Posted in Cars, Customer complaints, Exotic Cars, Hybrids, Toyota Prius, Traction control on April 21st, 2007
Toyota Prius owners are complaining that the nature of the car’s traction control system causes the engine to die just when you need it most - in snow and ice. Many feel that this is potentially dangerous and have stopped using their Prius whenever it snows.
Toyota Prius
An increasing number of complaints have been sent to Toyota but the company remains adamant - that is the way the system has been designed and it is working as intended, apparently - so it will not be re-designed or adjusted.
It seems to me that the hybrid Prius has found the best way of all to save the planet; after all, when the motor isn’t running, it’s not pumping out any greenhouse gases…
Read more at Consumer Affairs dot com.
Posted in American cars, Automobiles, Cadillac Sixteen, Car design, Cars, Design exercises, Exotic Cars, YouTube on April 19th, 2007
I never liked Cadillacs until I came to the States. That event coincided with some of the best cars ever made by Cadillac - it was as though they put on a special effort just for me. And I am a complete convert; in my opinion, Cadillacs are now the best looking and most desirable of all American cars.
The Cadillac Sixteen, a design exercise from 2003, is the essence of all that has been good about Caddies ever since. Styling features have influenced later models and the car itself, with its 14.6 liter 16 cylinder engine, is the perfect combination of sports and luxury. It looks a brute and, thankfully, it is. No wonder Cadillacs today are serious contenders for the motorist’s checkbook.
Here’s what Top Gear had to say about the Sixteen when they tried it (lucky blighters).
Posted in Bowler Wildcat, Cars, Exotic Cars, Land Rover, Oddities, Off road cars, Paris/Dakar on April 17th, 2007
Here’s something a bit unusual: the Bowler Wildcat, obviously designed with one eye on the Paris/Dakar Rally but being produced for sale too. It is based on the Land Rover but with much more power and strength.
As can be seen from the video, the net result is almost more fun and craziness than anyone could wish for. That is one very fast off road vehicle - if you have to own one, it will set you back a mere $100,000 or so.
Posted in Cars, Comparison tests, Exotic Cars, Ford Cougar, Ford Focus Rally, Racing, Stewart-Ford F1, Top Gear, Videos, YouTube on April 9th, 2007
How often have we watched motor racing on the television and thought that everything seemed pretty slow? The braver of us may even have ventured that we could do better in our tuned-up road burners with the go faster stripe. It is hard to judge speed when watching it on a screen without peripheral vision to give us a reference point.
The Top Gear team performed a revealing test, however, pitting a standard but sporty car against a rally car and a Formula 1 racer - and the results are even more staggering than we can imagine. Have a look at this clip and be amazed at the speed of the F1 car.