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Michelle Rodriguez threatens to quit Fast & Furious franchise

Michelle Rodriguez, the actress who is a major part of the Fast & Furious movie franchise, has threatened to pull out of the next film. She took to instagram to voice her dissatisfaction about the show’s portrayal of women.

According to the news article posted on carthrottle.com, Rodriguez, who plays the role of Letty, one of leading characters in the movies since The Fast and The Furious, said, “show some love to the women of the franchise on the next one”. She then went on to say that if things don’t change, she might have to walk away from one of the most successful automotive-centric movie franchise in recent history.

Her exact post is as follows:

The article also cites an earlier one from Entertainment Weekly, where Rodriguez stated that, though she understood that from the very beginning of the franchise, the lead characters weren’t that sophisticated due to their socioeconomic background. But through the progression of several installments and as the characters began to evolve to take on bigger and more significant roles in the movie plots, she hoped that “you stop being so physical and start becoming more intelligent”.

Director of the Fast 8 movie, Gary Gray refuted this claim by stating that the latest installment featured very strong female roles with Charlize Theron as the antagonist and Helen Mirren who made a cameo towards the later part of the movie.

It’s no surprise that hollywood actors are difficult to please, but since the beginning, the plot has mostly been on Dominic Torreto, played by Vin Diesel, and his team taking on whatever “over the top scenarios” that life has to throw at them. That said, we hope that the cast stays together and we get another action packed thriller from the next installment which is due for release on 19 April 2019.

Source: carthrottle.com, Entertainment Weekly

Nissan BladeGlider to showcase its capabilities at Goodwood

Nissan’s rather bizzare zero emissions prototype, the BladeGlider will make an appearance at the on going Goodwood Festival of Speed both to showcase its driving capabilities as well as kept on display for the viewing of the general public. The car is meant to showcase what future performance cars might adopt in the not so distant future.

Speaking of the vehicle’s appearnce at Goodwood, Ponz Pandikuthira, vice president Product Planning, Nissan Europe, said, “The BladeGlider has been developed to bring fun, torque, efficiency and high-performance styling to the fore. Goodwood has been a world-famous showcase for many an iconic sports car over the years, so we could think of no better place to bring the BladeGlider out to play, demonstrating the Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision in action.”

First introduced at the Tokyo Auto Show in 2013, the Nissan BladeGlider is said to combine an all-electric powertrain with an efficiently designed body to offer copious amounts of driving pleasure while being as environmentally friendly as possible.

Unlike most cars, the BladeGlider features a narrowed design (three seat configuration) with the front end width being much shorter than that of the rear. Nissan purposefully designed it this way to offer optimum aerodynamic efficiency and handling stability. Despite what the automaker might say, the rear-hinged dihedral doors, though impressive, exists solely for vanity purposes.

Since it doesn’t have a roof, the BladeGlider’s body is reinforced with an integrated roll-over protection structure, that will help protect its occupants in the event of a roll over during a crash.

Most of the controls and switchgear as well as the digital meters are mounted on the steering wheel, which ensure that the driver’s hands are always kept on the steering wheel. Information that is displayed on it include speed, state of battery charge, regeneration mode and torque map. There are two centrally mounted screens that take the place of conventional side mirrors, with the images being fed to them by rear-view cameras mounted just behind the front wheels.

The Powertrain of the car was designed by Williams Advanced Engineering which consists of two 120kW (268bhp) electric motors (juice is supplied by a 22kW battery), one on each wheel. The BladeGlider is able to reach speeds in excess of 190km/h, and accelerate from 0-100km/h in under 5 seconds, which isn’t record breaking, but is quite impressive for an unconventional car.

Power is distributed to each of the front wheels trhough a torque vectoring system, which shifts power to the wheel that needs it most. If the car begins to understeer, more power will be sent to the outer wheel to compensate for the forces, enabling the car to regain a proper balance.

The BladeGlider is an odd take on the performance car genre, and how wheel it pans out for Nissan remains to be seen. But it won’t be the only car that will be showcased by the Japanese automaker because it will be accompanied by the GT-R NISMO as well as the MY17 GT-R.

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 finally revealed

Jaguar has finally revealed extensive details regarding its outrageously powerful version of its baby sedan, the XE. Dubbed Project 8, the car is said to be the most sought after contemporary Jag after the venerable F-Type.

Basically, its a track-focused XE that features an immensely powerful engine, which is kept in check by a thoroughly engineered suspension and chassis setup aimed at increasing agility and to a broader extent, better driving dynamics. As such, Project 8 sits 15mm lower than the base car thanks to the manually adjustable suspension.

The car is fitted with a highly tuned version of the automaker’s supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine that produces close to 600bhp, a titanium variable active exhaust and an all-wheel-drive system as well as aerodynamic body work that help it stick to the road. As such, Project 8 is said to be the fastest accelerating Jaguar ever thanks to an 8-speed Quickshift transmission, a 0-100km/h time of just 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 322km/h.

