Recent Comments:
In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid {Autoblog Green}
May 6th 2008 1:39PM Chris - For the current GM mild hybrid vehicles the emissions ratings are tied to the gasoline engine paired with the BAS motor. The emissions classifications were not changed with the addition of the BAS because that would have required very expensive new tests to be performed. The economics made sense to not increase the cost of the mild hybrid vehicle through seeking new emissions classification. Other addition parts, like sensors, would probably have to have been added to achieve higher level classification as well. Just because the sufficient measures were not taken to officially change the emissions standings of the system, does not meant that it outputs at the same pollution levle as a non-hybrid counterpart. Look for the emissions standings to change with the next generation releases.
Police raid California car enthusiast gathering to generate revenue {Autoblog}
Apr 4th 2008 11:48AM The post picture happens to be regular commenter Sean Morris being pulled over in a staged setting. The car is a Motorex R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R nicknamed Big Bird. You might have seen it in the Fast and the Furious. I thought the image was fitting with the story.
Police raid California car enthusiast gathering to generate revenue {Autoblog}
Apr 4th 2008 11:01AM Issuing tickets for illegal modifications is fine, as long as they are in fact skirting laws. However, due to the efforts of SEMA, many parts are CARB approved and there are exhausts tested to meet decible levels. The issue is that the police are not educated to know the difference. If the parts are legal, it is up to the car's owner to make a date in the courts to prove it. I think it is safe to say tha t those legislative proceedings cost more than the revenue generated by the ticket itself. The hopes are that enough people simply pay the fee and leave it at that. I can't say I have a better solution, but the aftermarket industry is getting battered because of reckless citationing by the police.
SPOILER ALERT: 12 Hours of Sebring officially in the books {Autoblog}
Mar 16th 2008 10:36PM People always seem to complain if race results get posted in the post subject, even if it aired live. Not that it isn't in the headline anywhere else one looks...
Grey Anatomy: How to import vehicles from overseas {Autoblog}
Mar 15th 2008 1:43PM The kit car route can work if every step of the process is performed by different individuals. The car cannot be purchased as a whole by the end user for the exclusive intention of disassembling to evade the Clean Air Act (http://www.epa.gov/oms/imports/kitcar.htm). The kit car rules are sketchy and open to interpretation. That doesn't mean your interpretation is the same as the government's though.
Grey Anatomy: How to import vehicles from overseas {Autoblog}
Mar 15th 2008 1:26PM The R35s are a complicated scenario. The cars are DOT and EPA compliant as they are world cars designed to meet U.S. standards from the get-go.
It is legal to get a car through customs by importing the disassembled parts. That does not mean the assembled vehicle is compliant with federal regulations for road operation.
California regulators shooting for 40 mpg by 2020 {Autoblog}
Feb 27th 2008 7:58PM There was a comment that jokingly mentioned something about California implementing a congestion charge. That isn't so funny because apparently some politicians think that's a good idea. Now a California legislator is proposing a carbon emissions tax: http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/53438
Ferrari going to Olympics with Italian team {Autoblog}
Feb 27th 2008 7:43PM The front runner of the Italian gymnastics team is named Vanessa Ferrari. She is also a former World Champion. I would love to see Ferrari use the marketing opportunity and have their engineers take on equipment development in that arena.
Aftermarket parts maker Holley files for bankruptcy {Autoblog}
Feb 12th 2008 1:41PM A big problem for a lot of the aftermarket parts companies currently is the rise of low quality cheap parts sourced on eBay and such. Many of the brands that put money into R&D and manufacturing get undercut by copycat competitors who take the same design, but manufacture it with lower grade material and less strict tolerances. All many consumers see is the significantly lower price and that is what they go for. It drives real innovation away from the market and hurts core aftermarket companies. The cost to engineer a part that is friendly with all of today's automotive technology is rather expensive. Currently consumers are showing that they are not willing to pay the price for the necessary innovation to keep up with expanding technologies.
Nissan GT-R can't take aftermarket wheels, unapproved race tracks are out {Autoblog}
Feb 7th 2008 8:58PM The occurrences of errors after intake or exhaust system modifications are not necessarily a result of a Nissan attempt to thwart aftermarket modification. It is more directly a result of sensitive sensor feedback necessary for tight emissions tuning. If you want to get back to a world of the easily modified vehicles then you need to go call the Government and ask them to remove CAFE restrictions.
A change in the intake piping for instance changes airflow readings seen by the ECU. The ECU then adjusts the fuel mixture to compensate. When the adjusted values, or fuel trims, get beyond a window allowed by the ECU it triggers a code. ECUs have programmed maps that they compare adjusted values against. That is how the computer knows when a sensor might have failed because it is suddenly sending a signal that indicates massive adjustment. The ECU then chooses to ignore then sensor and enters a closed loop safe mode. With emissions standards getting tighter the window for allowable deviances in correction are getting smaller.
