Der Mini Cabrio ist ein wahrer “Hingucker”! Der freche Design und die stablie Kurvenlage sorgen im Tramuntana Gebirge für ein unvergessliches Freiheitsgefühl. Das haben wir bei Cardiddy erkannt und haben unsere Flotte mit dem Mini Cabrio von BMW aufgestockt. Bei Cardiddy können in Zusammenarbeit mit Carspaingroup BMW Minis als Cabrio oder der “normale” Minis angemietet werden. Hier ist er dann Vollkasko versichert ohne Selbstbeteiligung und die Abholung ist direkt am Flughafen oder mit Zubringung ins Hotel.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Mini Cabrio auf Mallorca mieten im Angebot
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube
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The conventional wisdom is that “early adopters” are the ideal target for startups, to get business rolling. I see two pitfalls with any concerted focus on early adopters; first, the size of this group may not be as large as you think, and secondly, their feedback may lead you directly away from your real target market of mainstream customers.
The term “early adopters” relates to the people who are eager to try almost any new technology products, and originates from Everett M. Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations book. Early adopters are usually no more than 10%-15% of the ultimate market potential, and marketing to them is quite different from marketing to the mainstream.
The good news is these people will readily provide candid feedback to help you refine future product releases, and push towards new features, increased control, and interoperability. The bad news is that they hardly ever push towards simplicity and increased usability needed by the masses.
The result can easily be the classic startup death spiral, driven by a small but vocal portion of your market, for more and more features, when you can least afford it in time or money. Equally bad, implementation of input from a few early adopters can actually prevent your products from being adopted by the majority, as follows:
- Minimize value of usability features. Features you designed for average users, like wizards for configuration, and simple buttons to eliminate complex processes, will get no feedback, or removal recommendations. Early adopters like to see tricky and elegant details, rather than general usability.
- Increased control and flexibility. Product suggestions by early adopters often ask for increased user control over details of the technology. However, each increase in control that you hand over to the users also increases user interface complexity, and the opportunity for pitfalls for the average user.
- Emphasis on engineering robustness. Early adopters love the technology, sometimes to a fault. Technical issues like execution speed, file size, and memory usage are typical examples that always need further optimization. At some point it becomes compulsive engineering, rather than engineering to increase value for the average user.
- Higher product price. They want new features automating complicated but obscure tasks. These features will likely be used by only a tiny fraction of the entire user base, but increase complexity for everyone. Early adopters are normally less price sensitive, so may mislead you in finalizing your pricing model.
The dilemma that we all face is that the most valuable customers might be the least vocal (silent majority). The users who scream the loudest are usually a minority segment. The challenge of every business is to proactively seek out a cross section of core users and ask them for feedback, rather than responding to random noise.
I’m certainly not suggesting that you ignore early adopters. Simply recognize them as a specific and important small market segment, and treat them with respect. Early adopters have money, and if they like your product, they’re generally very vocal about it and provide invaluable word-of-mouth press. You need their evangelism and passion to get enough momentum to start attracting mainstream consumers.
So don’t be lulled into complacency by early adopters as your first customers. Temper your feedback assessments, product changes, and marketing strategy to the mainstream market. Ten percent of your projected market won’t make either you or your investors very happy.
Marty Zwilling
Sega's official street date for the PlatinumGames-developed action game Bayonetta isn't until January for North America and Europe, but some gamers have found the game already sitting on store shelves.
We've heard from tipsters here in the U.S. and in Europe—Switzerland, specifically—that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game have already shipped to retail and are waiting to be snapped up. Kotaku reader Bryant just snagged a copy at a Wisconsin Toys 'R' Us. We've reached out to some of our local retailers, even the ones that generally sell to us early, but have come up short.
You may have better luck, though, and may be able to secure a surprising Christmas or Hannukah gift for a friend if you do.
Yes, both versions appear to be regional, not import copies. Two good gets for a game that's not supposed to be released for another two weeks or more.
Thanks to Ivan and Bryant for the heads up. And have fun.
Send an email to Michael McWhertor, the author of this post, at .
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Nine Inch Nails (NIN) fans such as myself are fans because of the one thing Nine Inch Nails (NIN) does: They rock the house! Most folks who listen to the band know of songs that noone else could even do. Nobody comes close to the genre that NIN plays too, and that's, we old generation Xers!
As far as I can even tell, we old gen Xers are the only folks morose enough, and yet still alive enough, to enjoy watching folks who are so good at sounding down. Their music's beautifully sad too. Even in the case of ranking the number ten song as number ten, I simply can't say, which Nine Inch Nails songs I like best.
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number ten: The Perfect Drug
For as long as I've been listening to these folks I can tell you that I don't really make it a habit of learning names. That's what I leave to the devotees. Fans like myself are the folks in the art gallery saying: “I don't know anything about art. But I know what I like….but nobody recognizes Trent Reznor's name around Meadville, Pennsylvania.
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number nine: Eraser
Most of us fans feel as if we know this band. They've been in our radios, our heads, and our personal dramas for so long that we almost recognize them as family. Hard partying, raucous, and quarrelsome family they may be yet family they remain.
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number eight: Burn
Sometimes I can remember times in my life where it was the music of Nine Inch Nails that altogether influenced me in a decision. I'm not exactly sure why I did as told…but I did. That tells me that Nine Inch Nails might have some skills in the area of getting a message across. I hope they get sponsored to the tune of millions and millions of dollars.
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number seven: Gave Up
Are there too many other real good Nine Inch Nails songs than this one? Well…just a couple. But you gotta admit that this one is a fun one too. If it were up to me I'd have it in number one. Oh. It is up to me. But I'm too lazy.
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number six: March of the Pigs
There is probably a party somewhere on earth being fueled in part by this very song at this very second at any given moment. How's that for a powerful statement?
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number five: Closer (Censored Version)
This song had to be in the top five for me. But the uncensored version would've ranked higher.
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number four: Head Like A Hole
There's not much more that a guy could say about Head Like A Hole other than it's fun, and funny, and kinda annoyed all at once as a song. I mean…what're they saying? Are they angry or aroused? Either way. It's a great tune.
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number three: Wish (Live)
They've really taken over the radio here. There's no turning back from NIN fandom now. Resistance is futile.
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number two: Down In It
Well NIN is nothing if not provocative. Didn't they just do a lovely job with this song?
Top Ten Videos from Nine Inch Nails on YouTube number one: Hurt
This song is so good, and so powerful that, after Nine Inch Nails did it, so did the legendary Johnny Cash. Both performances will steal your breath away and borrow your mind for a few moments. I'm glad you've found the Nine Inch Nails videos you were looking for because of me. You're welcome!
Source:
www.YouTube.com
Personal Fandom
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New All-Electric BMW 1-Series Coupe Revealed (details and photos)
The new BMW 1-Series Coupe all-electric car that willbe revealed as BMW Concept ActiveE at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show and will go into production within the next two two years.
While retaining the 1-Series Coupe’s rear-wheel drive model, BMW solitary the pattern shape’s internal-combustion engine adding a new synchronous electric motor expressly urban for this vehicle that’s integrated in the rear axis. The motor produces a crop of 125kW or 170hp and highest torque of 250Nm or 184 lb-ft.
Read more (details and photos)!!
The electrical energy that powers the motor is stored in a twosome of lithium-ion sequence packs developed jointly by BMW and SB LiMotive. The array packs concern the place that would routinely be taken up by the conventional drivetrain and fuel cistern in vehicles powered by a combustion engine.
The new Concept ActiveE tips the scales at a hefty 1,800 kg or about 3,970 pounds. BMW predicts that the all-thrilling 1-Series can accelerate from nought to 60km/h (37mph) in fewer than 4.5 seconds and from zilch to 100km/h (62mph) in less than 9 seconds, while the car’s maximum velocity is electronically limited to about 145 km/h or 90 mph.
BMW says that the frank-world scale is likely to be around 160 kilometers or 100 miles on a solitary payment, depending on conditions. The car’s lithium-ion batteries can be revived by a conventional clout shop at civic charging stations or at an exclusive block box. On the European grid, BMW says that the battery fill can be insincere thrilling at a high-current authority channel (50 ampere) in as little as three hours, while in North America, using a high-current (32 ampere continual) residential divider box, the care time is estimated to be around 4.5 hours.
The all-electric 1-Series Coupe rest a four-seater, however, the car’s gumboot power has been condensed to 200 liters due to the electric tidbits.
The Concept ActiveE is distinguished by the Liquid White hard ending as well as the special logos and lifelike basics derived from printed circuits in Electric Blue on the covering, doors, roof and coffer lid. The auto also gets exclusive light-alloy veer wheels, a specially trimmed interior and revised instrument panel and main parade that have been enhanced to contain flaunt substance point to electric steer.
Monday, December 21, 2009
New 2010 BMW 6 Series Photos
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Browse our listings of 2010 BMW 6-Series photos taken from the inside, outside, … If you are looking for the best high quality photos of the new 2010 BMW 6-Series, …
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
New 2010 BMW M5 Pictures
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
BMW what have you done..............