When Track Mode is selected, the car’s system alters the driveline and stability systems as well as sharpens throttle and steering responses for track use, which should allow for more hooliganism within the confines of a controlled environment.

Unlike the standard XE, Project 8 features extensive bodywork upgrades that include front and rear carbon fibre bumper, enhanced cooling ducts, vented carbon fibre bonnet, flared bodywork over the 20-inch forged alloy wheels, adjustable front splitter, flat underbody trim pieces, rear diffuser and a massive rear wing that can be adjusted to alter air flow.

Underneath the skin are mechanicals that are more performance oriented compared to the more docile setup found on the base XE. Jag blessed the car with stiffer springs for the front and rear, manually adjustable continuously variable dampers, a new carbon ceramic braking system, Formula 1-style silicon nitride ceramic wheel bearings and a rear electronic active differential (EAD) with oil cooler.

The racecar inspired theme was incorporated in the cabin is well due to the use of carbon fibre and Alcantara for various trim panels/steering wheel. There are aluminium paddle shifters behind the steering wheel for drivers to initiate quick gear changes but this can also be done through the use of the centre mounted ‘Pistolshift’ lever – a first for Jaguar.

Designed by the company’s Special Vehicles Operations (SVO) team, Project 8 will only be available as a left-hand-drive model and will come in eight body colours which are Fuji White, Narvik Black and Caldera Red, Valencia Orange, Velocity Blue, Meribel White, Verbier Silver and Corris Grey (satin matte).

There are also two packages to choose from, which are the standard four-seat pack and a two seat track pack. The former features front performance seats with magnesium frames, and a more heavily contoured rear squab to maximize support. The latter gets you lightweight front carbon fibre racing seats with four-point harnesses fixed to a harness retention hoop in place of the rear seat.

Further customization for a more personal touch include opting for tri-coat paint finish, tinted clear coat and race-inspired decal packs.

The Jaguar XE SV Project 8 will be one of the main featured vehicles at the on going Goodwood Festival of Speed after which, the car should be made available for purchase.

Lexus LFA, the forgotten masterpiece

The Lexus name is synonamous with highly engineered luxury cars that are engineered to perfection. That concept changed in 2011, when the automaker launched its first ever supercar, a major departure from what we were used to seeing from the brand, called the LFA.

Lexus’ parent company, Toyota, picked a small group of exremely experienced engineers and technicians to work on the project. The automaker even built a specialized factory dedicated to the production of the LFA alone. Its truly fascinating how this lightweight Japanese supercar came to be as well as the vast tooling and techniques required for its production.

The car was constructed from Carbon fibder-reinforced polymer (CFRP), which accounts for 65% of the car’s total body composition. And unlike most of its rivals, the LFA had a front mounted engine – and it was a work of art. This 560bhp 4.8-litre V10 had one of the most distinctive exhaust notes in automotive history.

Lexus, as a means to amplify the acoustic experience, enlisted the help of the world’s leading musical instrument manufacturer, Yamaha, to help with perfectly resonating the effects throughout the cabin for a more enjoyable driving experience.

The automaker opted for a V10 instead of a V8 due to the former’s ability to rev much higher and to allow for a more rapid engine response. In fact, Lexus stated that the engine needed just 0.6 seconds to rev from idle to its redline. That is why Lexus opted for a digital tachometer instead of a traditional analogue one, because the latter one, wouldn’t have been able to respond as quickly as required.

That said, we think it was just an excuse for its engineers and designers to build one of the most impressive and futuristic digital instrument display system that wouldn’t have looked out of place it been offered on more recent supercars.

Check out the video below from National Geographic for the full documentary on Lexus’ megafactory that was purposed for the limited run of 500 LFA vehicles:

https://youtu.be/9MMWJ7p5SZY?list=PLOpPNCMWcSwgW1hhQeHUh6ElmWnyJYkhB

The interior of the LFA, unlike that of a number of its competitors, was fitted with a combination of elegant and expensive materials befitting of a Lexus sedan. It’s switchgear was neatly laid out throughout the cabin, within the reach of the driver safe for the button that operates the rear spoiler. This button is located behind the driver’s seat – a very odd place indeed.

Each of the 500 LFA supercars, were hand built by a team of specialists in Toyota’s Motomatchi plant in Japan. And by the end of 2012, production ground to a halt after the 500th car rolled off the line. Lexus, was proud of what it had accomplished but has since stated that it is in no hurry to plan for a replacement to its state-of-the-art supercar.

