Archive for 2013
The New Long Range Holden Volt
How would you like a car that costs $2.50 for 80 km, vs a Petrol car that costs you $10 PLUS for 80 km?
Take a look at the new Long Range Holden Volt
The first of the range of Holden Volt Electric Cars will be approx. $59,990 AUD
The Volt is a range extender concept, or an Extended Range Electric Vehicle, that simply means that the onboard batteries allow a range of 80 km when fully charged
They are then charged by a 4 cylinder generator powered by gasoline, while you drive.
This allows 80 km of travel (electric only) using the stored charge in the 16 kw/hr lithium ion batteries.
You can also charge the car’s batteries via a charging cord which will plug into a 240v home outlet.
Batteries only range of 80km will be extended to more than 600 km by the onboard generator, and unlike most hybrid cars, it runs exclusively on battery electric power.
This is made possible by a 53 kw generator that charges as you drive to produce 111 Kw via the electric drive motor.
This is the killer feature of the Volt, as the major problem with electric only cars is that when the batteries are flat, that’s it.
Most consumers don’t like the idea of being “limited” to driving only a set range.
They want to drive as far as they can in a day, and the Volt will allow that, unlike other electric cars.
Price: $59,990 plus on-road
Engine: 1.4 litre 16-valve petrol 4cyl, two electric drive motors, 16.5kW/h battery.
VW Unveils What Could Be The World’s Most Fuel Efficient Production Car
Back in 2011, Volkswagen showed the world a concept car that was designed to be the world’s most fuel-efficient vehicle. Now, just a few days before the Geneva Motor Show, the company has given us all a sneak peek of what’s actually going to be made: the limited edition Volkswagen XL.1.
The Volkswagen XL.1 is yet another example of just how sexy fuel efficiency is these days, with this unit aiming to be the most efficient in the world. And it probably is. It would be hard to improve on fuel efficiency figures of 0.9 litres per 100 km for the combined fuel efficiency figures (I’m pretty sure that those figures are correct; however, I’ve seen at least three figures in mpg, depending on which source you read, ranging from 314 mpg top 261 mpg, with 261 being the most common one quoted). Motoring writers around the globe are getting excited about this “futuristic” car that combines sexy fuel efficiency with equally sexy good looks.
So how did Volkswagen manage to make such a fuel-efficient car? As you would expect, it’s not just one feature that makes is so economical but a whole heap of things.
Number one is the shape: the Volkswagen XL.1 has been made to have a very low drag coefficient, which means that it slips through the air easily and smoothly with a minimum of friction. The shape seems to have been inspired by nature, with the side-on profile of the Volkswagen XL.1 looking a bit like a bottlenose dolphin (now, you can’t get more eco-friendly than a dolphin, can you?). Because there’s less friction to overcome, this means that there’s less energy needed to speed up and keep moving.
Number two is what it’s made out of. Simple physics and your own experience lets you known that the heavier something is, the more effort (and hence more fuel) is needed to get it moving. This is why the Volkswagen XL.1 is made out of light-but-tough carbon fibre-reinforced plastics. The makers say that this car is only 23% steel, with the rest being made from all sorts of things, including wood supports in the dashboard. The Volkswagen XL.1 has thinner windscreen glass and a load (or perhaps not a load) of other ways to save weight here and there. The end result is a car that weighs about 800 kg.
Number three is, of course, the engine. I guess nobody’s going to be really surprised that the Volkswagen XL.1 is a hybrid vehicle, as this seems to be the way things are going these days. When it’s not using the battery (20 kW power and 140 Nm torque), the vehicle runs on a little (800 cc = 0.8 litre) turbocharged diesel unit that pops out 35 kW of power and 120 Nm of torque. In the performance stakes, it does nought to the ton in 12.7 seconds and a top speed of 160 kmh (limited). It’s not a racing car, but if the new emphasis on fuel efficiency rather than raw power continues, this won’t really be seen as a downside. This is the same engine that you’ll find in the new Volkswagen Up.
The Volkswagen XL.1 is entering production, being made in the same German factories as the Volkswagen Golf and the Porsche Boxter. Alas, only a limited number will be made and we are unlikely to get any here Down Under any time soon. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that production will eventually become more widespread.
Top 5: Classic car auction sales of 2012
In the first of an on-going ‘Top Five’ series, we take a look at what kind of money high-end car collectors are prepared to pay for the best.
The classic car auction market has always intrigued me. Largely, this is because of the sheer beauty, history and diversity of the automobiles on display. Some are no less worthy of a discerning eye as a Picasso, for they are artworks in their own right. Others have a unique story to tell, or are just simply so damn successful as racing cars that the market has no choice but to respect them.
Beyond the stories of the cars themselves it’s the psychology of the market that also intrigues. Nowadays, it’s not only those in the trade or with oodles of money looking to add to their collections that you’ll see holding a bid card. Nope, like artworks or fine wine, there is the occasional speculator who looks at these items merely as another investment opportunity. There have even been a couple of funds set up in the UK that treat cars as an investment asset class.
Whatever the motive, the market has been on a ‘bull’ run for several years now. The very best examples of the most desirable models continue to grow in value, as seen by the following list of the Top Five Cars sold at auction in 2012. Prices include ‘Buyer’s Premium’ (basically a commission for the auction house) and are nominated in Australian dollars.
A couple of key points to note: All five sales came over the course of ‘Monterey week’, an annual gathering in the United States where all the major players congregate. The list also proves that a Ferrari badge is generally a value-adder; with recent news that Ferrari is the ‘World’s Strongest Brand’- beating Apple and Coca Cola- who knows what heights classic Ferraris will reach in 2013?
