Calling for Backup: Raising the Bar
Calling for Backup: Raising the Bar
I'm tempted take this bike and live out the rest of my days in the woods as a mountain bicycle cycling minimalist, except I have the outdoor survival skills of a Fabergé egg and would likely perish within a New York fortnight. (One (1) New York fortnight = three hundred (300) New York minutes, or roughly nineteen (19) Portland seconds.)
Still, as fortunate as I know I am, I can't help but get angry when "society" keeps stealing all that I hold sacred and then trying to sell it back to me. You know how it is--just when you find a lifestyle that you think makes you special, someone comes along and commercializes it, and next thing you know you look like everybody else at the mall. Honestly, they do it with everything, and since starting this blog I've witnessed the appropriation of all sorts of formerly-edgy "cultures," among them:
And of course my beloved Culture Club culture.
Yes, one day riding a track bike while covered in tattoos, sporting a genital piercing the size of a Cannondale downtube, and eating a tub of artisanal aioli makes you unique, and the next day you look just like every other dad in Park Slope. (And two days later you just like every fourth grader in Park Slope.) However, despite all this, I thought there was still one subcultural habitat that would remain free from commercial exploitation and unsullied by the filthy conformist hands of the mainstream, and that culture was "cockpit culture:"
Smallest electric car... was advertised as being able to fit in your doghouse
Smallest electric car... was advertised as being able to fit in your doghouse
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A decade in the automotive industry is like the passing of the Mesozoic era; a lot changes. In 2001, Hyundais were questionable and Toyota was infallible. Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Plymouth existed. Scion did not. So it may come as a bit of a surprise that it's been 10 years since Volvo pulled an all-new S60 out of the oven.
With the exception of an ornery transmission and navigation system, the 2011 S60 was worth the wait.
Volvos have always been long on safety and (with a few exceptions) short on sporty. The company knew that if it was intent on positioning the S60 as competitive against the segment's leading performers like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 series, engineers were going to have to channel their inner Emeril Lagasse and "kick it up a notch."
To wit, the engine in the S60 T6 all-wheel drive I tested (base price is $38,550) was a three-liter, turbo-charged six-cylinder gem that pumps out 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. The power comes on smooth, the turbo lag is minimal and Volvo estimates a zero-to-60 time of 5.8 seconds, which frankly seems conservative.
Power is routed to the standard AWD system through a six-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode (but no paddle shifters.)
This transmission is clearly the weak link in the car's performance, especially when you push it. In full-automatic mode, the S60 avoids the red line like a frightened turtle and instead upshifts too eagerly. Thinking you're clever by kicking the transmission into manual mode only nets you slow shifts in either direction.
The rest of the S60's character is indeed sporty, though it doesn't quite have the dance moves to vault it to the top of the segment. There is minor body roll and understeer, but overall it's a very balanced, solid ride.
The sport mode affords the driver a bit more leeway in tossing the car around turns before engaging the stability and traction control.
The steering feel is excellent, and drivers can choose from three levels of power assistance, though this feature is ultimately superfluous as "normal" mode is the best choice.
Those who think the S60 T6 is too powerful or too expensive should consider the T5. A starting price of $32,300 gets buyers a front-wheel drive car with a 2.5-liter, five-cylinder turbocharged engine good for 250 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque.
The only thing better than the T6's engine is the car's interior.
With the exception of an ornery transmission and navigation system, the 2011 S60 was worth the wait.
Volvos have always been long on safety and (with a few exceptions) short on sporty. The company knew that if it was intent on positioning the S60 as competitive against the segment's leading performers like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 series, engineers were going to have to channel their inner Emeril Lagasse and "kick it up a notch."
To wit, the engine in the S60 T6 all-wheel drive I tested (base price is $38,550) was a three-liter, turbo-charged six-cylinder gem that pumps out 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. The power comes on smooth, the turbo lag is minimal and Volvo estimates a zero-to-60 time of 5.8 seconds, which frankly seems conservative.
Power is routed to the standard AWD system through a six-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode (but no paddle shifters.)
This transmission is clearly the weak link in the car's performance, especially when you push it. In full-automatic mode, the S60 avoids the red line like a frightened turtle and instead upshifts too eagerly. Thinking you're clever by kicking the transmission into manual mode only nets you slow shifts in either direction.
The rest of the S60's character is indeed sporty, though it doesn't quite have the dance moves to vault it to the top of the segment. There is minor body roll and understeer, but overall it's a very balanced, solid ride.
The sport mode affords the driver a bit more leeway in tossing the car around turns before engaging the stability and traction control.
The steering feel is excellent, and drivers can choose from three levels of power assistance, though this feature is ultimately superfluous as "normal" mode is the best choice.
Those who think the S60 T6 is too powerful or too expensive should consider the T5. A starting price of $32,300 gets buyers a front-wheel drive car with a 2.5-liter, five-cylinder turbocharged engine good for 250 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque.
The only thing better than the T6's engine is the car's interior.
