Cadillac Confirms that the ELR will be FWD, Do You Think GM Made the Right Decision?

On Tuesday, Cadillac added another piece to the puzzle that is the new ELR plug-hybrid coupe by announcing that the car will be manufactured at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant with production to start in late 2013.
We already know that the ELR will be closely based on Cadillac's 2009 Converj Concept and that it will borrow much of its extended-range electric technology from the Chevy Volt, combining a T-shaped lithium-ion battery with an electric drive unit and an unspecified four-cylinder engine working as a generator to power the electric motor.
What we assumed, but didn't know for sure, is whether the ELR would keep the same front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout as the Volt or if Cadillac would engineer a new platform with a front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration.
So we asked Cadillac spokesman David Cadwell who confirmed the FWD scenario.
"That's a better solution (generally) for the efficiency that an electric propulsion is obviously aiming for," Cadwell told CarScoop."We of course have RWD layouts for our CTS and ATS product lines, cars in which performance is the overriding objective."
Indeed, in this case, one can make several arguments for and against FWD and RWD layouts, depending if you approach the matter from an enthusiast, a mainstream buyer or a manufacturer's perspective, and whether you take under consideration various factors, including, but not limited to, the financial and practical aspects of either choice.
For example, GM spent a lot of money to develop the Volt project, so it only makes sense from a financial viewpoint to use the platform and its technology to create a second model in a relatively short time.
Moreover, the car's T-shaped battery is a better fit for a FWD model as in a RWD car, it would have to sit above the driveshaft eating up valuable passenger and luggage space, not to mention that it would raise the center of gravity thus possibly ruining its handling characteristics.
On the other hand, a rear wheel-drive layout with a different battery set up, while evidently more costly, would have clearly differentiated the ELR from the Volt and allowed GM to approach a more enthusiastic crowd.
We would be delighted if you continued the discussion on the cons and pros of Cadillac's choice in the comments section below, while also casting your vote in the poll that follows.

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Posted in: Cadillac,Confirms,Decision,Right,Think

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Dumb and Dumber Attempt to Restrain a Honda CR-X del Sol in Canada

A raggedy rag Honda Civicdel Sol (also known as the CR-X del Sol and the new CR-X, depending onthe region) parked on the grass near Lake Beaulac in Quebec, Canada? Check. Two enthusiastic young men prepared to sacrifice their safety and well-being for the entertainment of their fellow citizens? Check.
A cameraman on hand to record the incident? Check.
All that's left for Canada's Lloyd and Harryis to step on a wooden plank and tell the driver of the Civic del Solto push the pedal to the metal. You can probably guess what happensnext…

VIDEO: Fail Type R Del Sol JDM Show de boucane au Lac Beaulac 2011

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Posted in: Attempt,Canada,Dumber,Honda,Restrain

Seat Prices New Toledo from £12,495 in the UK, First Deliveries in December

The fourth generation of the Seat Toledojust made its global debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. The Spanishbrand’s new compact saloon is a “sister” model to fellow VW Groupmember Skoda’s Rapid and it promises to offer a spacious interior in spite of the car’s compact dimensions. Seathas announced that order books are now open in the UK, with firstdeliveries scheduled to start on December 1. Prices range from £12,495and top out at £17,840, with insurance group ratings being as low as 8E.
In the UK, the Toledo will be available with three petrol and one diesel engine in E, S and SE trim levels.
The£12,495 base version is powered by a 74HP (75PS) 1.2-liter engine andwill only be available in the E trim level, which includes front, sideand curtain airbags, ABS, ESC, ISOFIX child seat mounts, an MP3 CDplayer with four speakers, front electric windows and 15-inch steelwheels.
The turbocharged 1.2 TSIengine is offered in two versions, with 84Hp and 103 Hp (85PS and 105PS respectively). Both engines will be available in the S trim levelthat adds air conditioning, a trip computer, split folding rear seatsand a height adjustable driver’s seat, remote central locking, electricheated mirrors, body-colored handles and mirrors and Bluetooth withvoice control.
The 84HP 1.2 TSI ispriced at £14,120 and the 105HP version at £15,150. The latter is alsoavailable in the top-spec SE trim, which on top of the S, includesclimate control, leather steering-wheel and gear lever, cruise control,rear electric windows, a refrigerated glove box, front and reararmrests and 16-inch alloys, and is priced at £16,630.
Themost powerful Toledo, the 1.4-liter TSI, is available solely in SE trimlevel with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and is priced at£17,780.
Finally, the 103HP1.6-liter TDI Diesel is available in both S and SE trims, with orwithout the Ecomotive fuel-saving technology that consists of an autostop/start and an energy recovery system and is priced at £16,640 and17,840 respectively.
“Very fewcars, if any, offer the same combination of space, flexibility,affordability, value and style as the new Toledo”, said Seat UK productmanager Simon Bradley. “It offers something for everyone. Whateverversion is chosen, every customer will enjoy outstandingly low runningcosts because of the car’s excellent fuel economy and low CO2 emissionsacross the range.”

