Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Ariel, Washington

Ariel, WA Car Consumer Discussions

Re: more fuel efficient than a MT? [nippononly]

by andys120 on Sat Jul 04 05:14:38 PDT 2009

I do think that the death knell has now been sounded for the slushbox, which will be replaced by DGSs in expensive applications, and by CVTs in cheap ones. I agree with that as well but I also think the three-pedal manual will also be replaced by the DSG or CVT except for narrowly focused track sports cars like the Ariel Atom and Caterham Seven or perhaps retro excercises like the Morgans

Chrysler Allies With Fiat

by hpmctorque on Tue Jan 20 06:24:43 PST 2009

This is an interesting and exciting development, but it will also be controversial, as two less-than-major players with less-than-stellar reputations must prove that, together, they can compete in this tough market. The following is from today's Detroit Free Press... "Fiat and Chrysler sign alliance plan ROME 1/20/2009 411 AM By ARIEL DAVID Fiat and Chrysler said Tuesday they have signed a nonbinding agreement for a strategic alliance that would give the Italian auto empire a 35-percent stake in the troubled U.S. carmaker. The two companies said in a joint statement they would share technologies and vehicle platforms. Under the proposed alliance, Fiat would not invest cash in Chrysler but would provide access to its successful small-car platforms, as well as to its more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient engines. The statement said Fiat would take an 'initial' 35-percent stake, suggesting the deal may be broadened. It stressed that under the agreement the company is not committing to funding Chrysler in the future. For Chrysler, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, the deal would mean breaking out of the North American market and gaining access to more competitive products. 'A Chrysler-Fiat partnership is a great fit as it creates the potential for a powerful, new global competitor, offering Chrysler a number of strategic benefits, including access to products that complement our current portfolio (and) a distribution network outside North America,' said Bob Nardelli, Chairman and CEO of Chrysler LLC. Fiat Group SpA, which makes Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo vehicles, is trying to re-enter the United States market. The company has expressed interest in bringing its Fiat 500 compact car and the Alfa Romeo brand to the U.S. The alliance is subject to a review of company finances and regulatory approvals, including by the U.S. Treasury Department, which last week announced an emergency bridge loan for Chrysler, which analysts say will have difficulty surviving as an independent company. 'This initiative represents a key milestone in the rapidly changing landscape of the automotive sector,' said Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. 'The agreement will offer both companies opportunities to gain access to most relevant automotive markets with innovative and environmentally friendly product offering, a field in which Fiat is a recognized world leader, while benefiting from additional cost synergies,' he said. Chrysler, which is 80.1 percent owned by Cerberus Capital Management LLP, has been hurt by its reliance upon slow-selling trucks and sport utility vehicles and analysts have said it may not survive the year as an independent company despite receiving the $4 billion government loan. The Treasury Department said Friday it will provide a $1.5 billion loan to Chrysler's financing arm, Chrysler Financial, and the automaker plans to offer zero-percent financing on several models and expand lending to car buyers with less than ideal credit. Nardelli said the partnership would provide a return for taxpayers on the loan, 'securing long-term viability of Chrysler brands,' boosting consumer confidence and "preserving American jobs.' "

Re: Apropos of nothing in particular [gagrice]

by plekto on Mon Jan 05 21:35:58 PST 2009

Here is my real world complaints about all the 4 banger gas cars I have seen and ridden in. They cannot keep up on the SoCA Interstate highways without down shifting and screaming up to over 4000 RPM. They are few and far between that can get 500 mile range on a tank of gas. Most of the V6 & V8 gas engines are not much better. **** Well, that's exactly the problem with gasoline engines. To develop maximum HP, they need to scream, as maximum torque isn't produced until you're approaching red line. JUst the nature of the beast. Diesels, OTOH, have loads more torque so they can get away with lower RPMs and shift a lot less often. Torque is huge in passing times and roll-on acceleration as well. BTW, Fifth Gear(U.K. auto show) recently tested several cars and the closest they could get, even flogging the cars hard, was still 20% slower than the listed 0-60 times! They couldn't even get the Ariel Atom under 4 seconds, despite slamming the clutch hard and wringing the hell out of it. The Corvette, for instance, is designed to withstand 100 full throttle 0-60 launches before the engine and transmission break. Most cars are closer to half that many. Nobody sane drives like that except for auto testers and people doing drag racing. So 0-60 times are often twice as fast as listed in actual traffic. This is another advantage to torque over horsepower. Since the cars all don't GO 0-60 in under 10-15 seconds in actual traffic, smoothness, lack of shifting, and the feeling of how hard the engine pulls you along matter far more. Of course, I'm kind of preaching to the choir here. Heh. Modern diesels completely destroy gasoline powered designs of most vehicles other than the top-end cars - mostly extreme sport sedans and exotics and the like, which are kind moot in actual real life driving. (ie - Porsche is great, but you hit 65mph in 2nd or 3rd gear and then your fun is over)

Re: CR 0-60 Times [andys120]

by plekto on Mon Sep 08 10:52:10 PDT 2008

That's the thing, though. There are essentially no standards at all with the manufacturer's claims. There ARE no standards for testing, so it is very much like db claims for fans. They all test vastly different than what the marketing departments claim. If the guys at Fifth Gear couldn't come remotely close to the listed times(on an actual drag strip/flat test track), you have to wonder how much of it is lying or someone doing really brutal things to that car. Even the Ariel Atom was a full second slower than the published time no matter how hard they flogged it. They asked the manufacturer about it on the show and they were adamant that it would do the listed time. The host's face was obviously showing that he wasn't buying it. My guess is that most manufacturers do their tests on a dyno. This of course would largely negate road friction, initial time to hook up/get traction, and wind resistance. They also tend to make 2nd gear silly tall to not require a shift to 3rd before 60-65mph to get better bragging rights. But then again, seriously - have you ever kept a car in 2nd gear with an automatic until it hit the rev limiter? If it's a Ford or GM, it'll sound like the thing is about to grenade on you. No sane person would do it, which is why these figures are not even close to being realistic.

.

by fintail on Sun Jul 27 18:53:56 PDT 2008

I saw an Ariel Atom today...first one of those I have seen in motion

Re: HADRON [louiswei]

by lexusguy on Tue Jul 01 16:33:47 PDT 2008

To me it looks like the 'Ring record war (started by GT-R) is the new HP war. Does anyone remember who started the HP war? The nice thing about a lap time war as opposed to a horsepower war is that it involves the design and engineering of the entire car, not just the engine. Clumsy muscle cars like the CL65 have no chance. My guess is that one of the 1000hp per ton road racers like the Caparo T1 (if it can actually survive a whole lap) or the Ariel Atom 500 V8 will be able to break the seven second barrier, and the old guard like Ferrari and Porsche will never catch them.