But we hope that Lexus chooses to build something similar in the near future. Till then, check out this video by famous automotive journalist Doug Demuro to find out his take on the first true Japanese supercar and whether it really is worth the hype:

Aston Martin Vulcan taken to new extremes with AMR Pro package

Aston Martin has been dominating the news these past few days and rightly so, considering that it announced several new releases and the fact that will be using Mercedes-Benz engines in its future cars. This time around, the news is on the wildest car to come from Gaydon, being made even wilder. The car in question, is the Vulcan fitted with the AMR Pro package.

After the upgrade, the car is badged as an AMR, Aston’s newly created performance brand. Compared with the base Vulcan, this upgrade gives the car extensive aerodynamic enhancements and shortened gearing to produce increased downforce, greater responsiveness and reduced lap times.

The aerodynamic changes that are made include loured panels added above the front wheel arches to extract high pressure air and reduce aerodynamic lift. A sizable pair of dive planes have been added to each side of the nose to help pin the front-end to the track and the front splitter has turning vanes fitted to its underside to improve steering response. Through some clever engineering, the car’s engine cover has been lightened too, by an impressive 5kg.

As for the rear, the changes are just as extensive as those at the front thanks to a new rear wing. Unlike that of the standard Vulcan, the AMR Pro’s wing has a dual plane design rather than a single plane one, and its main element features a 20mm ‘Gurney’ flap that is aided by slotted wing end-plates that have additional 15mm Gurneys to maximize downforce.

All these tweaks combined, give the AMR Pro 4000Nm of downforce compared to the standard Vulcan’s 3150Nm. This figure dwarfs that of the downforce generated by the 2017 Le Mans Winning Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE with just 3104Nm. They have also allowed the Centre of Pressure to be shifted closer to the middle at 47% compared to 41.5% of the base Vulcan. This will help improve traction, steering response and front-end grip.

Speaking of this upgrade pack Aston Martin Vice President and Chief Special Operations Officer, David King, said, “The shorter gearing makes for truly explosive acceleration between the corners, while the aero package’s increased downforce and improved balance gives our customers the all-important confidence to explore the extraordinary performance on offer.”

Having said all of this, the standard Vulcan is no slouch. Prior to the introduction of the AMR Pro package, it was the fastest, loudest and meanest looking Aston Martin to be made. It produces an impressive 820bhp from its colossal 7.0-litre V12 engine, coupled with a kerb weight of just 1,350kg, the car is nothing less than a rocketship.

Production was limited to just 24 cars and was delivered to customers throughout 2016. It was conceived and engineered to deliver similar excitement but exceed the performance of the automaker’s Le Mans winning race cars. Owners of the Vulcan have received extensive driver training by Aston Martin’s expert team of instructors to enable them to hone their skills at being able to tame the relatively bullish Vulcan.

The AMR Pro is an upgrade package that will be fitted to existing Vulcan cars in stages and depending on whether customers are keen to get the upgrade done. The package will be installed by Q by Aston Martin Advanced Operations. An already completed AMR Pro will be make an appearance at the Good Wood Festival of Speed today.

Ferrai 575M Maranello with low mileage to go under the hammer

Several important classics and modern sports cars will go under the hammer at Coys auction, which incidentally will take place not far from Goodwood, in the gardens of Fontwell House on 29th June 2017.

One of the few cars worthy of mention, is a pre-production Ferrari 575M Maranello, a perfect example of an Italian Grand Tourer. It is considered one of the earliest pre-production cars made by Ferrari and carries the chassis number 123761. It was manufactured in 2002 but was never sold by the automaker until much later. In fact, it was kept in storage for a few years after being used for marketing and other promotional purposes.

It was only registered in 2006 and sold a couple of years later as a new car by the automaker to a VIP client. In total, the car has just 13,000km on the odometer and comes with a comprehensive paperwork to support the history of work/maintenance that was conducted on it as well as the original manuals. It is estimated that the car might fetch about £150,000 (RM836,205) to £200,000 (RM1,114,940), which is a lot of cash considering what that same amount of money can get you with newer sports cars.

Speaking of the Ferrari, Chris Routledge, CEO of Coys, said, “Coys are delighted to return to Fontwell House for a now-regular feature in our busy auction calendar. Just miles away from the action at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, enthusiasts and collectors will find at Fontwell House a fabulous selection of classic, sports and racing cars, including this pre-production Ferrari 575MM which represents a piece of Ferrari history and would be a valuable addition to any collection.”

The Ferrari 575M Maranello was the follow up model of the relatively identical 550 Maranello (style wise) safe for minor tweaks by Pininfarina. Compared to the 550, 575M had a different interior, bigger brake discs, a larger and more powerful engine, different weight distribution, improved aerodynamics, adaptive suspension setup, as well as a number of others.

Under the hood was a 5.7-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine that was either mated to a 6 speed manual or 6-speed eletrohydraulic gearbox. That coupled with a 1,853kg kerb weight, allowed the 575M to accelerate to 100km/h from a standstill in 4.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 325km/h.

