2011 Lexus CT 200h

    The Lexus CT 200h is a full hybrid luxury vehicle through and through. Introduced at the Geneva Auto Show, the hybrid Lexus provides full luxury in a compact vehicle hybrid.

    The 1.8 litre motor is paired with an electric generator to provide power in four different drive modes. Each mode allows the driver to choose how he wants the hybrid to respond. Sport, eco, ev, and normal. To maximize fuel efficiency, the outer design was selected to minimize drag and optimize airflow.

    Press Release follows:
    The new CT 200h represents the synthesis of five key Lexus attributes which offer customers an unprecedented experience in premium compact motoring: Lexus Hybrid Drive and the extremely rigorous set of development standards known as the Lexus MUSTs; a unique driving character; the dynamic yet elegant styling inherent in the latest realization of Lexus’ L-finesse design philosophy; Lexus’ outstanding manufacturing quality and attention to detail; and the renowned customer service which lies at the heart of the Lexus ownership experience.

    Lexus Hybrid Drive Powertrain
    The CT 200h’s Lexus Hybrid Drive features a unique energy management system. Through the application of brand-specific engineering solutions and software tuning, Lexus engineers have focused on enhancing both the environmental and driving performance of the full hybrid series/parallel system, as well as its low NVH levels.

    With a total system output of 134 hp (100 kW), the CT 200h will accelerate seamlessly from 0-60 mph in 9.8 seconds. Conversely, the CT 200h boasts remarkably low fuel consumption – a combined EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 42 mpg.

    Lexus Hybrid Drive generates significantly less NOx and zero particulate emissions compared to an equivalent diesel engined vehicle. Moreover, when operating in a switchable EV mode, it generates zero NOx and particulate emissions, driving for up to one mile at speeds of up to 28 mph.

    Further enhancing the Lexus Hybrid Drive system’s outstanding environmental credentials, the CT 200h incorporates numerous additional energy saving and environmentally-conscientious measures. These include LED lighting, an energy-efficient audio system amplifier and bamboo charcoal speakers, and the use of bio-sourced materials.

    Dynamic Package
    With a highly-focused driver’s environment, the new Lexus CT 200h has been developed to combine superior handling and a dynamic driving experience with the ride comfort expected of any Lexus.

    Key to the new premium compact full hybrid’s sporting driving experience is its highly focused driver’s cockpit. It features a low driver’s seat with enhanced lateral and lumbar support, a sporting, wide grip steering wheel and a driver-focused instrument binnacle housing large, high-visibility, triple dials.

    The CT 200h benefits from a highly modified existing platform incorporating numerous, exclusively developed body, chassis and powertrain control system engineering applications designed to offer customers a choice of two distinct driving moods – Dynamic, or Relaxing - in conjunction with the full hybrid’s EV, ECO, NORMAL and SPORT, ‘on-demand’ drive modes.

    Particular attention has been paid to promoting superior handling stability through the high structural rigidity of the bodyshell, a low center of gravity and the minimizing of the yaw inertia moment through the use of an aluminum hood, tailgate and bumper reinforcements.

    Introduced for the first time on a Lexus in this segment, a unique lateral performance damper system has been designed to help absorb and minimize body vibrations, giving a linear steering feel and further enhanced ride comfort.

    The Lexus CT 200h features a bespoke suspension design which combines a proven, MacPherson strut front system with a new, fully-independent double wishbone architecture to the rear, offering superior levels of ride comfort, handling and package efficiency.

    Design
    The Lexus CT 200h introduces a powerful new evolution of Lexus’ unique L finesse design philosophy to the heart of the premium compact segment.

    Marrying refined elegance to sporting dynamism, the CT 200h has a highly distinctive, sharp-edged, resolute appearance, generating a unique aura which immediately sets it apart from segment rivals. With a powerful new Lexus frontal design, sweeping lines which mimic the natural flow of wind over and around the bodywork and a purposeful, wide track stance, the new full hybrid is the perfect expression of compact precision and power.

    The CT 200h’s efficient and elegant cabin combines superior ergonomics, advanced Human/Machine Interface technologies and spacious passenger accommodation with hand-crafted feel, premium quality materials to create an outstandingly refined driving environment.