Automotive News is reporting that Mercedes-Benz Baltimore vehicle process center has secured a five-year contract to inspect, process, and repair pre-delivery BMW and Mini vehicles arriving in the United States. According to insiders the deal makes economic sense for both companies since current BMW models currently arrive in Charleston, South Carolina, and are shipped to nearby Spartanburg (home of BMWs assembly plant) for inspection and pre-delivery work. However, that plant is “no longer appropriate” once the X3 starts production next year according to Jim O’Donnell, president of BMW North America. O’Donnell says BMW has been looking for an outside contractor, and it was the company’s own purchasing department who proposed the deal. Mercedes-Benz has both the manpower and space to service the additional BMW vehicles, and this arrangement may create additional opportunities for the two companies down the road. Currently the Baltimore vehicle process center handles Mercedes-Benz and Smart vehicles and will begin processing BMW’s sometime around March 1, 2010.
Call me old fashioned and a skeptic but I wonder if any of these new cars will get a “Pass” or be rejected as being defective and sent back to Bavaria? Mercedes-Benz sure has a great strategy in the works to eliminate the competition. M’whoo-ha-ha-ha-ha. 
Courtesy of Autoblog.com and Automotive News
Friday, December 11, 2009
Acura ZDX aimed squarely at BMW X6
After a few weeks of teasing, Acura has finally revealed the ZDX, its new four-door, luxury crossover “coupe” that is clearly aimed at the similarly proportioned BMW X6. The ZDX wears the now familiar shield grille and sharp styling that has spread across the entire Acura lineup. To further emphasize the crossover’s coupiness, Acura designers have hid the rear door handles in the base of the C-pillar. The ZDX rides tall on 20-inch, 9-spoke wheels and also glints under the lights thanks to a number of chrome trim pieces including a pair of shiny dual exhausts out back. Inside you’ll find typical Acura luxury with high quality materials arranged in a high-tech package that includes a new multi-view rear camera system with both a wide angle and top down view. The production ZDX will be V6-powered and kept in line by Acura’s superb Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system.
Feel free to poke around the ZDX in our high-res gallery below. It’s the best expression yet of Acura’s new design language, which has taken some getting used to on its current lineup of sedans. This segment-busting crossover should arrive in dealerships by the fall of 2009, according to Acura.
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EW YORK, April 8, 2009 – A prototype of the provocative Acura ZDX luxury four-door sports coupe made its world debut at the New York International Auto Show today. The production version of the dramatically styled prototype goes on-sale in the fall of 2009. The segment bending ZDX features stunning coupe-like styling with the added benefit of a commanding presence and flexibility utility.
“The ZDX is truly a luxury performance coupe – plus,” said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. “The emotional coupe styling coupled with a luxurious and dramatic interior and surprising versatility, allows the ZDX to define its own segment and attract an entirely new customer.”
The ZDX is designed to break new ground for Acura in the areas of provocative styling, contemporary luxury and meticulous refinement. With its sensuous curves, sharply raked roofline and bold fender flares, the ZDX blurs the distinction between coupe, sedan and sport utility vehicle. Clean, flowing lines start from the headlights and run the length of the car, accentuating the cars presence and grace. In keeping with the coupe-inspired styling, the rear door handles are cleverly concealed in the C-pillar. The all-glass tailgate opens wide to reveal a highly functional cargo space with integrated under-floor storage. The prototype is finished off with stylish dual chrome exhaust outlets and 9-spoke machined wheels fitted with 20-inch Michelin tires.
“From the very first sketch of the ZDX, I wanted to create an emotional vehicle that challenged conventional thinking of what a sports coupe should be,” said Michelle Christensen, ZDX exterior designer. “My goal was to create a strikingly beautiful exterior, and use that attraction to help draw you into the rich interior.”
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Audi says: "We're not a green brand"
Audi’s Rupert Stadler has stated that they will not be trying to position themselves as a green brand like BMW. They will still make efficient cars though.
“We will stick to our Vorsprung Durch Technik philosophy, not have a catch-all marketing claim such as Efficient Dynamics,” said Stadler. “We’re convinced in Vorsprung Durch Technik, we’re a dynamic, sporty brand but not necessarily positioned as a green brand. That will come about as a matter of course.”
“We want to take out weight and want to further diesel and FSI technology. We can still improve fuel consumption. But we will not position Audi as a green car brand – we will fulfil regulations – but we are also an emotional brand.”
Some may bring up the e-tron and say this is marketing lies. But Stadler says otherwise. He says the possibilities of electric cars are interesting, and that they wouldn’t put an electric car on sale unless they were convinced it would give the sort of performance an Audi should.
“We have to optimise performance of electric cars,” he said. “Performance is part of our emotional appeal, so it’s very important.
“Electric power will also give Quattro more possibilities, such as powering the rear axle like in the A1 concept, or four wheels in motors like the E-tron. In fact, we want to launch a production E-tron in small volumes at the end of 2012.”
Speaking of the e-tron, reports are indicating that 1,000 units will be produced, when if it goes into production in 2012.
It’s nice to see that they’re interested in innovation rather than satisfying Greenpeace. Keep it up Audi.
Source: Autocar and Autoblog
Friday, December 4, 2009
Formula 1 2010 takes shape
Time for Peter Sauber to light up another cigar
The announcement from the FIA that they have written to BMW Sauber confirming that they will replace the departing Toyota team and take the final, thirteenth place on the grid is great news and evidence that we may be entering a new era of common sense – let’s hope so. The possibility of Peter Sauber’s team (as it was and as it will be again) not being on the grid would have been a travesty and although BMW’s failure to sign the Concorde Agreement earlier in the year means that the team would not reap the benefits of their 2009 performance, it appears that some kind of deal has been formed to allow the team to operate on a financially sensible basis.
The announcement of the transition of Manor to Virgin Racing is not a surprise given the various leaks that occurred earlier in the year, but it is nonetheless welcome, I thought the use of Virgin Racing as the brand, rather than Virgin Grand Prix or Virgin F1 is a clever move as it provides more flexibility for where they could go with it in the future – perhaps boats, balloons or planes?
The final piece in the jigsaw is Renault. All the signs are pointing to the likelihood of Renault selling the F1 operation with David Richards’ Prodrive the most likely buyer, with the team morphing into Aston Martin at some point. The engine position is less clear and so Renault may remain as an engine supplier – or alternatively may sell the naming rights to Red Bull, or even McLaren. So F1 has lost Ford, Honda, BMW, Toyota, and possibly Renault, and we now have Ferrari, Mercedes and possibly Aston Martin – it’s not all bad is it?
Opinion- Why Qadbak Failed
BMW Sauber F1 Team
Qadbak’s attempted takeover of BMW Sauber failed this week, as Sauber took over the team, and then received a spot on the 2010 grid. However, there is still a lot to analyse regarding this investor group.
Qadbak Investments Ltd is known to be a Swiss-based company registered in the British Virgin Islands. It claims to have a total portfolio value of £97bn, invested in natural resources, heavy industry, logistics and infrastructure. It served as the vehicle for the purchase of the football club Notts County. This was in the news recently, when one of Qadbak’s senior representatives, Russell King, had £1.9 million of his assets frozen due to unpaid debt and fraud. The unpaid debt referred to a different company (Belgravia) with whom he tried to found a Dubai-based Formula 1 team.
The Notts County takeover is important here, as holes started to appear in their story. Notts County released a statement, naming two of the families in the Qadbak group as the Shafi and Hyat families. However, Anwar Shafi, a member of the Shafi family, denied any connection with Notts County or Qadbak. No statement was made by the Hyat family. Here, the structure of Qadbak is still unknown, which must have worried the FIA when Qadbak went to buy out BMW Sauber.
With no public news on the consortium, it is unclear whether the FIA were any more knowledgable on the matter than we were. It is more than likely they were, but this is inconclusive. The FIA wanted to increase the size of the grid to 13 (at one point 14) teams, so allowing Qadbak in seemed like a good idea. However, the secrecy that Qadbak had started to put doubts into people’s minds. Meyrick Cox, the managing director of Rothschild Bank, described Qadbak as a “wholly reputable orginisation”. This did not quell doubts, as the FIA were understood to have been pessimistic towards Qadbak’s entry. This showed when the FIA stalled on granting them a spot on the 2010 grid.
Eventually, due to doubts about their spot on the 2010 grid and investor funding issues, Qadbak pulled out of the buying of BMW, instead allowing Sauber to take over. Only a few days later, the FIA granted a place to the Sauber team. Their secrecy, which surely must have helped them hugely in the past, backfired on them, as an apparent lack of transparency cost them their grid spot.
There is no doubt that Qadbak will simply shift attention to Notts County, but their attempted foray into F1 has raised many difficult questions. In my opinion, their departure is a relief to many.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Now it's Audi's turn to send us to sleep: The new Audi A8
Oh dear, oh dear, just a few days after we were left yawning at BMW’s new 5-series’ very derivative styling (more so than they’ve ever done in the past, the Bavarians had simply taken the model lower in the range and made it bigger), we get news from Miami that Audi has just unveiled the new A8.
