A-Class Reinvented!
Mercedes-Benz has a new and exciting roadster study. Only 3.77 metres short, the Vision SLA offers a pure open-air experience, a fascinating design, a unique interior and innovative Mercedes technology. The two-seater debuts at the Detroit Motorshow on January 10, 2000.
"Vision SLA is a name with a symbolic character", says Jürgen Hubbert, the member of the Board with responsibility for the Mercedes-Benz car business. "Firstly this combination of letters indicates the close relationship with the super-sportscar SLR, which will go into production in 2003, and secondly the name SLA unmistakably alludes to its technical base: the Mercedes-Benz A-class". Like the suspension and safety concept, the roadster study has adopted the 1.9-litre engine with 92kW from the Mercedes-Benz A-class A190. Innovative light clusters at the front and rear ends, as well as seat bases of carbon fibre, are further technical highlights.
It's a Turbo MX-5!
Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) recently unveiled the Mazda MX-5 Mono-Posto Concept at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. A one-off, one-seater throwback to 'fifties' sports racers, the MX-5 Mono-Posto was inspired by Jaguar D-type and Lotus 11 endurance racers. The MX-5 Mono-Posto sports custom bodywork, including half doors, air intake in the hood, one-piece valence front and rear fascias, cowl-mounted rearview mirror, a minimalist windscreen and aluminum roll-bar. Only the headlights, taillights and rear boot lid are standard panels. The paint finish is a custom Red Pearl Mica.
Modifications include an HKS turbocharger and intercooler, HKS intake and exhaust manifolds and an HKS stainless steel exhaust, which result in a 36 percent increase in horsepower (to 190 hp at 6100 rpm) and a 104 percent boost in torque (to 243 lb-ft at 4100 rpm). Other performance modifications include Racing Hart three-piece, five-spoke, 18-inch wheels (18x8 inch front and 18x9.5 inch rear), Baer Racing four-wheel disc brakes and HKS Hiper Damper Coil Over Suspension. There are apparently no plans for production.
WRX Day
An Impreza WRX Expo Day will be held on Dec 19 at the historic "Brookhill" property at 19 McIntyres Lane, Yering, in the beautiful Yarra Valley east of Melbourne (Map 274 K11, near to Lilydale airport). The day is designed to cater for all the family, and will include local market vendors, food and wine stalls, and entertainment for children (including Santa and other activities).
Many WRX-associated businesses will be in attendance to display their products and provide information. As a highlight of the day, Impreza WRX's will participate in a social grass Motorkhana, allowing the safe enjoyment of an off-road four-wheel drive in a controlled environment. A two kilometre-long 'special stage' has also been built on the property. With ten or more purpose built Impreza WRX rally cars on hand, attendees will be able to sit in the co-driver's seat and be taken for a ride around this special 'rally' circuit. The list of drivers possibly attending the day includes Cody Crocker, this year's Group N rally champion. http://www.wrx.com.au/html/xmas.htm
Filling Your Cavities
Mazda Motor Corporation has developed a "world first" new technology in which resin foam is filled into parts of the vehicle body frame, increasing body strength and substantially improving safety in collisions, with very little increase in overall weight. Fully developed by Mazda, the technology was first made possible by the development of a strong structural foam and then a unique method of filling the resin foam into the body frame cavities.
A newly designed body frame structure enables the structural foam to be spread more effectively and makes the technique even more practical. The idea of pouring resin foam into vehicle body frames to increase body strength or reduce body vibration and noise has existed for some time. However, the existing technologies have not increased body strength to the extent of improving occupant safety in collisions.
Conventional methods use thicker steel or reinforcements and are attached to the body frame to increase strength and improve collision safety. However, these methods result in weight increases, failing to satisfy an important vehicle engineering objective: weight reduction and improvement in collision safety at the same time. The idea of the new technology evolved from the fact that body strength will increase drastically if the body frames are prevented from folding on collision. The crushing energy from a collision impact would be effectively released if weaker portions of the body frames were reinforced by strong structural foam.
In order to be effective, the structural foam has to be able to withstand compressing pressure and have strong adhering power. This new structural foam developed by Mazda has been designed to do just that: withstand high compressing power while having strong self-adhesive power after it inflates in the body frame. In the production procedure, the resin foam material in sheet form is attached inside the body frame. From the heat of the painting process, the foam then inflates to fill up the inside of the frame.
The main advantages of the new technology are as follows:
- Because the technology does not require reinforcement of the body frame with steel pieces, and when it is used in "B" pillars, it has a body strength in collisions equivalent to that of those reinforced with steel pieces it will result in a weight reduction of about 6 kilograms per vehicle.
- Since this technology avoids the use of steel (material) reinforcements and the use of press dies in making such materials (steel), related parts costs are therefore reduced by approximately 10%.
Quickies
- Reader Chris Jackson has told us of another cheap thermocouple source that could be used in our TempScreen project. He writes: "I used a thermocouple out of a Rinni gas fire. It is used to power a very low voltage N/C safety solenoid that cuts the gas if the flame blows out. It spends its whole life in the hottest part of a gas fire and only cost $8.00 as a spare part, and had a nice ¼ BSP compression nut for mounting. It worked for years with no probs."
- The Citroën DS, already one of the French car maker's three nominees in the finalists for the Car of Century, has beaten off competitors as diverse as the Boeing 747, the Apple Macintosh computer and the Biro ball point pen to be elected by the FX International Design Awards as the best design of the century.
- Kia's all-new V6 Carnival has consolidated its position as the most popular people mover in Australia, achieving its second month of market leadership in its second full month of sales. Two hundred Carnivals were sold around Australia in November after 153 sales in October.
- Hyundai regained its status as Australia's most popular import car brand in November, according to monthly retail sales figures released by official industry statistician VFACTS. Hyundai recorded 3654 passenger car sales to rank fifth after the four local manufacturer-importers and displaced Nissan's combined passenger plus commercial tally for the month. Excel's 2335 figure not only doubled the Toyota Echo's big launch month but reinforced Excel's enduring status as by far the nation's most popular 4-cylinder car and the top seller across both light and small car segments.
- Mercedes-Benz is preparing to recall 1,382 of its M-class recreational 4WD vehicle in Australia after receiving a report of a faulty seatbelt clip.
- A study by the NRMA shows that the Daewoo Matiz offers a sizeable cost advantage over all its nearest competitors. Over a three-year period and assuming 15,000 km/year the owner of a Matiz will save almost $1,500 compared to running a Daihatsu Sirion or about $2,600 compared to the Holden Barina.
- Budget Rent-A-Car, one of Australia's largest car rental companies, has purchased 20 Peugeot 306 Cabriolets, now available at its Sydney Airport, Cairns and Surfers Paradise outlets. Available for just $99 per day, the Cabriolet fleet is a mix of Diablo Red and China Blue, some with colour-matched roofs
- Nissan has launched the third generation Maxima models with all-new styling, more power from the 3.0-litre V6 engine, increased size and enhanced safety highlighted by standard driver and passenger airbags and, on TI models, driver and passenger side airbags and active head restraints.
- Australia's most successful European car importer, BMW Australia has announced that it will launch the Rover 75 in 2000.
- Toyota has opened a $2 million test facility at Anglesea, Victoria. The Toyota
Australia testing facility is part of the Linfox Transport Group-owned track.
|