    Its efficient package enables front and rear seat passenger accommodation that is spacious and a 14.3 cu. ft. luggage capacity is comparable to any vehicle its size.

    Safety
    The new premium compact full hybrid is equipped with a comprehensive range of active, passive and pedestrian impact safety features in the entry luxury segment.

    The CT 200h offers an optional pre-emptive, Pre-Collision Safety system incorporating Adaptive Cruise Control. Eight airbags including driver and front passenger knee airbags and Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) front seats are fitted as standard, and an upgraded Electronically Controlled Braking-Regeneration system (ECB-R) incorporates Anti-Lock brakes (ABS), Brake Assist (BA), Traction Control (TRAC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and a hybrid version of the brake override system, Smart Stop Technology.Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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Jaguar C-X75 Extended Range Electric Vehicle

    Jaguar C-X75
    Jaguar has introduced the C-X75 plug-in concept. The Extended Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) from Jaguar has two gas micro-turbine from Bladon Jets along with two switched reluctance generators from SR Drives. The generators move the car along, while the gas turbines are there to recharge the battery that powers the generators.

    Along with the above, four traction motors located on each wheel provide a total drive power of 580 kW/780 bhp. Jaguar thought it might be necessary to provide torque-vectored, all-wheel drive traction and grip when the vehicle produces 1,180 lb-ft of torque.

    Twin Turbine Power Train
    Full electric range is 68 miles (110 km), but will travel up to 560 miles once the gas turbines kick in (thus the 'extended range'). Acceleration is 0-62 in 3.4 seconds, 50-90 mph in 2.3 seconds and a top speed of 205 mph. Emissions are very low, at 28 g/CO2 per km on the EU test cycle.

    The car’s interior is equally impressive, with the driver and passenger seated ahead of a sealed airbox that houses the micro gas-turbines. The seats are fixed to the bulkhead as in a single-seater racing car, and air to feed the turbines passes smoothly around them via channels in the structure of the body. With the seats anchored in place, the steering wheel, controls, main binnacle and pedal box all adjust towards the driver.

    Dramatic theatre lighting is activated as the driver approaches the car; phosphor blue electro-luminescent wire lights illuminate the perimeter of the cabin and the turbines. When the car is started, additional blue LED lighting gently floods the door and bulkhead speaker cavities, highlighting the car’s lightweight construction. Bespoke interior materials include cream and grey leathers, polished and vapour-blasted aluminium and a soft-feel textured neoprene.

    A new interface for the driver has also been created for the C-X75 using high-resolution TFT screens. Building on Jaguar’s 10-year expertise in touchscreen technology, the Jaguar Co-Pilot display in the centre console supports the driver in extracting the full potential of the C-X75 by seamlessly managing information.

    The C-X75 – At a glance

    • DESIGN – A celebration of 75 years of beautiful, fast Jaguars which points the way to a new design language
    • PERFORMANCE – 0-100km/h (62mph) in 3.4 seconds, top speed of 330km/h (205mph) and 80-145km/h (50-90mph) in just 2.3 seconds
    • PROPULSION SYSTEM – A Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (RE-EV) using a unique combination of electric motors and micro gas-turbines to increase its range to 900km (560 miles)
    • EMISSIONS – A zero tailpipe emissions range of 110km (68 miles) while running solely on battery power
    • SUSTAINABILITY – By capitalising on its plug-in charge capability the C-X75 will produce just 28 grams of CO2 per kilometre on the EU test cycle
    • CONSTRUCTION – Jaguar’s advanced lightweight aluminium construction techniques provide great weight-saving and economy benefits. Additionally, up to 50 percent of the metal content is recycled
    • ACTIVE AERODYNAMICS – Drag coefficient of 0.32Cd and active downforce created through the use of an underbody Venturi
    • THEATRE – A dramatic entrance to the car is created by striking electro-luminescent wire lighting which alters to enhance the driving experience
    • UNIQUE USER INTERFACE – The touchscreen Jaguar Co-Pilot interface manages the information workload by predicting the needs of the driver
    • BESPOKE MATERIALS – Interior seamlessly blends traditional, hand-tailored leathers with textured neoprene panels and two different aluminium finishes
    Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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Lola T70

NSR Mosler video

AmeriCredit Auto Finance Sold To General Motors

    AmeriCredit shareholders approved a 3.5 Billion Dollar acquisition by General Motors that has been in the works since June.