Now, what BMW does with its 5-series, we can’t say we care about much. With the notable exception of the M5, nothing about the 5-series ever really blew our skirt up. But Audi and the A8, that’s a different matter. We’re riled.
Audi’s a brand we have a lot of affinity for here at The Prodigal Guide. If you’ll allows us to get a little pretentious for a minute, we’d say that we associate with Audi’s brand values. They genuinely mean something to us. ”Vorsprung durch Technik” – progress through technology – perfectly embodies how we feel about car design, indeed design in general. The glitz and the chintz have never interested us. What appeals to us is objects that do they job better than any others. Typically, we find those objects are also the ones that look the best.
Like the Breilting slogan goes: “A beautiful plane is a plane that flies well”. For the most part Audi have always lived up to this. In an age where most car manufacturers – and indeed some previously untouchable watch manufacturers – have felt the need to bling up their ranges, Audi has resolutely continued to churn out designs that epitomise stylish understatement.
And no car better embodies the pinnacle of this approach than the previous generation S8. A Lamborghini V10 in the body of the most discrete luxury German saloon you could buy? That’s a truly Prodigal car that remains on our shopping list.
So what’s wrong with the new A8? Well nothing per se, just like there’s nothing wrong with the current A6 or A4. It’s just that there’s nothing special about it anymore either. The previous generation was special. Was it derivative of the other models in the range? Of course, and that’s fine. But it retained its own innimitable character. You’d never mistake it for an A4.
This new model? Well, let’s put it this way, we had to spend a lot of time verifying the pictures we’ve posted here because so many of them looked like an A6 or A4 to us at first.
At the car’s launch in Miami, Audi chairman, Rupert Stadler, said:
The A8 embodies everything that Audi is capable of. It’s the essence of our brand and represents our future. The A8 is the cornerstone in our route to becoming a signature brand that is one of a kind and unmistakeable.
Fine. Then make it look like that, not just like a bigger A4!
So, we salute the previous generation S8 and we welcome this new A8 with the respect you afford an elder member of your family: not so much because of the person they are today but because of the great things they achieved in the past. We just hope it isn’t yet time to think about taking Audi into care.
The photos in this post are from Autocar; please visit their site for more details and photos.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
BMW 5 Series: Anti-climax?
The Brand New 5 Series
The last BMW 5 Series was met with disgust in many circles. Traditionalists said it’s controversial designer Chris Bangle had lost the plot, turning a sleek executive car into a mishmash of design ideas.
The last 'Bangle' designed 5 Series
Others lamented the ‘Dame Edna’ headlight design and many, already put off by the 7 series, said the car would lose sales for the Bavarian marque. It didn’t, in fact the car was the most successful 5 series so far, and to my eyes at least still looks fresh today, unlike the previous Mercedes E Class.
The brand new 5 series was launched in Munich last week. Hotly anticipated by business managers all over the world (the low emission 520d is a management car park favourite) and now facing stiff competition from the brilliant Jaguar XF and the rejuvenated Mercedes E Class, this is a hugely significant car for BMW.
Unfortunately the result is an anti-climax. Where the last 5-series was daring, the new one is safe. Where the last 5 series was unique, the new one looks like a 3 series photocopied to 120%.
Some will blame the departure of the often criticised Bangle for the design change. I blame the recession and the subsequent move away from ostentatious car design for mainstream models.
Sure the BMW X6, a four seater, coupe shaped 4×4 in a time of increasingly environmentally conscious media attention doesn’t fit in with this mould. But the X6 is a niche model, designed to appeal to a select group of Cheshire lottery winners.
The 5 series is second only to the 3 series in importance to BMW. Promotion in the workplace, usually results in the move up a class in BMW or the alternative Audi, Mercedes or BMW. Sadly I can’t build up any excitement for the new model.
Sure it’s interior looks stunning and the new car will almost certainly be fantastic to drive. The car will continue BMW’s reign as the ironic environmentally friendly car brand of choice (their Efficient Dynamics campaign has made their mainstream models hugely efficient and dynamic, appropriately!).
However it’s just so uninspiring!
Monday, November 30, 2009
1969 BMW Ad: The more you know about motorcycles, the more you want a BMW
Do you know how many different makes of motorcycles are produced in the world? More than 100. and of them all, do you know which one is best? You’re right. BMW. Because since 1923, we’ve built our machines to one standard only – the finest that can be constructed on this earth. And that applies to every product we’ve turned out – automobiles as well as motorcycles…
1969 BMW Bavarian Motor Works Motorcycle Ad available at www.DadsVintageAds.com
Search our Magazine Back Issue Index for vintage Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issues for sale.
To search our full inventory of Vintage Motorcycle Advertisements, Articles, and Road Tests CLICK HERE.
Noul BMW Seria 5
Dupa 5.555.555 de pasi inainte, BMW face unul inapoi cu cea de-a sasea generatie a popularei Serii 5. Stiu ca pare surprinzator, insa noua Serie 5 se intoarce cu cinci ani inapoi, inainte de era Bangle, pentru a face cinste generatiei cu numarul patru (E39), poate cea mai iubita din cele sase. Se pare ca acest lucru a fost determinat de valul de reactii negative pe care stilul avantgardist (dar potrivit BMW-ului, daca ma intrebati pe mine) al lui Chris Bangle l-a starnit odata cu 1, 3 sau 6. Desi milioanele de Serii 5 (E60) sugereaza contrarul, iar existenta si impactul lor nu pot fi sterse cu 
buretele, parerile raman impartite in cazul generatiei a sasea. O parte din populatie condamna usorul conservatorism la care bavarezii s-au intors, in timp ce fanii lui E39 sarbatoresc revenirea simplitatii pe care o asteptau de ceva vreme… cam de sase ani, ce-i drept.
In ceea ce ma priveste, trebuie sa recunosc ca am a bit of a soft spot pentru BMW-uri, iar Seria 5 nu face exceptie. In acelasi timp, sunt putin socat de simplitatea masinii, dar si de faptul ca design-ul pare specific unei masini mai mici, unui Seria 3 sa spunem. Seria 5 nu mi se pare la fel de robust si de impozant ca un A6 si nici la fel de classy ca un E-Classe. Il vad mai degraba ca pe un hibrid intre Seria 3 si Seria 7 – de la primul preia identitatea vizuala si de la al doilea personalitatea. Un lucru foarte important este ca Seria 5 se asambleaza pe aceeasi linie de productie cu Seria 7, impartind o serie de componente – ceea ce ar trebui sa-i aduca un plus de calitate si prestanta. Indiferent de punctul de plecare, noua Serie 5 face senzatie din orice unghi ai privi-o. Asezata langa E39 si E60 chiar pare veriga lipsa, mai ales in fata. Mai mult decat atat, bulbii farurilor sunt mult mai bine subliniati decat in cazul E60-ului, iar botul este mult mai plat. Ambele caracteristici sunt specifice brandului bavarez in mare parte a istoriei sale, insa au fost pierdute dupa 2000 – singurul model care prezinta clar cel putin unul dintre semnalmente (botul drept) este Seria 1. Daca vreti, aceasta este strategia BMW de a cocheta cu retromodernismul specific ultimilor ani.
La interior se regaseste noul panou de bord cu tehnologie Black Panel, o noua distribuire a comenzilor ce vizeaza separarea functiilor de control de cele ce se refera la confort, dar si un volan multifunctional complet nou disponibil in serie. In lista optionalelor exclusive este oferit BMW Head-Up Display, intr-o varianta optimizata in ceea ce priveste informatiile pe care le ofera, rezolutia imaginii si dimensiunea graficii prezentate. iDrive-ul a fost si el revizuit, meniul este acum mai simplu, iar shortcut-urile pot fi accesate mai usor. In plus, functiile acestuia sunt usor de urmarit pe un ecran montat central, ale carui diagonale variaza in functie de versiunea de echipare – 17,8 sau 26 de centimetri.
Chiar si asa, in spatele controverselor BMW a ramas intotdeauna un BMW, care indiferent de forma caroseriei sau de dimensiunile consolelor fata – spate a reprezentat un etalon in ceea ce priveste performanta. Limuzina cu cel mai mare ampatament din segmentul sau este dotata in optional cu Dynamic Driving Control (Controlul Dinamic al 
Transmisiei), ce ii permite celui de la volan sa regleze suspensia individual, in functie de stilul de condus si conditiile de drum. DDC-ul este completat de Adaptive Drive, Dynamic Damper Control (Control Dinamic al Amortizoarelor) si Dynamic Drive Stability Control (Control Dinamic al Stabilitatii Transmisiei), precum si de Integral Active Steering (Directie Integral Activa – adica toate cele patru roti vireaza).
