it certainly seems a step in the right direction to save money and increase utility for today's soldiers.

Own a Remarkable Piece of History for a Cool Million

On March 10th on Amelia Island, Florida RM Auctions will be auctioning a very unique piece of automotive history.

While we complain in modern times when our AC Compressor and AC Evaporator aren't keeping us cool enough, this beauty had no such amenities and yet it is a sight to behold.

 It is an extremely rare 1913 Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII, chassis #718 - one of only four ever built. It was named after the King of Spain at the time, a young auto enthusiast who bought many of Hispano-Suiza's models - eventually building a fleet of 30. In honor of their best and most respected customer, they named this model the Alfonso XIII, and with a 3.62cc inline four-cylinder engine and a top speed of 80mph (which was excellent for the time) it certainly lived up to it's namesake.

 The attention to detail in the making of this vehicle is striking: original Belriot two bulb headlamps (an early example of a hi-beam low-beam set-up), intricately woven and fabulously preserved interior upholstery, wood-framed windows, and special markings on the trunk hardware, leaf springs, and the original dash chassis plate to name just a few highlights.

It also features both an open, summer body and a closed winter body (winter body shown): both are immaculately preserved. The story goes in the mid-80's two avid car collectors were in Seville, Spain. They met an antique dealer and asked him if he knew of any Hispano-Suiza cars that might be in the area, and he pointed them in the direction of his client, the Marquis de Sanlucar de Barrameda.

After going to his estate and sampling some of the local wine, he agreed to sell them his grandfather's car - kept in a storage area for wine barrels and untouched for 40 years. They were blown away with how preserved the vehicle was and happily received their purchase.

 Lucky find, which will now move to the hands of the next lucky auction winner with a million dollars to spare.

Tesla Model X

The best thing that cars have done for the environment since the invention of the catalytic converter or cat converter has been the electric car. And, the most exciting electric car company has been Tesla, whom recently rolled out its new SUV crossover, the Model X. Similar to the other Tesla vehicles the main distinct feature is that it is electric.  It comes with either 60 or 85 kilo-watt-hour battery.  The 60 kWh has a range of 200-210 miles, while the larger 85 gets 260-270 miles. Although, the electric aspect of the Model X makes it comparable the other Teslas, there are a few features that make it unique.

The first is its size. The Model X can fit up to seven full sized adults, unlike the Roadster which could fit only a rich man and his tiny trophy wife.  However, the big stand out feature which Tesla is pushing is the rear Falcon Doors.  The doors lift and fold upward, making it much easier for a person to enter and exit the vehicle.  With the doors up, a person can be standing up in the backseat.  Tesla has not made a safety statement yet, but I highly recommend not driving around with the rear doors up and a passenger standing.

Unfortunately, another aspect that differentiates the Model X from other Teslas is its styling.  The Roadster has looks that would turn your head so fast your neck would break. The Model X’s styling on the other hand is almost as exciting as watching grass grow. “Almost,” which I guess means it is as exciting as watching trees grow? There are no aggressive lines or anything that makes it stand out from the rest of the crossovers.

There are not any official specs out yet but Tesla says the Model X will go 0-60 in 4.4 seconds. Pricing has also not been released but the assumption is it will be in the range of the Model S, $67,000 to $77,000.  Customers seem to be OK with that price, because Tesla just announced it has already got $40 million worth in presales for the car. The deposit to reserve one is $5,000 for the base, and $20,000 for a Signature Edition.  Deposits are fully refundable if a customer wants to back out, and first deliveries are set for late 2013.

Dodge Charger Police Vehicles Recalled

If you were ever thinking of getting away with that high speed chase you've always dreamed of, now might be the time!

Chrysler is recalling almost 10,000 Dodge Charger police cars manufactured in the last two years. You would think a leaky power steering rack or bad fuel injectors might be the cause, but it's actually a faulty bulb harness connector of all things.

The connector can overheat, causing the low beams to fail. Wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to catch expired tags or, heaven forbid, get pulled over by a fellow officer for not having your headlights on at night. Those fix-it-tickets are a force to be reckoned with!

“The conditions tend to occur when police vehicles are exposed to severe police-duty vehicle cycles for an extended period of time, including long durations of high speed, evasive driving when used as training vehicles for police forces and extended idling,” said David Dillon, head of product investigation and campaigns. “We will continue to monitor the retail fleet for any occurrence of this condition beyond police vehicles.”

Read: conditions tend to occur when chasing the General Lee on those pesky country dirt roads going 90mph.

Looks like many police stations will have to take the cars in to a Dodge dealership to get fixed. Dodge dealerships just got a whole lot safer... for the next few months.

How Many Knots per Gallon Does Your Car Get?

If you’ve ever owned a boat you know there is almost nothing more relaxing than being out on the open water. However, if you don’t have a dock or want to pay an arm and a leg to store it at a boat yard, you’re left trailering it back and forth from the water every time you want to use it. That’s where the day-dream of amphibious vehicles comes in: cars you can drive into the water like a boat without worrying about destroying your engine, transmission, fuel pump or navigation units. Well, there seems to be an answer from the company WaterCar and it goes by the name “Python”.