    General Motors needed a way to offer financing to those with medium credit and AmeriCredit was seen as the solution. AmeriCredit stock rose 7 cents and this should give GM a confidence boost before their initial stock offering.

    The question is; Do you see General Motors as a stronger company now as compared to pre-Government GM?Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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Volvo Wants to Charge Up Your Car in a Different Way

    Image from MotorTrend
    Volvo, and nine other corporations, are looking to put the battery pack you might find in a plug-in vehicle (either electric or plug-in hybrid electric into a different place.

    By using composite materials, they are examining the possibility of putting the battery into the body of the car.  The fun image they have at MotorTrend shows how much of the body would be taken up.

    The composite material consists of carbon fiber and polymer resin.  The material is capable of storing great amounts of electric energy (enough to allow the car to travel up to 81 miles of all electric power (the Leaf goes 100 miles, while the upcoming Volt gets 40 miles of all electric range.  It's also supposed to recharge faster than a conventional battery.

    Another advantage is by turning the battery pack into the body of the car, you can distribute the weight.  And the composite material is lighter than conventional building materials, reducing weight by as much as 15 percent.

    The questions I'm left with is what if you're in an accident?  I can't imagine the body panels would be cheap to replace.  Also, what about scratches, dings, or outright dents?  Will that impact the cars ability to recharge or retain its charge?

    The other partners in this project include the Imperial College London, Advanced Composites Group, Bundesanstalt Fur Material forschung undprufung, Chalmers, ETC Battery, Fuel Cells Sweden, INASCO Hella, Nanocyl, and Swerea SICOMP. The European Union jump-started the endeavor with 35 million Swedish krona ($5.2 million).Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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Boys and Girls Club racing!

    Check out the link to see the photos from the event held at the Bluffton (Georgia) Boys & Girls Club. The kids crowded around the track to watch and then take their turn to race... it looks like it was lots of fun!

    The day was part of a larger Day for Kids sponsored by Country 106.9 and the slot racing was sponsored by Carrera.

    See more photos at the Carrera of America Facebook page.Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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NSR Ford GT40 video

Ninco October releases

Honda IMA Hybrid for Less in Europe

    2011 Jazz Hybrid to Debut in Paris
    Honda is debuting the Jazz Hybrid at the Paris Auto Show. Due out as a 2011 model, the newest IMA hybrid is built using the Honda hybrid system used in the sporty CR-Z hybrid and Insight.

    The Jazz hybrid will still have the same interior space, despite the addition of the electric motor and battery pack. The control unit and battery have been placed under the boot floor. The 'Magic Seats' still fold entirely flat to increase the cubic space inside, or can be folded to sit vertically, allowing for taller items to be transported.

    Honda testing has shown the 1.3 litre i-VTEC engine has similar emissions at 104 g/km as the Honda Insight. At low speeds, the Jazz hybrid can run at all electric. Combined fuel efficiency is being estimated at 4.4 l/100km.Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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Elfin cars pictures

New Super Tires for Carrera Can Am's-video

Slot It O2 video from Slotlandia

GP Singapore 2010

    678
    .
    acrylic on paper 8x12"
    .
    Maestro Alonso
    .
    not only did Fernando win the Singapore grand Prix
    he sat on pole
    led every lap
    and got fastest lap
    all he needs now is to lead the championship
    .
    i'm just happy to paint these cars in the dark
    with all thousands of wonderful reflections...
    .
    Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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Breaking news! NSR Corvette and Porsche 911 coming!

Slot MiniAuto 72

Clementine 0.5: New and Improved KDE4 Port of Amarok 1.4

    Clementine is a port to KDE4 of one of the most beloved music players on Linux, Amarok 1.4. The latest release brings several new features, including iPod, MTP and USB mass storage disks support, queue manager, support for Wii Remote to control it, and numerous bug fixes to already existing features.