Gama de motorizari
Cat despre motorizari, Noul BMW Seria 5 isi face debutul cu un motor cu opt cilindri si trei versiuni cu sase cilindri – toate pe benzina – precum si cu doua variante diesel, cu sase cilindri. Gama va fi completata de un propulsor turbodiesel cu patru cilindri, cu carterul din aluminiu si injectie directa common-rail. Puterea maxima in acest caz, 135 kW/184 CP, face ca BMW 520d, echipat standard cu functia Auto Start Stop, sa fie noul punct de reper in acest segment. Consumul mediu de combustibil in ciclul de testare EU5 este de numai 5,0 litri/100 kilometri, iar nivelul emisiilor CO2 va fi de 132 g/km (date preliminare). Varful de gama BMW 550i va fi echipat cu un motor cu opt cilindri, ce dispune de tehnologia BMW TwinPower Turbo si High Precision Injection pentru un maxim al puterii de 300 kW/407 CP. Motorul cu sase cilindri dispusi in linie, cu BMW TwinPower Turbo, High Precision Injection si VALVETRONIC, de la BMW 535i va furniza o putere maxima de 225 kW/306 CP, in timp ce cele doua variante cu sase cilindri in linie, echipate de asemenea cu High Precision Injection, dezvolta 190 kW/258 CP la BMW 528i, respectiv 150 kW/204 CP la BMW 523i. Versiunile diesel cu sase cilindri in linie ofera modelului BMW 530d o putere maxima de 180 kW/245 CP, iar pentru BMW 525d un nivel la fel de impresionant de 150 kW/204 CP. Echipat cu tehnologia optionala BMW BluePerformance, BMW 530d indeplineste standardele de emisie EU6. Si nu trebuie omis faptul ca toate versiunile noului BMW Seria 5 Sedan respecta pe deplin normele EU5, valabile la nivelul intregii Europe.
BMW 550i: motor V8 pe benzina cu TwinPower Turbo si High Precision Injection. Capacitate: 4.395 centimetri cubi, putere maxima: 300 kW/407 cp intre 5.500 si 6.400 rpm. Cuplu maxim: 600 Nm intre 1.750 si 4.500 rpm. Acceleratie: 0-100 km/h in 5,0 secunde. Viteza maxima: 250 km/h. Consum mediu de combustibil dupa standardele EU: 10,4 l/100 km. Emisii CO2 dupa standardele EU: 243 g/km, indeplineste in totalitate standardele de emisii EU5.
BMW 535i: motor pe benzina, cu sase cilindri dispusi in linie, cu TwinPower Turbo, High Precision Injection si VALVETRONIC. Capacitate: 2.979 centimetri cubi, putere maxima: 225 kW/306 cp la 5.800 rpm. Cuplu maxim: 400 Nm intre 1.200 si 5.000 rpm. Acceleratie: 0-100 km/h in 6,0 secunde (transmisie automata: 6,1 secunde). Viteza maxima: 250 km/h. Consum mediu de combustibil dupa standardele EU: 8,5 l/100 km (transmisie automata: 8,4 litri/100 km). Emisii CO2 dupa standardele EU: 199 g/km (transmisie automata: 195 g/km), indeplineste in totalitate standardele de emisii EU5.
BMW 528i: motor pe benzina, cu sase cilindri dispusi in linie, cu High Precision Injection. Capacitate: 2.996 centimetri cubi, putere maxima: 190 kW/258 cp la 6.600 rpm. Cuplu maxim: 310 Nm intre 2.600 si 5.000 rpm. Acceleratie: 0-100 km/h in 6,6 secunde (transmisie automata: 6,7 secunde). Viteza maxima: 250 km/h. Consum mediu de combustibil dupa standardele EU: 7,8 l/100 km (transmisie automata: 7,6 l/100 km). Emisii CO2 dupa standardele EU: 182 g/km (transmisie automata: 178 g/km), indeplineste in totalitate standardele de emisii EU5.
BMW 523i: motor pe benzina, cu sase cilindri dispusi in linie, cu High Precision Injection. Capacitate: 2.996 centimetri cubi, putere maxima: 150 kW/204 cp la 6.100 rpm. Cuplu maxim: 270 Nm intre 1.500 si 4.250 rpm. Acceleratie: 0-100 km/h in 7,9 secunde. Viteza maxima: 238 km/h (transmisie automata: 234 km/h). Consum mediu de combustibil dupa standardele EU: 7,6 l/100 km. Emisii CO2 dupa standardele EU: 177 g/km, indeplineste in totalitate standardele de emisii EU5.
BMW 530d: motor diesel cu sase cilindri dispusi in linie, cu carter din aluminiu, turbocompresor cu geometrie variabila a turbinei si injectie directa common-rail (piezoinjectoare, presiune maxima de injectie 1.800 bar). Capacitate: 2.993 centimetri cubi, putere maxima: 180 kW/245 cp la 4.000 rpm. Cuplu maxim: 540 Nm intre 1.750 si 3.000 rpm. Acceleratie: 0-100 km/h in 6,3 secunde. Viteza maxima: 250 km/h. Consum mediu de combustibil dupa standardele EU: 6,3 l/100 km (transmisie automata: 6,2 l/100 km). Emisii CO2 dupa standardele EU: 166 g/km (transmisie automata: 162 g/km), indeplineste in totalitate standardele de emisii EU5.
BMW 525d: motor diesel cu sase cilindri dispusi in linie, cu carter din aluminiu, turbocompresor cu geometrie variabila a turbinei si injectie directa common-rail (piezoinjectoare, presiune maxima de injectie 1.600 bar). Capacitate: 2.993 centimetri cubi, putere maxima: 150 kW/204 cp la 4.000 rpm. Cuplu maxim: 450 Nm intre 1.750 si 2.500 rpm. Acceleratie: 0-100 km/h in 7,2 secunde. Viteza maxima: 236 km/h. Consum mediu de combustibil dupa standardele EU: 6,2 l/100 km (transmisie automata: 6,1 l/100 km). Emisii CO2 dupa standardele EU: 162 g/km (transmisie automata: 161 g/km), indeplineste in totalitate standardele de emisii EU5.
BMW 520d: motor diesel cu patru cilindri dispusi in linie, cu carter din aluminiu, turbocompresor cu geometrie variabila a turbinei si injectie directa common-rail (injectoare cu supapa magnetica, presiune maxima de injectie 1.800 bar). Capacitate: 1.995 centimetri cubi, putere maxima: 135 kW/184 cp la 4.000 rpm. Cuplu maxim: 380 Nm intre 1.900 si 2.750 rpm. Acceleratie: 0-100 km/h in 8,1 secunde. Viteza maxima: 227 km/h (transmisie automata: 225 km/h). Consum mediu de combustibil dupa standardele EU: 5,0 l/100 km (transmisie automata: 5,2 l/100 km). Emisii CO2 dupa standardele EU: 132 g/km (transmisie automata: 137 g/km) (provizoriu), indeplineste in totalitate standardele de emisii EU5.
BMW EfficientDynamics
In ultimii ani BMW s-a concentrat din ce in ce mai mult pe reducerea consumului de carburant si a emisiilor fara a periclita consumul. Armele sunt inglobate in Efficient Dynamics, un display tehnologic care pe noul model a fost completat de cutia de viteze automata in opt trepte (ce pot fi selectate si de pe volan prin optiunea Sports Automatic), regasita pe toate modelele ca optional, si de folosirea materialelor ultrausoare pentru usi, capota sau suspensie – aceasta din urma foloseste componente din aluminiu. Nu lipsesc Brake Energy Regeneration (recuperarea energiei franelor), indicatorul punctului de schimbare a vitezelor, controlul activ al flapsurilor si operarea inteligenta a unitatilor auxiliare electrice, ce include un compresor decuplabil pentru aerul conditionat. 550i dispune in echiparea standard de cutia de viteze automata optimizata pentru consum redus, si EPS (Electric Power Steering – servodirectie asistata electric).
Inteligenta artificiala
In buna traditie BMW, noul model este burdusit cu tehnica spatiala… banala pentru unii si SF pentru altii. Sistemele de asistare a conducatorului includ Parking Assistant (asistare la parcare), Surround View (vedere panoramica), avertizare de coliziune cu actionare a franelor in combinatie cu Active Cruise Control (tempomat activ) si Stop & Go, dar si noul Speed Limit Device (dispozitiv de limitare a vitezei). Alte device-uri disponibile sunt Lane Change Warning (avertizare la schimbarea benzii), Lane Departure Warning (avertizare la parasirea sensului), Speed Limit Info (informatii despre limita de viteza legala pentru tronsonul curent de drum), Head-Up Display, BMW Night Vision cu detectare a persoanelor si camera de supraveghere.
Friday, November 27, 2009
F1: BMW vende equipe para Sauber
A BMW anunciou que venderá as instalações de sua equipe novamente a Peter Sauber, que fundou a escuderia em 1993. Até então, a marca bávara estava negociação com a Qadbak Investiment, da Suíça. Em nota, o membro do conselho administratio da fabricante alemã informou que a boa relação com Sauber foi essencial para a decisão.
Agora, a Sauber depende apenas da aprovação da Federação Internacional de Automobilismo (FIA) para garantir sua baga na temporada 2010, no lugar da Toyota. A escuderia deverá reduzir seu quadro de colaboradores (de 388 para 250) para conter custos.