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LOOKING at the Audi e-tron sports car, you'd hardly be surprised to learn that it can go from 0 to 100kmh in under five seconds.
But this fact might surprise you - it runs completely on batteries.
The concept car, which was on display at the Clean Energy Expo Asia last week, is the first electric vehicle the German carmaker has built from scratch.
It will likely cost more than the Tesla Roadster, another battery-powered sports car also displayed at the expo.
But wait. Aren't electric vehicles usually fuddy-duddy golf cart lookalikes that are more suited for grocery shopping than the race track? Mr Martin Freudenhagen, head of Audi's Project Management Electrification A-Sequment, doesn't think so.
He told The New Paper: "People think that electric cars are boring. We want to show that it's possible to create an electric car that delivers the performance and excitement of a sports car."
Though still in the concept phase - limited production of the e-tron is expected in two years - Audi knows who its customer will be.
Someone with the money and "is an early adopter in automotive and energy efficiency technology", Mr Freudenhagen said.
While the e-tron is not the first sports car to run on electricity - that honour goes to the Venturi Fetish - it may be a common sight on city roads soon.
A mass market option, the A1 e-tron, is expected to hit the roads in three to four years.
Although electric vehicles (EVs) may be good for the environment, such cars are a rarity here.
The Land Transport Authority said Singapore has just two EVs, compared with over 585,000 petrol-based ones.
Still, with Singapore committed to a 16 per cent emissions cut by 2020, the future for green cars looks bright.
Mr David Chou, managing director of electric conversion firm EV World, said: "It's about changing people's habits. In densely built-up Singapore, being at the wheel of an electric car that generates no noise can give people peace of mind."
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But this fact might surprise you - it runs completely on batteries.
The concept car, which was on display at the Clean Energy Expo Asia last week, is the first electric vehicle the German carmaker has built from scratch.
It will likely cost more than the Tesla Roadster, another battery-powered sports car also displayed at the expo.
But wait. Aren't electric vehicles usually fuddy-duddy golf cart lookalikes that are more suited for grocery shopping than the race track? Mr Martin Freudenhagen, head of Audi's Project Management Electrification A-Sequment, doesn't think so.
He told The New Paper: "People think that electric cars are boring. We want to show that it's possible to create an electric car that delivers the performance and excitement of a sports car."
Though still in the concept phase - limited production of the e-tron is expected in two years - Audi knows who its customer will be.
Someone with the money and "is an early adopter in automotive and energy efficiency technology", Mr Freudenhagen said.
While the e-tron is not the first sports car to run on electricity - that honour goes to the Venturi Fetish - it may be a common sight on city roads soon.
A mass market option, the A1 e-tron, is expected to hit the roads in three to four years.
Although electric vehicles (EVs) may be good for the environment, such cars are a rarity here.
The Land Transport Authority said Singapore has just two EVs, compared with over 585,000 petrol-based ones.
Still, with Singapore committed to a 16 per cent emissions cut by 2020, the future for green cars looks bright.
Mr David Chou, managing director of electric conversion firm EV World, said: "It's about changing people's habits. In densely built-up Singapore, being at the wheel of an electric car that generates no noise can give people peace of mind."
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Three new models of the new DB9 are going to join the lineup of Aston Martin products. The event would be best labeled as a sports car bonanza. The names of the three models to come have been decided and are “Carbon Black”, “Quantum Silver” and “Morning Frost”. The cars would be available in coupe or convertible design.
The design of the Morning Frost model gives it a luxury car look and feel. It has a pearl white color as paint job and has silver for grille and brake calipers. The interior is done up with a center console that is piano Black in color scheme. The stitching is of silver color and there is polished glass switchgear along with bronze leather trim. For the Carbon Black model and the quantum Silver one, the makers have given it an aggressive look and touch as the model is leaning more towards the sports model. They even sport a blacked out grille and a sportier exhaust system with graphite tail pipes.
For wheels the cars come with two sets of 10 spoke 19 inch alloys for the three models, with slightly varying designs and black or silver finishes.
For transmission the cars are installed with Touchtronic II six-speed automatic transaxle transmission, mounted on the transaxle. As per company statement this mechanism gives the car a perfect 50:50 weight balance.
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The design of the Morning Frost model gives it a luxury car look and feel. It has a pearl white color as paint job and has silver for grille and brake calipers. The interior is done up with a center console that is piano Black in color scheme. The stitching is of silver color and there is polished glass switchgear along with bronze leather trim. For the Carbon Black model and the quantum Silver one, the makers have given it an aggressive look and touch as the model is leaning more towards the sports model. They even sport a blacked out grille and a sportier exhaust system with graphite tail pipes.
For wheels the cars come with two sets of 10 spoke 19 inch alloys for the three models, with slightly varying designs and black or silver finishes.
For transmission the cars are installed with Touchtronic II six-speed automatic transaxle transmission, mounted on the transaxle. As per company statement this mechanism gives the car a perfect 50:50 weight balance.
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