    Clementine 0.5 in Kubuntu 10.10 Maverick Beta

    Clementine brings the same Amarok 1.4 interface to KDE4, looking good and very familiar. Here is how it looks like:

    The main features of Clementine are:
    - music library
    - powerful playlist
    - file browser
    - Internet services
    - iPod, MTP and USB mass storage disks support
    - local cover or Internet cover fetching support
    - cover manager
    - queue manager
    - 10-band equalizer
    - customizable OSD (on-screen display)
    - projectM vizualizations
    - support for transcoding audio files
    - 5 analyzers
    - system tray integration

    As I already mentioned, the interface resembles the one of Amarok 1.4, with the same widget styles and menus. To the left there are four tabs through which the user can access the music library, the file browser, the Internet services or the Devices. The main part of the window is occupied by the playlist itself, while the cover is displayed at the bottom left corner, with the option to show small or larger sizes of the cover.


    The media library organizes the music by artists, albums and songs, and allows you to drag and drop any of these items to the playlist. The playlist shows by default the title, artist, album, song length and track number, but you can show as many columns as you want and sort the playlist using any of these.

    Clementine also brings the well-known cover manager, which looks exactly like the one in Amarok 1.4:

    Clementine cover manager

    The playlist shuffle mode allows to shuffle by album too, not only by song, and the repeating mode allows to repeat the current song, album or the whole playlist.

    Clementine implements the projectM music visualizer, which features tons of visualizations, and which allows to change the framerate and quality (the highest settings would allow 60 fps using 1024x1024 resolution). In addition to these, Clementine offers control buttons in the visualization window too:

    Clementine features projectM visualizations

    Regarding Internet services, Clementine offers Last.fm integration and song submission, SomaFM and Magnatune support, and custom radio streams.


    The Preferences window allows configuration of cross-fading, replay gain, tray icon, global keyboard shortcuts (also, running in GNOME will allow to use GNOME's shortcuts), OSD (which can be configured to show a Clementine OSD or a specific desktop environment OSD), Wii Remote, Last.fm account, Magnatune account and music library directories.

    On-Screen Display and Preferences

    Conclusion
    If you are unsatisfied with the direction Amarok 2.x took and can't live without Amarok 1.4, then you have two choice. Either stay with it, or try Clementine, which has the advantage that it integrates good with the desktop. Although it still lacks several features (lyrics support, Wikipedia integration or smart playlists come to my mind just now), Clementine is almost the perfect replacement for Amarok 1.4 on KDE4. And even though it may not offer everything now, keep an open eye on it because it will surely implement new features in versions to come.

    Homepage #1
    Homepage #2
    Homepage #3
    Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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Shotwell - The New Photo Manager in Ubuntu 10.10

    As many of you already know, Shotwell will replace F-Spot in the next Ubuntu release, Maverick Meerkat, which is scheduled for October 10. Shotwell is a GTK photo management application which organizes your photos in a collection, allows them to be tagged and rated, and more.

    Shotwell 0.7.2 in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Beta

    This article is about Shotwell 0.7.2, the latest release, which is included now on the beta release of Ubuntu Maverick. Here are its most important features:

    - import photos from F-Spot or from a folder
    - view detailed meta info about photos
    - set ratings and tags
    - filter images
    - preview all images, view photos as slideshow, view in fullscreen mode
    - sort photos by title, date or rating
    - edit in external image editor
    - publish photos to Facebook, Flickr or Picasa Web Albums

    Publishing to Facebook

    - export photos to JPEG or PNG, with the possibility to rescale them


    Exporting photos

    Shotwell will also organize photos using the so-called "events", sorting them depending on the date they were taken.
    Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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Very Nice Music Player for GNOME: Decibel Audio Player

    Decibel is a music player built in GTK which takes a different approach when it comes to the way features are implemented, and that is, Decibel uses only plug-ins which can be enabled or disabled on demand. This makes it either a pretty featured player, or a very simple and basic one, depending on which plug-ins you need enabled.

    Decibel integrates well in GNOME and follows its HIG

    The first thing I liked after opening Decibel was its slogan, which goes "...And Music for All" (Metallica anyone?)

    The interface is clean and simple, and according to the official website, it follows the GNOME HIG (human interface guidelines). To the left there is a tree view listing files and folders which can be be added to the playlist. It also includes three view modes, full mode (shows everything), playlist mode (shows only the playlist), and mini mode (shows only control buttons, cover - if enabled, artist, title and album).