Ainda não se sabe se a BMW cooperará com a Sauber ou se ela terá de iniciar o processo de parcerias novamente.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Pela primeira vez em 14 anos, Brasil produz menos carros do que vende
O Estado de S. Paulo
Pela primeira vez em 14 anos, a produção da indústria automobilística brasileira será menor que as vendas. Excesso de importações e declínio de exportações também levarão o setor ao seu primeiro déficit na balança comercial nos últimos dez anos. As montadoras devem vender este ano mais de 3,1 milhões de veículos, mas vão produzir cerca de 100 mil unidades a menos.
Entre os dez maiores mercados mundiais, só os Estados Unidos, até o momento, produziam menos do que vendiam internamente. O Brasil é o sexto maior produtor de carros. À sua frente estão, respectivamente, Japão, China, EUA, Alemanha e Coreia do Sul. Logo abaixo, França, Espanha, Índia e Canadá, de acordo com dados consolidados de 2008.
Favorecido pelo real valorizado ante o dólar e pela demanda em alta, enquanto a maioria dos países enfrenta desaquecimento de vendas o Brasil vai importar este ano mais de 400 mil carros, do chinês Effa M100, de R$ 24,5 mil, ao Lamborghini Gallardo, na faixa de R$ 1,7 milhão. Em outubro, 17% dos veículos vendidos vieram de fora, participação mensal recorde.
De janeiro a outubro já foram licenciados 386,4 mil modelos importados, 21,5% a mais em relação ao mesmo período do ano passado. A maior importadora foi a Hyundai/Caoa, com 47,9 mil unidades, e o mais vendido é o utilitário esportivo Tucson, com 22,9 mil unidades.
A Associação Nacional dos Fabricantes de Veículos Automotores (Anfavea) calcula que, até dezembro, mais de 400 mil carros terão entrado no País, a maioria pelas próprias montadoras. O volume equivale à produção argentina neste ano. Em 2008, foram importados 375,2 mil veículos. Já as exportações ficarão abaixo desse volume.
“Vamos deixar de exportar mais de 330 mil veículos este ano”, calcula o presidente da Anfavea, Jackson Schneider, ao comparar as previsões deste ano com os 734,6 mil carros exportados em 2008. Até outubro, a queda é de 42%. Nos dez meses, a balança comercial já apresenta déficit de 15 mil veículos. No ano passado, o saldo foi positivo em 359,4 mil unidades.
Em valores, o saldo deste ano também está negativo em US$ 2,5 bilhões, após dez anos de superávit na balança de veículos e autopeças. Além do real valorizado, os principais clientes deixaram de comprar produtos brasileiros. “Não vejo mudança significativa nesse quadro em 2010″, diz Letícia Costa, vice-presidente da consultoria Booz & Company.
Para o presidente da Anfavea, o fato de o Brasil produzir menos do que o mercado consome pode se transformar, no futuro, em risco a novos investimentos e à geração de empregos. Pelas contas da entidade, a produção da indústria este ano será 5% menor que a de 2008, enquanto as vendas devem crescer cerca de 10%.
Apesar dessa constatação, Letícia tem visão menos pessimista. “No contexto global, não dá para reclamar.” Ela cita, como exemplo, os EUA, que em 2007 consumiram 16 milhões de veículos, volume que caiu para 13,2 milhões em 2008 e este ano deve ser pouco superior a 10 milhões. Com exceção de Brasil e China, a maioria dos mercados vai cair este ano.
O presidente da Fiat, Cledorvino Belini, também vê o déficit da balança comercial automotiva como uma preocupação a mais para o setor. “Já exportamos mais de 800 mil veículos num período em que importávamos 80 mil”, lembra ele, referindo-se a 2005, quando foram exportados 897 mil carros brasileiros e importados 87 mil de vários países.
Belini ressalta ainda que, diante dos mais de 20 milhões de veículos que estão sobrando no mundo – resultado da capacidade ociosa das montadoras globais -, o Brasil tem se tornado um mercado atrativo para desova de encalhes externos.
Neste ano, várias marcas que não viam o País como prioridade desembarcaram carrões e carrinhos de luxo nos portos nacionais. Casos da BMW, com o Mini Cooper, da Mercedes-Benz, com o Smart, da Fiat, com o Cinquecento, e da Lamborghini, entre outras.
Fonte: O Estado de S. Paulo/Cleide Silva | www.estadao.com.br
Monday, November 23, 2009
Has BMW Sauber really been sold?
Mario Theissen (left) with the author (centre) does not regard the former BMW Team as being 'safe' yet
There have been various degrees of disquiet expressed by F1 people relating to the Qadbak acquisition of the team formerly known has BMW Sauber. Including a recent article in the Swiss paper Sonntagszeitung suggesting that the deal is close to collapse. In a recent interview with Autosport.com, former Team Principal Mario Theissen stated that he would not make any decisions related to his own future until “the new team is safe and everything is sorted”. One interpretation of all of this is that the agreement between BMW and Qadbak is subject to the team getting a grid place in 2010, this would make sense from Qadbak’s perspective if they planned to sell the team on and therefore make some money on the deal. All the coverage has suggested that the team was sold unconditionally to Qadbak, but perhaps this was not the case and in fact the deal has not been finalized and will not be until a grid place for the former BMW Sauber team is confirmed.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Top Gear 14.1
Top Gear is most assuredly back! In the 14th series opener, the boys went on a journey to Romania to try and find the best road in the world, there was a test between a Mercedes S63 AMG and a BMW 760LI and the actor Eric Bana dropped in.
I think the surprise of the night came when I found out that Eric Bana is Australian! I had no idea that he wasn’t an American actor. Well, I suppose that just goes to show how good he is. Also, he is a giant fan of motorsport and races GT cars regularly. It even came out that he has not taken a movie project because he would rather go racing. His prowess on the track really came through when it came to his lap in the reasonably priced Suzuki Liana. Even though it was extremely wet and even though he missed a gear change, he still managed to put in the fastest wet lap of all time, which is damn impressive. All of his lines were spot on and you could tell from the video that he was going to be fast. All in all, a very good lap from a surprisingly Australian person.
The test round the track that took place involved James, for once, testing out some hot super sedans. The Mercedes S63 AMG and the BMW 760LI both feature huge engines, a 6.2 liter V8 in the Merc and a 6.0 liter, twin-turbo V12 in the BMW. Both make generous amounts of power and torque, but the BMW is faster in both a straight line and around a track. This surprised me because I would have thought that the BMW would have been the softer of the two, given that the AMG is usually thought to be a brutish sort of car, and the BMW 7 series generally isn’t thought to be all that sporty. But the Bimmer was better able to put the power to the ground without completely lighting up the back tires around every corner like the AMG. And though the BMW won the battle, it was still decided that both cars were wastes of time and money because they are overpriced and overpowered and don’t know what they really are. They are supposed to be luxury limos, but also try to be sports cars, and that just dilutes them from being truly one or the other. And I have to say, I agree with their verdict on this one. If I want a sports car, I’ll go buy a Porsche or something and if I want a big luxury saloon, I’ll get a Jag, but I don’t need them to be put together and then pay more than I would for both of them combined with the one car.
On to the main event now. In what can only be described as a hair-brained scheme to find a road they could have simply gone to right off the bat, the boys traveled through the country or Romania in search of the Transfagarasan Highway. This is the highest, and most dramatic paved road in the country and looks very similar to the Stelvio Pass that they visited a few series ago. Of course, it wasn’t just about the road though. The cars that they brought were supposed to be the best grand touring roadsters in the world, and so Clarkson brought an Aston Martin Volante, Hammond showed up in a Ferrari California and James brought a Lamborghini LP560-4 Spyder. They then bickered and did what they do best by driving around, getting lost and competing in challenges that don’t really settle anything at all. Of course, since they were in Romania, it was only natural that they should see a ton of Dacia Sanderos. For those who don’t know, James is obsessed with this car. He feels it is a cheap car with no frills that is actually pretty good. So, Clarkson bought him one. And, as happens with all their gifts, you just knew that it had to get ruined somehow. This time, a large semi-truck backed into it and completely destroyed it after James had parked it “conveniently.” I know it was set up, but it was still great to see, because I think that James actually did like that car. After that, the boys followed May and, of course, got lost out in the Romanian countryside where James had a fender bender with his Lambo. But, after all of that nonsense and tomfoolery, they finally reached the road, and it turned out to be an epic thing. Clarkson even commented that the road was a combination of all the best corners of all the best race tracks in the world, and there is no greater compliment than that.
Overall, the episode was a good one for the start of the series and it can, hopefully, only go up from here. I wish I knew what was coming up on the show next Sunday, but they did not tell the audience. I’m assuming that it will be a big surprise. I will say that the one car I am hoping to see on this series is the new Noble M600. I want to see what it can do around the track, because it is supposed to be devastatingly fast.
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Monday, November 16, 2009
BMW App For iPhone & iTouch
For all of you BMW Moguls out there, Apple has released an app in it’s store just for you.
