Author: Tabitha
Ford’s built-in-Canada GT supercar will use a strong, lightweight glass developed for cell phone use in its windshield and engine cover. Gorilla Glass, developed by Corning for smartphone touchscreens is a thin, lightweight and durable alternative to regular safety glass, reports AutoWeek magazine. It’s also about 30 percent lighter, while maintaining and possibly improving the safety quotient of safety glass. Ford said the high-tech glass in the windshield and engine cover will save about 12 pounds in the car’s overall weight. Construction of the glass is similar to traditional laminated safety glass in that there’s a layer of plastic sandwiched…
There’s an official-looking video on Youtube.com that suggests the Knight Rider TV series is set to return at some future date. It features David Hasselhoff (Michael Knight in the original show) along with an unknown actor assuming the lead role. The teaser also displays the original modified 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. At this point it’s anyone’s guess when Knight Rider will return or if it will be a movie or a TV show. In a world that loves remakes, why not Knight Rider.
Word has reached The Spy Guy that the on-again, off-again saga of a new minivan designed and built by Volkswagen is very much on the front burner and will likely launch sometime in 2017. However it appears that the only version in the works will have an electric motor to power the front wheels and its battery pack beneath the floor with a range in miles in the low 300s. Although earlier prototypes had the people mover resembling Vee-Dub’s rear-engine Microbus of old, the partial images that The Sleuth has viewed would suggest a more modern design. Ultimately, any news…
If you work on machinery, whether for business or pleasure, you’ll want to include one of these handy items in your toolbox. The Gimbal Ratchet from GearWrench could save you time as well as a few skinned knuckles when tightening or removing fasteners where space is limited and where a standard ratchet is too big or awkward to get the job done. As the name implies, the Gimbal 72-tooth ratcheting mechanism actually pivots up to five degrees, so you can attach or loosen most common nuts or bolts from most awkward angles. The Gimbal sells for $20-$25 (depending on the…
There have been numerous books and one documentary that focus on the life and tragic death in 1994 of Formula One ace Ayrton Senna. Now comes a 1:8 scale version of the car that Senna drove to his first of three championships in 1988. The highly detailed and McLaren MP4/4 model is made up of hundreds of parts that, when assembled, result in an authentic reproduction that can be displayed as a single unit, or with the engine and body removed. De Agostini of Italy sells the kit as a single package for the equivalent of $990, or by subscription…
Sweeping out the dirt, rocks and debris from the bed of your pickup truck usually results in the space between the bed and the tailgate becoming jammed with little bits of the stuff that you’re trying to remove. The result is a painstaking process of removing these small bits of stuff in order to lift the tailgate to its upright position. The Gapshield Tailgate Gap fixes the problem by creating a seamless link so all your refuse can be removed without any hassles. The 60-inch-long by six-inch-wide Gapshield can be trimmed to fit any width of bed (with or without…
Many homeowners access their garages by using automatic door openers. The only problem is, if your vehicle is stolen or broken into, it’s relatively easy for thieves to help themselves to the contents of your garage and possibly your home by using your remote or your in-car Homelink button. For that reason you should consider Garage Armour. The product’s key safety feature is a PIN pad remote that you program by keying in between three and eight numerical combinations. Each kit sells in the $70 range and includes a remote, receiver, adaptor and two lithium-ion batteries. Full product details and…
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has invested US $40 million in FCA Transport, the company’s own truck fleet, to convert its 179 Detroit-based parts haulers to run on compressed natural gas rather than traditional diesel. The transition to CNG represents a win-win-win, said Steve Beahm, head of supply chain management. “It offered a solid business case, clear environmental benefits and an opportunity to invest in our Detroit facility and workforce.” Prior to the changeover, the fleet used nearly 2.6 million gallons of diesel fuel a year while driving about 16 million miles delivering parts to assembly plants. With the new CNG-powered fleet,…
To The Sleuth’s private eyes, it seems that the sleeping Swedish giant has finally awakened and is running on all fours (cylinders, that is). Following the recent all-new XC90 tall wagon launch, The Spy Guy has scoped out Volvo’s 2017-model-year replacement for the S80 flagship sedan. The S90 is exceptional in its design and has enough quirkiness under the hood to help catch some glances. The base T5 uses a turbocharged 240-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, while the 302-horsepower T6 uses the turbo for top-end power for the 2.0 along with a belt-driven supercharger to assist at lower engine revs. Lastly,…
The Sleuth has learned that rumors surrounding the origins of Buick’s next fleet addition are true. That means by next summer the mid-size five-passenger Envision tall wagon will be arriving in North America from a General Motors’ plant in China. It will mark the first time that an automaker based here will import product from that country. Lower production costs will allow Buick to sell the Envision as a single fully loaded unit with all-wheel-drive and numerous high-end creature comforts built in. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque will be the sole powerplant.…