This five passenger land/water-craft is almost 21’ in length and looks like one heck of a good time. They claim it hits speeds of 60mph in the water and is made of non-corrosive materials such as fiberglass to avoid wear. The vehicle will need to be registered as a boat and a car, but you only need a license to operate it on land. What’s the catch? Well, the first catch is that it runs at roughly $200,000. Ouch. The second? It doesn’t come with an engine or transaxle, which is quite the “disclaimer”. They estimate this install would cost about $40,000, but if you have enough money to spend $200,000 on an engine-less car-boat then it shouldn’t be the biggest drawback.

This year I keep seeing more and more crossovers on the road, but these vehicles bring a whole new meaning to “crossover”. While this isn’t the only concept of its kind, the fact that WaterCar makes the experience look like a Jimmy Buffet tailgate on the water has gotten them a bit of attention. I want.

Car Sharing... the Future?

I like everything in my car to be set just right. The climate needs to be at my perfect temp, at all times. I don’t want anyone else messing with my air conditioning. So, quit turning my AC Compressor on and off, and stop putting my AC Parts through so much wear and tear. You may think that I am super anal and you are super correct. Due to this, I am not a good candidate for a car sharing programs, but it might be the right fit for you.

The first evidence of car sharing goes back to 1948. The idea of sharing vehicles has come and gone several times, lacking the ability to stick. No one has seemed to be able to get it right. That has not stopped the fad from, once again, coming back. However, this time there is a new approach.

There is the old car sharing business model; a company owns a whole fleet of cars and members can rent those cars for a few hours or an entire day. Zipcar is the largest of these corporations with 650,000 members, who proudly refer to themselves as “Zipsters.”I wonder if Zipsters wear their seatbelts extremely tight around their tight hipster jeans. Zipcar has almost 10,000 vehicles in 19 major cities. They account for 80% of the car sharing market.

The new car share method is a peer-to-peer model. The company doesn’t actually own the vehicles. Instead, members share each other’s cars. Everything else is basically the same. This seems like a great business idea because it eliminates fleet maintenance, which is a massive expenditure. The tough part is getting members to trust their car with strangers. To ease members’ worries companies run background checks, and provide insurance.

The big companies that operate a peer-to-peer style are Getaround and RelayRides. General Motors just invested in RelayRides and will use OnStar to help members find and track vehicles. GM acknowledges that a car share program causes less people to buy automobiles, but reports state that there will be 4.4 million people participating in car share programs by 2016. GM wants to be the company that supplies those cars.

One MPG Win, How Many to Follow?

When buying a new car we expect that almost everything on that window sticker is accurate. If it says there is a car cd changer in the car, we expect there to be a car cd player in the car. The same goes for other advertised options such as power windows, heated seats, or maybe even hybrid technology. The price is the only thing on that sticker we expect (and hope) is not 100% accurate. There always seems to be wiggle-room when it comes to the pricing of the vehicle, but one Californian woman discovered another ambiguous number advertised: the MPG.

When Heather Peters bought her 2006 Hybrid Honda Civic she was excited like most new car owners. Gas prices were shooting up and she now had herself a car Honda promised would get her 50 miles per gallon. So she drove and drove and drove, but she never saw 50mpg. After some time, she was only getting 30mpg. Well, fast-forward some time and she has actually sued Honda for this misrepresentation. This week she won the smalls claims lawsuit which means Honda has to pay close to $10,000 for not living up to its advertised gas mileage to Peters (and maybe some of the 200,000 other 2006 Hybrid Honda Civic owners).

I understand frustration with not getting high gas mileage, especially if you’re paying for a car with that specific purpose. But on the other hand, one MPG number can’t be taken accurately across the board. Living in Southern California myself (like Peters), I understand my car’s gas mileage probably suffers a bit from the hilly landscape and the fact that 85% of the time I’m driving in stop-and-go traffic. Peters has now created DontSettleWithHonda.org trying to get other owners on board, while Honda is standing firm that they are required by law to post the highest mileage the car could get. With this victory, I’m interested to see how many others come out with the same complaint on the Civic and on other vehicle models. But for now it seems like the score remains, Hybrid Owners: 1, Honda: 0.

Lamborghini SUV

Somethings should just not happen.  Such as, going on a long road trip with kids without a DVD player, or trusting my mom to find her way without a car navigation system.  Another example of “something that should happen” is that high performance car companies should not make SUVs. Well, news came out today that Lamborghini is doing just that.  

The rumors have finally been confirmed by a senior source at Audi that the Lamborghini SUV is indeed, in the works.  Unlike their old giant LM002 that went out of production in 1993, this SUV will be a much smaller crossover. The car has no official name yet, but the project goes by LB 736.
 

The gossip started when an Italian magazine wrote a story and posted renderings of what the vehicle might look like.  The car in the magazine borrows the styling of the Aventador, and looks like the platform could be that of the Audi Q7.

Speculation is that the LB736 will have a version of the Gallardo’s 5.2 Liter V10, and boasts 700hp.  There is no way that your kids will arrive late to soccer practice in this SUV.  The size of the engine means that this Lamborghini will have no competition. No other high performance SUVs even come close to 700 horses.

Some Lamborghini traditionalists are going to wish this had never happened, and honestly I do not know how I feel about it.  I do have a lot of time to decide though, because the car is not going to go on sale until 2015.  I also have a lot of saving to do, because it is going to cost upwards of $200,000.