The new BMW TV app will provide users with a unique brand experience of BMW, which will allow them to stream from their iPhone or iPod Touch the latest videos from BMW TV, as well as a video wall with an interactive interface that lets them keep track – and bookmark – interesting videos that you might end up liking. The new BMW TV app also works seamlessly and selected videos can be viewed without interruption. The app also allows you to recommend some of the video contributions to your friends through the use of social media or by emailing the links to your friends.
(Topspeed)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
MINI Clubman JCW
I saw this MINI at the dealer yesterday. It’s a 2009 MINI Cooper Clubman JCW with 7,000 miles on it and asking price is $34,000. The MINI looks great, it has a 6-speed manual tranny, black leatherette interior. I would love to buy this MINI, but the timing is not perfect at the moment. It is slightly used and I have no problem with used cars (my current car I bought used), but for me a MINI is suppoed to be part of your character and I feel like something ismissing.. one of the things I noticed is that it’s missing rear fog lamps and I bet you’re thinking so what? Well let me tell you.. I like to have all of the switches inside under the radio filled, looks weird to me when there’s an open spot… but that’s just me. There are a few more pictures of this MINI in my picture gallery here…. enjoy
Friday, November 13, 2009
Formula 1 Brasile: Analisi
Mark Webber – Duro. Una sorta di Nigel Mansell del 2000. In partenza si difende da Raikkonen rompendogli l’ala anteriore con una manovra veramente pericolosa, poi nel gioco dei pit stop, grazie ad un ritmo altissimo, sorpassa Barrichello. Da li in poi nessuno lo impensierisce più.
Robert Kubica – Stranito. Si perchè inspiegabilmente da qualche GP la BMW si rivela competitiva nonostante abbia già deciso di abbandonare la Formula 1 a fine anno. Detto questo Kubica approfitta del parapiglia iniziale e imposta la gara su un ottimo ritmo che lo tiene al riparo dal ritorno di Hamilton, andando a conquistare un secondo posto inaspettato alla vigilia.
Lewis Hamilton – Surreale. Parte dai bassifondi della griglia e grazie ad un assetto da asciutto perfetto rimonta in maniera incredibile, fulminando tutti coloro che si ritrova davanti. Bella la lotta con Barrichello.
Cresce la consapevolezza che se la Mclaren non avessse sbagliato macchina, in cima al mondiale probabilmente oggi ci sarebbe lui.
Sebastian Vettel – Deluso. Come Hamilton parte dal fondo e recupera manciate di posizioni in gara. Pilota velocissimo ma un pò acerbo nella gestione di un intero campionato; paga delle qualifiche sottotono (nonostante sia un mago della pioggia) e assiste al trionfo del rivale Button.
Jenson Button – Campione del mondo. Qualifiche difficilissime, ma Jenson non perde la calma e approfittando del mega incidente del primo giro guadagna diverse posizioni.
Da li in poi tira fuori i muscoli lottando con Kobayashi e gli altri dimostrando che questo titolo se lo è meritato sul campo; il problema a Barrichello infine gli spiana la strada verso la corona e Jenson festeggia.
Kimi Raikkonen – Sfortunato. Partenza strepitosa, sale al terzo posto, poi mentre sta sorpassando Webber viene chiuso contro il muro col risultato che l’ala anteriore va a pezzi. Percorre il giro ad andatura turistica, poi rifornisce, la macchina prende fuoco causa la benzina di Kovalainen spruzzatagli in faccia, riparte ultimo e con un gran ritmo risale fino al sesto posto surclassando ancora una volta Fisichella.
E la Ferrari lo ha licenziato..
Rubens Barrichello – Sconfitto. Il grande sconfitto, ma col sorriso sulle labbra. Combatte nelle qualifiche e fa la pole, poi in gara paga una strategia non perfetta; ritrovatosi a lottare con Hamilton fora un pneumatico e dice addio al sogno di portare la lotta mondiale fino ad Abu Dhabi.
Onore delle armi a Rubens che, dato per finito, ha dimostrato ancora di saperci fare.
Giancarlo Fisichella – Inguardabile. Nelle libere fa spegnere la monoposto in una prova di partenza; in qualifica la fa spegnere al primo giro sotto l’acqua. In gara subisce ancora una volta Raikkonen; un disastro. E la terza piazza nel mondiale costruttori per la Ferrari si allontana.
Sebastien Buemi – Piede pesante. Si qualifica sesto in condizioni limite e conduce una gara perfetta senza errori e con un ritmo da alta classifica. Di altra pasta rispetto al compagno Alguersuari.
Del Franco-siciliano ne sentiremo ancora parlare.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
BMW 123d - M diesel?
Provavelmente será um exagero, mas com 204 CV e um chassis hiper-eficaz, o 123d é um verdadeiro desportivo e não lhe ficava nada mal a assinatura M.
O apuro tecnológico da BMW em termos de motores diesel ultrapassou tudo aquilo que era expectável. Depois de desenvolver a tecnologia do duplo turbo para o motor de 3 litros que equipa o Série 5, Série 6 e Série 7, os técnicos da marca transferiram a tecnologia para o bloco de dois litros e ultrapassou pela primeira vez a potência específica de 100 Cv/litro! Há motores a gasolina que nem perto! Contas feitas, são 204 CV extraídos às 4400 rpm, um monstruoso binário de 400 Nm a partir das 2000 rpm e uma potência específica de 102 CV/litro, com o limitador de rotações numas improváveis 5200 rpm…
Olhando assim para as características técnicas, temos ainda de lhe juntar a excelente caixa manual de seis velocidades e o chassis com suspensões independentes nos dois eixos, sendo atrás multibraços. Fica também na retina os 50/50 de distribuição dos pesos pelos dois eixos, a direcção muito directa e o endurecimento de molas e amortecedores.
Interior na mesma
O 123d normalmente não tem o tratamento M, mas desta feita, a esta unidade de cinco portas não faltaram à chamada o volante em pele de grande grossura e excelente pega e os bancos desportivos, além da alavanca da caixa M. A posição de condução é perfeita e a facilidade de a encontrar também. Para os outros, a situação é mais complicada: atrás a largura é escassa, o espaço para arrumar as pernas também não é muito e a acessibilidade não é brilhante devido ao recorte das portas. Mas, que interessa isso? O melhor lugar é o do condutor! Palavra para a grande qualidade de construção do habitáculo, a fraca funcionalidade e versatilidade (espaços para arrumação são escassos e pouco funcionais) e a péssima visibilidade para trás. Ah! e o equipamento não é muito, pelo que como habitualmente, terá de recorrer à lista de opcionais para dar um maior requinte. No caso da unidade ensaiada e por via dos retoques M, são muitos euros gastos aqui e além…
Comportamento extraordinário
Uma das coisas curiosas é que apesar de todo o manancial de potência e sofisticação, o 123d faz parte do programa Efficent Dynamics, o que quer dizer que aproveita a energia libertada na travagem e conta com o sistema “Stop&Start” (que desliga o motor quando imobilizamos o carro e colocamos a caixa em ponto morto). Que pode ser desligado, claro. Por tudo isto, o BMW gasta menos de 8 litros aos 100 km (se puxarmos muito chega aos dois dígitos) e emite menos de 140 gr/km. Isto na teoria e sob as condições muito próprias dos testes de homologação..
Como já referimos, as suspensões são mais duras – o que prejudica o conforto, embora neste caso de forma perfeitamente justificada – o que adicionando ao excelente chassis e à óptima distribuição de pesos, forma um conjunto altamente eficaz. O 123d curva de forma impressionante, inserindo a frente sem dificuldades e mantendo uma linearidade de trajectória raramente quebrada. Se abusarmos, o DTC (controlo de tracção e estabilidade) lá está vigilante, embora entre em acção muito tarde pois é raro em mãos experientes ser necessário, tal, a eficácia. Obviamente que desligar o controlo de estabilidade é uma decisão a ser tomada caso tenha a certeza daquilo que sabe fazer sentado em frente ao volante. È que os 400 Nm de binário são poderosos e um deslize – uma aceleração a mais ou tocar no travão na altura errada – leva a saídas fortes ou piões vistosos. Mas isso só sucede se abusarmos realmente do 123d.
Com uma posição de condução perfeita e um comportamento tão eficaz, é fácil ultrapassar alguns desportivos e dar luta a modelos de outro gabarito. Por isso mesmo é que dissemos que este 123d bem poderia ser um M diesel. Não lhe ficava nada mal… Claro está que para chegar a este desportivo diesel, é necessário alargar – muito – os cordões à bolsa: mais de 40 mil euros sem contar com os opcionais que levam o modelo ensaiado para lá dos 46 mil euros. Muito dinheiro para um Série 1 acanhado. Mesmo que pague cada cêntimo em prazer de condução e economia de combustível.