1. 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Spezial Roadster
Sold for $11,295,585 by Gooding, Monterey, August 18
The height of pre-World War 2 German excess, the 540K Spezial Roadster is somehow imposingly-styled yet still breathtakingly elegant. Powered by a supercharged 5.4-litre straight-eight this example was said to have had only three ‘caretakers’ from new, the first being the Baroness Gisela von Krieger- it was a graduation present from her mother. It has been restored to ‘Authentic, as-delivered appearance’ with ‘matching numbers’ (meaning it retains its original engine and driveline).
2. 1960 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder Competizione
Sold for $10,820,537 by Gooding, Monterey, August 17
Achingly desirable (and expensive) even in ‘standard’ long-wheelbase (LWB) form, this ‘Cali’ was one of only nine to be delivered with an alloy body. Additionally it was delivered in ‘Competizione’ specification, with covered headlights, disc brakes and an engine uprated with parts used by the 250 Testa Rossa race cars. Significantly, it was ordered by legendary US Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti lending it extra resonance on the American auction floor.
3. 1968 Ford GT40
Sold for $10,556,622 by RM, Monterey, August 18
Surprised to see Ford mixing it with the exotic Euros? With the GT40 (so named because its height was 40 inches) Ford’s aim was essentially to destroy Ferrari at the race track, after Enzo Ferrari reneged on a deal that would have seen Ford take over Ferrari (imagine that today…).
Powered by a 4.7-litre V8, this example was one of three ‘lightweight’ production-build GT40s. With ace Jacky Ickx it won a sportscar race at the famed Spa-Francorchamps circuit in 1967. Subsequently upgraded to 1968 specifications, it was used in the filming of the Steve McQueen movie, Le Mans.
4. 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder
Sold for $8,234,165 by RM, Monterey, August 19
Carrying Ferrari Classiche certification- a sign of its authenticity- this California Spyder is of the short-wheelbase (SWB) form- generally accepted to be the ‘Cali’ to have, despite the LWB Competizione above out-pointing it on the auction floor. One of 37 covered-headlight examples, this example is a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance award winner.
5. 1955 Ferrari 410 S Berlinetta
Sold for $7,914,466 by RM, Monterey, August 18
Said to be a one-off body with coachwork by Italian Carrozzeria Scaglione, this earlier Ferrari was specially commissioned for Ferrari SEFAC (racing department) board member Michel Paul-Cavillier. It is powered by a massive 4.9-litre V12 engine which had been prepared for road racing competitions and produced over 280kW of power. Another award recipient, this time at the famed Concorso D’Eleganza Villa D’Este in Cernobbio, Italy in 2009, the uniqueness of this Ferrari no doubt contributed to its exceptional price.
*Images thanks to Mecum and RM Auctions
Fuel Economy: Myth or Fact?
Wringing the most out of our fuel is very much the in thing, whether you’re a greenie or a meanie. Information about what you can do to save fuel and improve your car’s fuel economy gets handed on and handed around. But are some of the things that Uncle Fred taught you actually going to help improve your fuel economy?
• Myth or Fact? You need to warm your car up before you can drive it properly.
• Myth. Even if you are in the chilliest parts of the world, you don’t need to warm a car up before you can drive it. Sure, you might need to apply the choke for a little bit in the depths of winter, but if the engine is turning over, you’ve got the energy needed to turn the wheels. If you do use the choke, remember to turn close it off after about five minutes.
• Myth or Fact? Small cars are more economical than large cars.
• Myth. As my fellow-blogger David commented, fuel economy is getting very, very sexy in the motoring world, and the guys and girls who come up with car ads are just as likely to mention the fuel economy figures as they are to mention the torque. This means that fuel-saving technology is being applied to medium-sized and even large cars. This is good news of all of us for whom a little Honda Jazz or similar is impractical – there’s no need to jam a family of leggy teenagers into the back of a little hatchback in the interest of saving fuel.
• Myth or fact? Driving less aggressively is more fuel efficient.
• Fact. If you demand less of the car, it can work more efficiently. Feather-light touches on the accelerator, gentle braking and smooth cornering are easy on the car and mean that it uses less fuel. Fierce acceleration, hard braking and tight cornering might be all right on the race track but are bad for fuel economy, as well as making you obnoxious on the road to your fellow drivers. This is anecdotal evidence, but I’ve recently picked up a 4-litre Ford Fairlane . Keeping a light foot keeps the average fuel consumption (according to the trip computer) nice and low. Plant the boot and the figures soar. Think of the effortless and graceful soaring of a seagull or an eagle compared to the aggressive and frantic flapping of a chook.
• Myth or fact? After-market additives and thingummies can make your car run better.
• Myth. According to a Reader’s Digest article and the US Department of Energy, most gadgets and additives that you chuck in along with your petrol don’t make your car any more efficient, and the only thing that they clean out is your wallet. The exception is a full conversion to LPG or something along those lines.
• Myth or fact? Replacing your air filter will improve your fuel economy.
• Fact – sort of. Changing the air filter does indeed improve the fuel economy of older cars. However, with modern cars, changing the air filter improves the performance but doesn’t actually improve the fuel economy. This is because a lot of modern engines have computerised controls that maintain the right fuel to air ratio, no matter what state the filter’s in.
• Myth or fact? Idling uses more fuel than restarting your car.
• Fact. If you have to wait for that person who’s running late or if you’re held up by road works, switching the engine right off and restarting it again uses a lot less fuel. OK, it might not be a good idea to do this at the traffic lights, unless you know that you’re going to have to wait a long time until the lights go green.
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