Author: Tabitha
Audi will enter the 2016 motorsport season with the most powerful and efficient hybrid racecar it has ever built. Audi says the R18 represents the next stage in lightweight design, and has a modified hybrid system with lithium-ion batteries for energy storage. Hybrids, such as this Audi R18, are becoming more commonplace in prominent endurance-racing series.
Having your infant safely secured in the rear seat of your car, facing the back, is the correct thing to do. However, it’s virtually impossible to see how they’re doing in the mirror with their backs to you. A simple solution is to purchase a Munchkin Adjustable Back Seat Mirror. The product will allow you to keep tabs on your kid just by glancing in your rearview mirror. The 13- by 9.5-inch mirror can be adjusted to the correct position for you and your baby to see each other and will fit just about any backrest. Munchkin sells the product…
Without question, one of the most famous North American highways is Route 66. Before interstate freeways were built, this 2,448-mile two-lane road was the primary link between Chicago, Ill., and Los Angeles, Calif., beginning in the late 1920s (it was officially decommissioned in 1985). As a record of the highway’s glory days through the decades, author Joe Sonderman has assembled some 400 postcards depicting points of interest, landmarks, attractions, motels, restaurants and other sights. His book, “Postcards from Route 66, The Ultimate Collection from America’s Main Street”, is a must-have for anyone interested in this iconic stretch of asphalt and…
The Spy Guy loves the look of Kia’s updated-for-2016 mid-size sedan. He might have even more to be envious about when – or if – the Optima Sportswagon version makes it to our shores. Pics of the camouflaged car have been floating around the Web world prior to the finished product being revealed in March at the 2016 Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland. Both non-turbo and turbocharged four-cylinder engines would be available in North American versions, with mandatory turbo-diesels for European and Asian customers. Expect the decision this spring as to whether the Sportswagon is to be sold here. …
The automaker that has sold more electric vehicles than any other says it will continue to drive down the cost of electric cars, concentrating on making them affordable to the masses. Renault Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn said neither Nissan nor Renault would produce a rival to the upscale Tesla Model S, and instead, “we are concentrated on the mass market.” The small sales increase that would result from “going niche” isn’t what Renault-Nissan is going after, he said. Concentration on the mass market could mean that the on again-off again Infiniti Electric luxury car will remain on the back…
The first 100 percent electrically powered Porsche sports car is on its way in the guise of the seductively styled Mission E sports sedan. In making the announcement, Porsche executive board chairman Oliver Blume called it the “beginning of a new chapter” in the history of the sports car. The Mission E, due to be launched in about three years, will require an investment of almost US $1 billion and more than 1,000 new jobs at Porsche’s Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen factory. The four-door car with four individual seats will have an output equivalent exceeding 600 horsepower, will achieve zero-to-60 mph in less…
Although the Veyron replacement won’t be available for another year, the Spymaster has scored some intel concerning Bugatti’s next mega-buck super car. The Chrion (named for an early Bugatti racing driver) will arrive with a quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter 16-cylinder engine producing 1,480 horsepower and 1,100 pound-feet of torque. Power will be directed to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual paddle-shift transmission. Zero-to-60-mph is estimated at 2.8 seconds with a 311-mph top speed. Fifteen radiators will provide cooling, five more than were on the Veyron. Styling will be similar to the Bugatti concept that was created for Sony’s PlayStation’s Gran Turismo…
Recycling various car parts to make all kinds of products is becoming popular these days. A case in point is the Couch company that takes “vintage” vinyl and cloth seat covers, trunk liners and seatbelt webbing (no leather, please, as the owners are vegans) and turns them into consumer products, including guitar and camera straps, belts, bags and wallets. For example, the wide assortment of guitar straps is derived from retired Mustang, Volkswagens, Cadillac, and Mercedes-Benz models (to name a few) and are priced from $45-$50. Camera straps range from $20-$30, while wallets sell for $20-$34. Couch makes other cool…
Rampage products has come up with a truly novel way to tote your tools safely and securely. The company’s Trail Can Utility Tool Box (model 86619) look like an old-school-style jerry can, however this one flips up at the top to reveal a small removable toolbox. In addition, the side door opens to reveal two removable drawers for storing bulkier items such as saws, drills and the like. Also, the inside of the door is designed with storage slots for screwdrivers. The Trail Can Utility Tool Box sits 18-inches tall by six-inches wide by 13-inches deep. It holds no gasoline.…
With three all-new models in less than 12 months (four, if you count the Mazda2 sedan that’s sold here as the Scion iA), Mazda has indeed been busy. Following the CX-3 and MX-5 Miata launches, an all-new 2017 CX-9 wagon recently debuted at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. It replaces the previous CX-9 that had received little in the way of updates since its 2007 model-year launch. Beyond the sophisticated design and Mazda6-sedan-based platform, what impresses The Sleuth most is the car’s 287-pound weight reduction, despite adding 53 extra pounds of sound deadening material. Mazda also dumped the CX-9’s…