Características técnicas
Motor – 4 cil. 16V; 1246 c.c.; “common rail” c/duplo turbo; Potência (CV/rpm) – 204/4400; Binário (Nm/rpm) – 400/2000-2250; Transmissão – Dianteira, caixa manual 6 vel.; Suspensão (fr./tr.) – Independente, McPherson/Independente, multibraços; Travões (fr./tr.) – Discos ventilados; Comp./Larg./Alt. (mm) – 4230/1741/1420; Dist. entre eixos (mm) – 2660; Capacidade da mala (lt) – 330; Peso (kg) – 1410; Velocidade Máxima (km/h) – 238; Acel. 0-100 km/h (s) – 6,9; Consumo médio (l/100 km) – 5,2; Emissões CO2 (gr/km) - 138 (Categoria c); Preço – 40.750 Euros
Monday, November 9, 2009
Boot Camp and Pump Tracks
Morning!
Boot camp is going well. Last week was multiple days of long threshold intervals. The last one of those was yesterday and consisted of 8 minute hill repeats, five times on Trail Creek Road. It was brutal but better than the intervals a couple days before. I already feel like my form is coming back a little and my body is being reminded of what it is supposed to do. I did enjoy the casual schedule for the last month, but now it does feel good to get back into some work and feel my legs and lungs responding appropriately. This week will consist of intervals again every other day, but way shorter and way harder. After this week, it tapers down until Cotopaxi. This has been a super compressed training peak, but I’m sure I still have residual fitness from the whole year of racing. I also trust my coach, Matthew. He has never steered me wrong and he’s way smarter than I am. The weather has cooperated really well for the training schedule too. It has been cold, but clear. It’s the time of year where each day, I look outside and hope that I won’t have to do a workout in the rain or snow. So far, so good! I’ve also been able to rally a few training partners to join me on some of the workouts, so it keeps me honest. Yesterday, the Ipod was the motivating training partner. A friend of mine plays in a disco band called Sparkle Motion. He made me a disco playlist and I must say, I was ripping up those hill repeats to Shake Your Booty, Disco Inferno, It’s Raining Men, etc. You KNOW you remember those lyrics!
This week is also full of planning for the encore showing of Race Across the Sky, the Leadville 100 film. This time around, I’m heading to Boise to introduce the film and host a pre-party before the show. Click here: http://georgescycles.com/ for info on the Boise showing and pre party at G Fit Studio.
If you don’t live in Idaho, but still want to see the film, click here: http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/Sports/RaceAcrossTheSkyENC.aspx Put in your zip code to see if the movie is playing near you. It’s one night only, so don’t miss it.
Pictures here are Greg and I playing on the new pump track a block from our house. It’s so much fun and now makes me realize, I need another bike!!! A friend of ours won this Specialized P3 in a raffle and he’s been kind enough to “store” it at our house. We’re just making sure it gets a good workout. The track is awesome. I just usually have to wait for all the kids to go home for dinner before I drop in, so I don’t embarrass myself.
Cheers
Reba
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Deal of the Week: Mitsubishi Endeavor
Did you forget about the Endeavor? Don’t feel bad, most people have. In fact, Mitsubishi even forgot to offer a 2009 model. But that doesn’t mean you should forget to look at the Endeavor if you are in the market for a mid-sized CUV.
Back in 2003, the then new Endeavor beat out heavy hitters like the Nissan Murano, Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot in an Edmunds comparison test. It won that comparison test not by outright dominating, but by being consistently competent.
Though little changed since then, the core features that helped take the top slot in that comparison test are still present today. Edmunds editors noted the Endeavor’s well-balanced ride and handling dynamics, a gutsy V6, a roomy, comfortable cabin and solid build quality.
But time waits for no CUV, and the losers in that comparison have all been redesigned since then, while the Endeavor has soldiered on without an update and with few changes. So in the absence of a redesign, Mitsubishi is endeavoring to sell more of their mid-sized CUV by offering up some attractive incentives. Read about them after the jump.
Now through the end of September, customers can choose between $3500 cash back or 0% financing for up to 48 months and 1.9% financing for up to 60 months. If you can still find a 2008 model on dealer lots, there is $4000 dealer cash available, but no special finance rates.
While the Endeavor doesn’t offer some of the latest wiz-bang features, it does offer a package that is safe, roomy and comfortable. With these latest incentives, it is also more affordable. For many, that is all they ask for in their vehicle.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/2009/09/deal-of-the-week-mitsubishi-endeavor.html
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Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Traurig - der Toyotaausstieg
Das ist ein trauriger Tag für mich
Ich bin seit vielen Jahren Formel 1 Fan und stehe zu jeder Tag- und Nachtzeit auf um das Rennen live zu sehen (und dabei bin ich ein Langschläfer), war jedoch nie Fan eines Teams oder eines einzelnen Fahrers.
Seit Toyota in die Formel 1 kam bin ich jedoch Toyotafan – warum? das kann ich gar nicht so genau sagen, mir ist das Team sympathisch, die Fahrer meist auch (okay Ralf Schuhmacher war nicht so ganz mein Fall) und ich hatte ihnen einiges zugetraut. Ich habe mir sogar eine Fahne gekauft, obwohl ich solche Merchandisingprodukte eher als rausgeworfenes Geld betrachte und das Geld lieber in Bücher investiere.
Seit knapp einer halben Stunde ist nun der Ausstieg des Team zum Ende des Jahres offiziell
Ich bin traurig, hatte ich doch trotz der vielen hartnäckigen Gerüchte auch entgegen aller Vernunft noch gehofft dass die Teamspitze den Aufwärtstrend speziell in den letzten beiden Jahren sieht, die Erfolge in diesem Jahr, die eingefahrenen Punkte – statt nur den nie eingefahrenen Sieg. Dabei waren sie doch so manches Mal knapp davor dieses Jahr, das wäre doch ausbaufähig gewesen…
Bitter das immer mehr der bekannten und großen Automobilhersteller aus der Formel 1 aussteigen, nachdem letztes Jahr Honda ausstieg traf es dieses Jahr BMW und Toyota – wann steigen wohl die andern großen aus?
Ob ich nächste Saison weiterhin zu jeder noch so frühen Stunde aufstehe weiß ich noch nicht, vielleicht iet jetzt einfach der Zeitpunkt für mich erreicht das Thema Formel 1 hinter mir zu lassen – mal sehen.
Die Fahne werde ich dennoch weiter in Ehren halten.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Compacto da BMW será o primeiro de grande escala a usar fibra de carbono
O projeto Megacity da BMW, que deve dar origem à releitura do Romi-Isetta, contará com o primeiro veículo de grande escala a utilizar fibra de carbono. Como define a própria marca alemã, o veículo será o primeiro com “preço ajustado” a contar com este composto em grandes quantidades em sua estrutura.
A fibra de carbono garante ao veículo maior resistência e menor peso. O uso deste componente no compacto deve ajudar no uso do material para outros modelos da marca. Aliás, esta novidade marcará a estreia de uma nova divisão na BMW. A empresa não diz quando o novo carro chegará, limitando-se a dizer que ele chega “na primeira metade da próxima década”.
Apostas?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
First Official Post on AD
Welcome to Ascent to Decadence.
My name is Ben. I’m an Appalachian State grad, photographer and graphic designer living in Raleigh, NC. However, I spend most of my time neck deep in cars and music. I can get into just about any passionately made automobile on earth (disclaimer: get out of here China and Korea. This doesn’t concern you and your design ripoffs.) Same goes for music. Anyone who genuinely loves what they do and pours out their soul through music, I will probably like. Outlaw country, metal, opera, polka, classical, progressive rock, folk music, or whatever. Just save me the rap, pop and pop country. That stuff is downright terrible to listen to AND destructive to the institution of music. On the subject of music, I have to give credit where credit is due. The blog title is taken from a song by Sahg. It is a delicious track. Also for those of you who still purchase CDs, the album artwork courtesy of Martin Kvamme is quite beautiful as well.
On to my plans for this blog. I’m going to talk about anything and everything. I follow car news very closely and I spread links around everywhere I go. I decided one day I wanted to share my opinion on them. Same goes for music. I’m listening to everything from alt-rock, to outlaw country, to progressive rock,to black metal, to opera and any combination of them. If I hear something fantastic, I’ll write about it. My favorite musician is Ihsahn (born Vegard Tveitan and is of Emperor fame). He’s an all around fantastic guy with an incredible musical vision who draws upon a wide variety of influences, both musically and literary, to his music. On top of that he teaches music at local schools and uses his own money to fund music festivals for young bands. I myself have 10 years of piano experience, but recently picked up the drums and I’ve been learning my way around that.
I also attend a variety of events related to the topic of the internal combustion engine. I’ve seen everything from the Volvo trucks manufacturing plant in Sweden, to rally racing in Spain, to Formula 1 at Silverstone, to NASCAR in North Carolina. I grew up in a NASCAR and Sprint car dominated family, but my heart really lies in German cars. Specifically older German cars. In my opinion, modern cars have lost a lot of their original character in the ever increasing consumer demand for safety and sameness. Most cars these days if you take the badge off of it, no one will know what it is. Unlike, say a 1970’s Porsche, or Alfa Romeo, or Jaguar. Car design is all about who can be the most techno-futuristic and throw as much useless bullshit in there as you can to cater to laziness and stupidity. Many cars are going to start coming out without dipsticks. I personally drive an E39 BMW 540i 6-speed and worship the V8 engine religiously. My mom has a 2009 Mini Cooper S Works and we frequently go to Mini gatherings. Dad has a BMW R1200R motorcycle which he greatly enjoys.
