Not Your Normal Tree Huggers’ Prius

Enjoying fresh air is one of those little enjoyments in life.  Taking in a deep breath of oxygen can revitalize the body and mind.  Having your oxygen sensor warning light come on in your vehicle can do exactly the opposite.  Each time the oxygen sensor on my car goes bad I want to sell my car and go live amongst the fresh air in the mountains.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I would have to get a vehicle. Maybe I would stick with the environment friendly theme and go with a Prius.  Actually, forget being friendly to mother earth. I would buy the new Prius GT300.

The Prius as a race car? No way! Ok, maybe a race to see who can transport the most granola on the least amount of gas, but not an actual race.  It took me a while to believe it, but it looks like Toyota is going to make a Prius that can compete in the Super GT Series.  That means they’re going to produce a Prius which has at least 300 horsepower.  Considering a stock Prius comes with an 80 horsepower electric motor and a 98 horsepower gas engine, the boys at Toyota have some work to do.

Now, is Toyota choosing the Prius as their Super GT car because they think it gives them the best chance to win, or are they trying to muscle up its image?  This question is up for debate.  I know that my perception will be different when I see one flying around corners at 200 mph, instead of crawling through a Whole Foods’ parking lot.

There’s buzz that Toyota isn’t the only one entering a hybrid into the Super GT race series.  Honda is reportedly getting the CR-Z ready to race with the big boys too.  With all this hybrid racing going on, who is going to have time to save the whales?

Is the Fiat 500 Abarth Something that Should be Taken Seriously

The Abarth is a version of the Fiat 500 that stems back to the 50s and it is all about a small car with gobs of horsepower. This little Fiat is running a 1.4 liter 4 banger pushing out 160 HP which is boosted by a turbocharger. This little turbo car is trying to make a name for its self in the united states where the basic 500 is falling short in sales numbers. The main question is whether or not the 500 can make Americans stand up and take notice.

What makes the fiat 500 stand out on the US streets is the fact that it is a small car that is still extremely high build quality. The idea behind it is that we can look at this thing like a designer hand bag. The question is will Americans see this as a fashion accessory or will they just ignore it as a whole. The sales numbers for the original 500 are very sad but the car its self is very nice so what is the problem. The main issue is the American aversion to small cars. Unless it’s a sports car a small car gives the impression of a cheap car, this is a hard stereotype to break. Not only is it a stereo type that fiat is going to have to overcome but there are other companies that are having similar issues as well. Hyundai for one is struggling to make their new line more appealing to new segments. The main issue for Hyundai is the fact that they were always know for cheap eco boxes that fell apart and looked like well you know. Nowadays they are a whole different animal. The problem is changing the perception of the average American.

Fiat may be pushing their cars with a series of commercials with J-Lo. They act like the car is “Hard” or “from the hood” which honestly makes no sense since the car is from Italy. This is a car for people who love their cars and want to take a car out and thrash it on a day to day basis. The imagery for the 500 should be that of romance with the car, the countryside and the love of your life. Combine the things that people will do with this car. Don’t advertise to people who love their Chrysler 300 with 24 inch rims, they are not going to go for it. The basic thought is that the 500 is an amazing car especially for city driving and the 500 Abarth is like its older brother that beats it up when mom is not looking. To quote Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear “What you have here is a pet mouse that can be used for killing burglars”. This means we may want to give this little beats a shot.  

Car Swap for the Holidays

It’s somehow December, and for many Americans that means a lot of driving to visit those family members you don’t see enough during the year (whether intentionally or not). Unfortunately, while on long drives you might start to notice new problems with your car. Some drivers this year may have trouble with their Car Stereo, losing access to all those Christmas-stuffed radio stations. Others may have problems with the Center Console Screen DVD player that keeps the kids from yelling and fighting the entire way. But if you’re one of the lucky 5,000 or so Chevy Volt owners you may have another electrical issue to worry about: your precious gas-saving battery catching fire.

If you drive a Volt, don’t freak out too much. Although three of these batteries have caught fire after going through safety tests, there has never been a “real-world consumer incident”. The situation facing these Volt’s is similar to leaving leaking gasoline in a fuel tank after a crash. Anyone involved in a crash in an electric car is urged to disconnect or drain the power from the battery. The interesting thing about these incidents is that the batteries didn’t catch fire for days, and sometimes weeks, after the crash tests. Whether GM will create a way to automatically shut off battery power after a crash or completely redesign the battery is unknown, but the European version has been put on hold until the issue is resolved.

Now, there does seem to be an upside to this whole ordeal. GM is offering any Volt owner concerned with their safety a “loaner vehicle” to drive during this investigation. Yes, that means all those people concerned with gas mileage and low emissions can head to their local Chevy dealership and drive off in a Corvette for the holidays. 

Tips for Driving Safe This Winter

Driving in any season can be very hazardous to your health if it is not taken seriously, by you or the people around you. A car is a huge piece of metal being hurled down the street towards an unsuspecting public and if the driver does not know what they are doing, it can be dangerous.  This is not even talking about cars with broken parts like the steering rack or steering box making control of the vehicles direction impossible. No, no we are talking about drivers who don’t know how to control a vehicle properly. Many people know the basic principles of controlling a vehicle on a day to day basis, but in winter this can change drastically in a matter of min.

The first major obstacle to tackle in winter driving is the temperature, with cold temperatures comes cold tires. While too many this may not seem like a big deal but remember that rubber becomes “more sticky” as it heats up. In other words with cold temperatures comes less grip. This means handling is decreased and reaction time for the vehicle is longer. What this means to the driver is that a normal situation can become dangerous.

The second major factor is weather and ignorance of what it can do. Many people think that the brake system on their car or truck is there and it will slow them down no matter what.  This is simply not true pushing the pedal harder will not stop you faster in fact in many cases of extreme weather it will do the opposite. When the brakes are engaged the tire creates more resistance to the contact patch and sliding will occur. When the vehicle begins to slide the brakes must be released and reapplied to try and create grip.

There is a scary and dangerous thought amongst drivers of vehicles with traction control, that the system will save them in the snow. People go as far as driving at full speed on icy roads just because they have TCS in their car. Traction control is designed to find traction where there is some but it cannot control the car if there is not traction.

Driving in the snow and ice is all about common sense. Slow it down and remember that safety is the responsibility of the drive. Not only your safety but the safety of everyone around you as well, your vehicle in the end is only as good as the person behind the wheel.