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Posted in: 12495,December,Deliveries,first,Prices,Toledo

BRZ and FR-S Owners Complain About Rough Idle and Stalling Engines, Some Don't Like Remedy

The sports coupe jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru that entered production as the Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S and Toyota GT86 was one of the most awaited cars of the year, since it rekindled the fun to drive and relatively modestly priced niche. Despite being a long time in the making, being teased by a series of concepts, the final product received positive reviews. The three models are nearly identical, featuring a 2.0-liter flat-four engine with both direct and indirect injection driving the rear-wheels via a six-speed manual or auto gearbox and a Torsen limited-slip differential.
The problem is that Subaru and Scion customers who rushed in to buy the first batch of cars are now complaining about rough idle and stalling issues.
Toyota and Subaru announced that there’s no actual mechanical defect in the engine and the issue is caused by a software mapping glitch.
Toyota spokesperson Brian Lyons said that the engine control unit (ECU) is programmed to adapt to the car's powertrain and owner's driving patterns. Within 100 miles (160 km), those settings are “frozen” in the ECU.
Software coding errors in the ECU-engine communication are the culprits for this error. Under certain driving conditions (that were not specified) the electronic control unit software “thinks” that the engine is operating outside its “frozen” parameters and causes stalling or a rough idle as it tries, and apparently fails, to sort things out.
It then flashes the “check engine” light and when plugged into a diagnostic reader, shows a “P0019” error code.
The interesting thing is that, while both Toyota and Subaru agree on the nature of the problems, they offer different solutions.
Subaru will simply re-flash the ECU on all BRZs that have this issue. Toyota, on the other hand, will re-flash the ECU on the GT86 and Scion FR-S only if the car has less than 100 miles; otherwise, it will replace the whole unit.
"This is not a mileage-dependent condition. No replacement of the ECU is needed at any mileage to rectify the issue”, Subaru spokesman Dominick Infante told Automotive News. “The re-flash is the fix. There is not a defect concerning the ECU.”
Not all owners agree that the explanation of a software error is accurate, because even after they had their cars’ ECUs remapped or replaced, the problem keeps occurring claiming there is a mechanical issue.
Toyota and Subaru wouldn’t comment on how many cars are affected or how many complaints they have received until now.
A Scion FR-S owner wrote on the FT86club.com site: “Mine’s on the third week in the shop. Parts are on back order. VVTi cam gear and oil control valve are what they claimed to be replacing. Waiting on gaskets which are on back-order, apparently.”
The forum has over 100 registered complaints with many owners claim that their cars have had their camshaft bearing, cam gears, actuators and cam position sensors changed.

By Andrew Tsaousis

Story References: Automotive News

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Posted in: About,Complain,Engines,Owners,Remedy,Rough,Stalling

Nissan GT-R Bikini Run Video is Not What You Think it Is

If you're looking for some juggling action from synthetically augmented products placed in the tiniest of holders, don't expect to find it here, well, at least not in our primary video because we did add a second clip, but only for reference purposes so you can better understand the storyline.

And unlike those real professional ladies enjoying a ride in superfast sports car as any other…normal woman would do, the unnamed blonde on the black leather seat of the GT-R has a mind and a mouth of her own.

Some of our favorite quotes include, "This GT-R has nothing on those twin-turbo Gallardo" and "No girl, he does his car like he does his woman, quarter mile a time, 10 seconds the most".

A lot of laughs and plenty of bikini slips await for your viewing pleasure in the video that follows below.

We tip our hats to Joseph!

VIDEO: Nissan GTR Bikini Run

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Posted in: bikini,Nissan,Think,Video

Top 5 Fascinating Motorcycles

1. World’s Biggest Single-Cylinder Motorcycle

This outrageous motorcycle was built by Franz Langer, a retired German engineer who had his name written in the Guinness Book of Records for building the biggest single cylinder motor on a motorcycle.

2. Suzuki Biplane (Motorcycle)

This futuristic Biplane concept motorcycle was presented in 2007 by Suzuki in Tokyo

. Due to the awesome aircraft-inspired design the rider is supposed to have the same feeling as being in an open-canopied biplane.

3. World’s Tallest Rideable Motorcycle

Do good things come in small packages? Not in this case! This massive motorcycle was built by Greg Dunham and is 6,500 pound heavy, 15 feet tall and 20 feet long. The huge design has entered the Guinness World Records, as the world’s tallest rideable motorcycle. It took 3 years to have it finished and its price is $300,000.

4. Jaguar Motorcycle

This cool Jaguar “leaper” cat logo concept bike was created by Barend Massow Hemmes of Massow Concept Cycles along with Polar cycles of Doncaster UK. Professional computer illustrators and even a sculptor contributed to get this truly unique final result.

5. Predator Motorcycle

Are you a tough guy that likes intimidating people just by passing close to them along the highway? Then, this awesome and scary skull-covered design is just the right one for you! The Predator motorcycle was made as a commission, by Pitstop Motors, a custom bike shop in New Jersey.

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Posted in: Fascinating,Motorcycles