Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Nissan GT-R in action.

While sitting through what felt like the longest press conference ever before we got some seat time in the Nissan GT-R, one of the engineers on hand mentioned that Godzilla's suspension would be tweaked for the U.S. market. When asked why, the response wasn't entirely clear, so we assumed that the changes would be made to adapt the GT-R to our less-than-perfect road surface. Apparently, that's not the case.

The suspension revisions, which involved modifying the spring rate by 0.1kg/mm to make the GT-R's coils a bit stiffer, will be accompanied by three harder engine mounts and a firmer transaxle mount that limits movement of the engine and gearbox under cornering forces. However, these changes aren't just for vehicles bound for Stateside consumption. The tweaks have also been implemented on the latest batch of JDM vehicles and are going to be ported over to the UK models when they arrive next year. While the changes are minimal, it's proof that Nissan's engineers are dedicated to improving every facet of the GT-R to ensure that it remains on top. Or, to quote the GT-R's chief vehicle engineer, Kazutoshi Mizuno, who spoke with Car, "The GT-R is my son... a son grows up and it's my duty as father to keep improving it."


[Source: Car]

click above for more high-res pics of the 2009 Ford F-150

There are rumors circulating the web of a Ford truck so freakin' cool it'd make even the most Euro-centric bloggers among us stop dead in our tracks, and if true, would make everything else do just the same.

The report claims that Ford is working on a derivative of the all-new F-150 pick-up internally known as "Raptor". The pumped-up version of the popular truck is said to feature a long-travel suspension (developed with Fox Racing), 35-inch tires, and – wait for it – a possibly turbocharged version of the upcoming Boss V8. Essentially a Baja 1000 or Dakar racing truck available to the public, the Raptor would be capable of covering rough terrain at high speeds, and also feature distinctive bodywork wider and lower than a conventional F-150. Word of the Boss V8 finding its way into an F-150 has also led to speculation that Ford is preparing a new Lightning, but the Raptor seems much, much cooler. If given the green light, the Raptor could be a year-and-a-half to two years away. Stay tuned.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]

Bose is most commonly known for its stereo systems and other home entertainment gear. The truth is that the company holds tons of patents, which it licenses to shrewdly fund research and development in a wide variety of areas, seemingly following the whims of Dr. Bose himself. The company has been working on electromechanical suspension systems for years now - I was even passed by one of their tricked out Lexuses while on my way up the hill to their Framingham, MA headquarters once. The video we've embedded after the jump shows the system in action, and compares it with a conventionally suspended LS400 with nifty split-screen footage. The results are dramatic, but we're curious if the cars were being driven at the same speed through the course. Be sure to watch to the end, where engineers let loose and jump the thing.

Thanks for the tip, fooman!

When you're ridin' dirty a couple of inches off the ground, you'll swerve to avoid anything more than a few microns thick sitting on the road in front of you. When it comes to driveways and speedbumps, that's when the lowest of riders crank the wheel back and forth, trying to sort out the right angle-of-attack to prevent that horrific scraping sound. If that's you and you're a Carrera GT owner, it's Ruf to the rescue. The Porsche tuner has created a driver-controlled, pushbutton-operated, hydraulic, height-adjustable front suspension that raises the front bumper two inches, at speeds up to 40 mph. You can get yourself out of a crunch for just 14,800 euros plus tax.

[Source: Winding Road]

The new 911 GT3 has been praised as the finest iteration of the iconic coupe to ever come out of Stuttgart. And it's easy to see why. Lightweight components matched with an overly engineered powerplant and a superior suspension all conspire to make this 911 a perfect balance between track terror and daily driver. But KW thinks they can improve upon that last bit.

The aftermarket suspension wizards have developed a coilover setup, available in three specs, that allows users to modify the damping settings and ride height to strike a balance between optimal road-holding ability, safety and comfort.

Three flavors are available: V1, V2 and V3, each offering a range of adjustability. The V1 is the tamer setup, reducing ride height, but still offering a compliant ride. The V2 and V3 expand upon the fine-tuning capabilities, with the V3 allowing a drop of 20mm and geared towards more technically adept drivers.

You can check out KW's full line of components by following the 'Read' link below, and their full press release is posted after the jump.

[Source: KW Automotive GmbH]

With Part I out of the way and the front end of our Buick Roadmaster in pieces, the next logic step is to start putting things back together. In this installment, we'll get the control arms buttoned up, and pay some loving attention to the steering gear. Click through for more grease-under-the-fingernails goodness.

Suspension components, charged with providing articulation while withstanding a constant beating from rough roads, live an incredibly tough life. Proper maintenance that includes regular lubrication helps, but once the odometer clicks over the sixth digit, it's often time for some fresh components. While the slow onset of wear might mask any issues, all it'll take is a spin in a newer vehicle or a look at the tread wear pattern to get some perspective on the problem.

Fortunately, for most of us, like-new handling precision can be restored with a few hours, a couple hundred bucks of parts (and maybe that much again for some specialty tools), and a skinned knuckle or two. We're going to tear into the front end of our 155,000-mile Buick Roadmaster to show you how it's done, and it might get some mild upgrades while we're at it.

If you liked the BMW ad we brought you a few days ago, you'll love what those boobs over at Nissan's marketing department have in store for us now.

This perky little visual demonstration of the benefits of independent suspension up front is sure to grab your attention. It's too funny to be true, but too off-the-wall to be a spoof...and frankly, we just don't care either way. This is the breast ad we've seen in years. (We'll be waiting for the airbag demonstration ad next.)

[Source: Winding Road]

While most racing fans probably recognize Jack Roush's name from his teams' success in NASCAR, the man in the hat got his start in drag racing and holds a number of national championships in that sport. It should then come as little surprise that the first half-dozen components in ROUSH Performance Products' new Competition Line are aimed squarely at the quarter-mile crowd.

Heading up the new lineup is a two-piece upper trailing arm relocation bracket, which works in conjunction with adjustable-length upper trailing arms (with spherical bearings) to move the instant center of the rear four-link. This increases the anti-squat and improves traction while reducing wheelhop. An adjustable-length Panhard bar (also with spherical bearings) keeps the rear axle centered when the ride height is changed, while relocation brackets allow the use of a heavy-duty cast "girdle" axle cover (a popular modification with drag racers). Brackets are offered to relocate the rear sway bar to allow the use of small 15" wheels and drag tires. With the use of dedicated drag tires comes an NHRA requirement for a driveshaft safety loop, and so ROUSH is offering up one of those as well. A second wave of components is on the way, but no word yet on when they might drop.

Even with ROUSH's typically high level of engineering, proper validation is always a must, and so the team proceeded to rack up some 135 trips down the strip in the process of performing track testing. Yea, we're sure that it was really tough convincing employees to put in those hours.

[Source: ROUSH Performance Products; press release is posted after the jump]

The embattled, and bankrupt, GM parts supplier Delphi has been tapped by Ferrari to supply the new 599 GTB Fiorano with its MagneRide suspension that’s also used on the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac STS and other premium GM products. The MagneRide suspension uses shock absorbers filled with a fluid capable of changing damping characteristics on the fly.

Delphi has been supplying Ferrari with climate control systems since 1992 and will also supply the Fiorano’s electrical system. If this stuff is good enough for Ferrari…

[Thanks Noah for the tip]

[Source: Inside Line]