    The Mini Mode

    Although Decibel may seem simple at first, this is because all the plug-ins (except the File Explorer) are disabled by default. You can turn Decibel into a pretty powerful player by turning these on. Here is a list of the plug-ins (which can be accessed via the Edit->Preferences menu item) bundled with Decibel:

    - Audio CD: plays audio discs
    - AudioScrobbler: submit music you listen to Last.fm
    - Covers: show album covers
    - Desktop Notification: it is an OSD (on-screen display) to show when the track changes

    Desktop Notification

    - Equalizer: 10-band equalizer (no presets at the moment)
    - File Explorer - browse through files and folders and add them to the playlist
    - Instant Messenger Status: allows to set what you're listening to in your status message, with a configurable message (e.g. ♫ {artist} - {album} ♫); I tested it with Pidgin and it works, for Empathy it didn't seem to work though
    - Library: organizes music by tags
    - ReplayGain: normalize volume
    - Status File: generates a text file with the current status
    - Status Icon: system tray integration (not configurable)
    - Twitter: update the status of your Twitter account

    Plug-ins and the equalizer

    To install Decibel in Ubuntu, type sudo apt-get install decibel-audio-player in a terminal.


    Decibel is very nice, and its strong point is definitely its modularity, allowing you to turn it from a basic player into a more complex one.
    Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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Krita - The KDE Answer to GIMP

    I was recently browsing through various Linux news sites and bumped into this article, a taste of a comic done in Krita, the KDE painting and image editor application, which is part of the KOffice suite. Now I rarely use image editors, and I'm totally untalented at it, but when I do, I use GIMP for basic cropping, coloring or other simple stuff. Anyway, I remembered I only tried Krita once, in KDE 3, and I was a little dissatisfied with it (can't remember exactly why), so at the time I decided to stay with GIMP. This is why this article brought Krita again in my attention, so I decided to give it a spin and see how it looks like.


    In this overview I'm going to talk about Krita 2.2.2, which comes included in the Ubuntu 10.10 Beta repositories. Being a full-fledged image editor, Krita comes with many tools and features needed by an image manipulation program, and to list a few.
    - support for various file formats, including PNG, JPEG, BMP, PDF or TIFF
    - selection and painting tools which include various shapes like line, rectangle, ellipse, in addition to freehand paint
    - many brush engines
    - filters: raindrops, blur, sharpen, mosaic, to list a few

    In addition to these, Krita allows you to change brightness/contrast, rescale, crop and rotate images, export the result to various image formats or PDF, take advantage of the split-window option, or work with layers.


    When starting Krita for the first time, it will ask you to choose the size and color model for the default template (just like probably 90% of the KDE applications, I had to resize the window and widgets inside it in order to get a good screenshot, but this is off topic).

    I mentioned some of the good parts of Krita. Now, I don't know if this is only me, but when applying an effect I got a preview on the image, but after closing the window the image wasn't modified. I tried the Apply and Close button too, but same result. After this, Krita crashed. This happened without exception many times.

    Final thoughts: Krita is nice, but it currently crashes a lot. It's frustrating to hit apply to an effect and then watch the program crash, and I think this needs a lot of working, because at the time being, it's in an almost unusable state. Other than that, Krita is a decent replacement to GIMP (or it will be, as soon as they get the crashes fixed), especially if you want an application to integrate well with your KDE desktop.
    Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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2011 Manhart Racing M6XR Twin Turbo | Preview Walpaper

    Wow it is wonderful from Manhart Racing Press Release) Press Release – Manhart Racing M6XR Twin Turbo Bold statement: 687 hp & 319 km/h! Manhart Racing has debuted a new BMW M6XR Twin Turbo package for the BMW X6 M, The ber-SUV is powered with a V8 twin turbo engine as standard, which products a fat 555 hp and 680 Nm of torque at a maximum charging pressure of 1.5 bar.

    The BMW X6 M V8 twin turbo engine proved no exception to his ability to quickly find efficient ways of increasing the performance of an engine. Thanks to an overhaul of the engine electronics, including DME control, and a catalytic conversion including modifications to the converters, the power of the 4.4 litre V8 is increased to 687 hp, which at a tare weight of 2380 kg amounts to a power to weight ratio of 3.4 kg per hp.
    2011 Manhart Racing | Preview Walpaper car



    2011 Manhart Racing | Preview Walpaper

    This is 2011 Manhart Racing BMW M6XR Twin Turbo

    width: px; "Source URL: http://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/2010/09/
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