I’m also a big fan of animals and the outdoors and I do a variety of activities of both, which I’ll post about. I will also try to do beer reviews as well. I love to drink different beers and I prefer porters, stouts and double bocks. Same goes for movies, but good movies are harder to come by these days.
Well, I suppose that will be all for now. Keep checking back.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Ride Report: Route 22 & Far Hills NJ
The most fun you can have with *all* your clothes on.
I was kind of pissed that there was no simple, accurate resource for good motorcycle roads. I asked around and was told that 22, 202, and 27 all lead to good roads. Without much more than that, we headed to Plainfield, NJ and had a late lunch and with the web browsers on our phones, picked out a general route.
I had the lil’lady with me, 2-up on the back of the Road King Classic. And boy, that bike needs a name. I want to call her Bessie, because she’s like a big black whale. I’ll try that name now.
And Mike was with us on his Sportster, a bike I’ll try calling Hoggo in this entry.
I realize my ‘readership’ is pretty low, and that’s fine, this blog is informational beyond all. But if no one’s really reading, then no one can complain if I say certain crazy things. And that sound good, so I’ll also start that now.
ANYWAY,
We ate at that subshop just before Plainfield Ave meets 27. They had fresh ingredients and everything was very good, but nothing out of the ordinary. Mike pulled up and met us inside, though we didn’t hear Hoggo approach, and he ordered a tuna sub. Then touch the map and go, uh oh, cha-cha-ching. So yeah, we got subs and hit the road. Hotsteppin’. You know..
Took Plainfield across 27 until it broke into a fork, then went right. Stopped for gas. I got premium. First time in my life I bought premium. The 6-gallon tank really rocks. My Volusia’s only a 4.5 gallon, I believe. Normally I find myself putting in about 3 gallons, sometimes 3.5 – now, under 1/4 of a tank, I was putting in almost 5 gallons. Cool! I’m sure that gas will last, too.
At the fork we went right, and ended up on Washington Ave, which we took until we got to 22.
There were cars in the way, and Mike split to pass them all and ended up waiting for us as we followed the cars in front of us. He called me out on it and I pointed at my odometer and said “70, give me a break!” He just liked to tease me. I know he was curious about what the bike could do, being a whole 500cc larger than his (though twice the weight). I’m happy to report that we have yet to settle it.
Bessie was gentle with bumps in those old roads. At speed, there was no loss of confidence on my part taking some tight turns, going around cars and pulling off and back onto the road (we double-checked the maps). These were residential roads, speed limit 35mph, and not that many cars as it was a Sunday afternoon.
When Washington Ave met 22, there was a great incline heading up a mountain in front of us, but we turned left at the lights and followed 22 for a mile or two: it was our chance to open up, even though I definitely was wondering what was up that mountain. Figure Mike was too because later that’s all we did.
So on 22, Mike was putting along nicely at about 40 or so, still accelerating away from the light (and 22 is very straight and was mostly empty in our direction) when I cranked the throttle open and flung by with the annoying and artificial whooping of the engine. It felt good to get that far open, cracking 80 after two seconds, but that was when I noticed that the performance was dampened very much by the presence of my loving and beautiful passenger. She was dead weight, gah!!! I should have been going much faster. I’ll get around to speeding recklessly when alone though, no worries.
Sportster 0, King 1.
We putted along 22, catching some lights, not really seeing the appeal (22 was supposed to lead us to 206 (or 202?), which should be a great twisty road). We came up on a wide open field off to the right, and it was there I spotted maybe 7 or 8 deer, grazing in the tall grass and doing deer things in the low woods. So I took the first turn off on the right and we went through a quarry.
The lower dot is the quarry. Can't really say how we got from one spot to the other, but my GPS says we did.
I should have taken a photo at the quarry. We turned off 22 and were immediately greeted by a “road closed to through traffic” sign that we ignored. We rode slowly over the gravel and gravel-strewn pavement. We saw no deer, but the quarry was a real sight. There were hills torn in half and strips of discoloration all across the big mounds – trailor or backhoe marks or something. Was fun to trespass a little bit.
At the end of the quarry road, we came out before a regular-enough road, making a T with it. There were two other bikers there – one riding an old road king himself, and one riding some kind of chopper. I noticed they were young, like Mike and me, and one was dark skinned and the other looked korean. Very harold and kumar. I asked, “What’s good?” and they told us to head left, not right, and to make a right at the end of that road. Said it was good roads. We thanked them and continued.
We checked both ways for traffic – the T intersection was at a curve in the road, but the woods were cleared for a ways on the side of that road so we could see very well. With no one coming, we struck out onto the road and Mike slowed immediately and I matched his pace. We were doing about 25 in 2nd gear as he counted down… 4, 3, 2… he put his hands back on the bars and cranked hard. I followed but he simply pulled straight ahead faster than I could. Every second he put another few lengths between us until he approached the next big curve ahead and there he slowed.
Sporster 1, King 1.
Does this blog count as a review of the 2010 FLHRC yet?
We took the turns gracefully, splitting up immediately with him in front and me at least 40 feet behind. I trusted my brakes but not my tires – cant’ tell if all the film is off those newly-minted rubbers. I should say I took the turns gracefully, or we referring to the bike and myself (and the lil lady), because Mike was a freakin’ animal. And I can’t blame him, I would be too if I were on my old bike. But I was trying to be respectful of my own unknowable ignorances and, of course, trying to not freak out the lady with any stunts. At least, not until I know what we can do.
We rode those good roads and stopped at the ones that had sharp inclines – no better excuse to rev up and no better way to feel those beasts pulling under your ass. We came on a suggested-10-mph turn, a very sharp hairpin, and because we had been looking ahead we made it without incident, despite the SUV in the oncoming lane falling far over the double yellow. Lucky there we weren’t daydreaming.
We found some really, really big houses up in the sticks. 4-car garages, 3-wing structures, guest house in back type stuff. I wondered what they cost – it’s the boonies, after all, but probably not more than 15 minutes from 78, that awful mountain highway. They need to finish resurfacing that bitch.
The leaves were glorious. I hate that I didn’t stop to take any pictures, even with the elevation and the foliage. Our plan for the day got fouled and we were down to only 2 hrs of light for this ride, so we just kept at it.
My ride was equally glorious. It was this Sunday I discovered that 2nd gear is truly the sweet spot, at least until I get the bike tuned (to stop the pinging – see here for an example). I found the handling to be incredible – so, so much better than anything else I’ve ridden in my 2.5 years. I want a little rumble, a little soul from the exhaust, but I’ll get there soon. I put my feet up on the highway pegs on the way home, riding the Garden State for 20 minutes. I love it, I love the feel of it, I love the way she rides. I like that the auxiliary lamps cast such a bright net riding in the dark, and I like that the blinkers work (My Volusia’s had some troubles…).
I’m not 100% with the fact that the slowspeed handling feels like holding a toddler by the arms rather than by the chest. Let me try that again. Ever pick up a 5-yr old and swing him by the arms? You hold hands, or if you’re smart, you hold his wrists and you spin around, dragging him through the air? When you first start, or when you are slowing to stop, that feeling like the weight is just far away from you – too far to control perfectly – that’s what the Heritage bars feel like on the Road King, that’s what Mike’s drag bars feel like on his Sportster, that’s what the Deluxe and the Wide Glide and the stock Road King feel like too. That’s Harley’s frame/fork design. The Volusia doesn’t feel like that, the V-star doesn’t feel like that, the Ducati doesn’t feel like that, and the BMW doesn’t feel like that. (How is it I’ve never been on a Triumph?) It’s not a complaint, it’s an observation, and I’m going to get used to it.
That plus the stupid exhaust note are on my list.
The rest of it … god, I just melt when I get on this bike.
The Whale, beached on the sidewalk.
I spoke to Mike about the ride, saying it was great to take all those twisties for 2 hours and to tour through the leaves up on the mountain and all. He said I only thought it was “great” rather than “acceptable” because I hadn’t had many good roads. And he’s right, I’m very casual, I’m more about strolling than performing. But I love riding hard, I just always tend to have the choice between that (solo) or the equally wonderful stroll with the lady, drinking and eating and having a lazy time.
He said his work schedule was changing and he’d have Saturdays off in a few weeks for the next few months, until summer. Said we’d do some cold weather riding, taking the day, and go into the Catskills of NY (near where we grew up) as soon as possible. He said then I could properly use the word “great” on a ride.
But this Sunday, short as it was, well, it was a hell of a ride. And then we saw and fought a huge dragon, went back to the house and had steak and shrimp on the grill, and watched an old Simpsons episode. Then we won some money.
Yup, crazy.
124 Miles and going strong.
Can’t close on a ‘technical’ pic…
Bessie in the garage the next morning.
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