The car was produced from 2002 to 2006 and was eventually superseded by the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, which features more sophisticated electronics, bigger and more powerful engine, as well improved driving dynamics.

Aston Martin DB11 is the first to receive Mercedes-AMG engine

Aston Martin’s DB11 will be the first receipient in the company’s line up of a Mercedes-AMG engine, which is the fruition of the partnership between the German manufacturer and the Gaydon based supercar maker.

Buyers will now be able to order their Aston Martin with either the existing 5.2-litre turbocharged V12 or the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 from Mercedes-Benz. The latter weighs about 115kg lighter than the former, which should offer the DB11 better agility especially when meandering through corners. It’s power output is rated at close to 510bhp and 675Nm of torque, which will allow the car to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 4.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 301km/h.

Speaking of the latest addition, Aston Martin Chief Technical Officer, Max Szwaj, said, “As an engineer I find the DB11 a fascinating car. One with great depth of character and ability. Of course the V12-engined variant is an icon – an ultimate, if you like, but the V8 is very much its own car. One with a distinct and carefully crafted character that’s truly seductive.”

Despite it being a Mercedes-AMG sourced engine, Aston Martin’s engineers have fettled with it and added their own personal touch to ensure that the end result, is a powerplant that fits the needs and demands of a true Aston Martin. The calibration carried out included creating new ECU software and reprogramming the engine and throttle mapping to ensure that it offers and feel and sound that the brand is known for.

Several changes were made to the DB11 in order for the new V8 to fit in perfectly. They include a bespoke air intake, exhaust and wet sump lubrication systems, as well as new engine mounts. Together, they allow the engine to sit as low as possible to optimize the centre of gravity.

Most of the weight is centered within the wheelbase and as a result, should increase the car’s ability to react to sudden changes in steering input. And to fully support this, detailed revisions were made to the suspension bushing, geometry, anti-roll bars, springs, dampers and ESP software.

Looking at the exterior, there subtle design changes that tell it apart from its V12 powered sibling, and they include a unique alloy wheel finish, dark headlamp bezels and a pair of bonnet vents as apposed to the quartet that is featured on the V12 model. The vents are painted in either black or titanium-finish mesh – unique to the V8 variant.

As for the interior, there are no distinctions between the two variants as both get the same stuff, which, depending on what’s chosen, include the Options Pack, Designer Specification packages and a suite of Q by Astion Martin.

These Mercedes-AMG powered DB11 cars should go on sale towards the fourth quarter of this year but, one of them will make an appearance at next month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Aston Martin confirms production of first fully-electric supercar

Aston Martin has confirmed that the RapidE, which was unveiled two years ago in concept form, will enter production in 2019. It will be a limited production run vehicle with just 155 cars being produced in total. And it will be the first fully-electric model to be produced by the Gaydon based manufacturer.

No word yet on whether there would be styling changes or if the production car will retain the same curves and contours as the concept. But the car will be based upon the forthcoming Rapide AMR concept, which means that styling and vehicle dynamics wouldn’t deviate too much from that of the Rapide S albeit the electric motor(s) will take the place of the standard car’s glorious V12.

Speaking of the RapidE, Aston Martin President and CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said, “RapidE represents a sustainable future in which Aston Martin’s values of seductive style and supreme performance don’t merely co-exist alongside a new zero-emission powertrain, but are enhanced by it. RapidE will showcase Aston Martin’s vision, desire and capability to successfully embrace radical change, delivering a new breed of car that stays true to our ethos and delights our customers.”

The RapidE will be jointly developed with Williams Advanced Engineering who also worked on the original concept car. Together the team are striving to meet Aston Martin’s goal of producing an energy-efficient vehicle that retains the style and soul of the legendary sports cars of the past that have bared the company’s name.

Aston Martin has yet to release substantial information pertaining to performance other than a statement that the car will offer the kind of experience that has been absent from other Aston Martin cars. That said, it might be awhile before the automaker divulges more data.

Is this the future of vehicle manufacturing?

The advent of 3D printing has led to the simplification and reduction in time needed for prototyping. Take 3D printed plastic structures for example, using the conventional method is very time consuming.

It used to be an arduous process of developing and building a mold, mixing various compounds together to develop a resin, then pouring that into the mold and allowing it to cure. It took time, and every time a change needed to made, a new mold would have to be produced and the entire process restarted.

Well, with 3D printing, all you have to do is make the adjustments to the 3D model on your PC using the appropriate software, and once complete, send that information to the printer to begin the printing process. Depending on the complexity of the modeling, the structure should be complete in considerably less time than that needed with the conventional method.

Now, that same technology has been adapted for the automotive world as well. A company called Divergent 3D, a US based firm, have successfully used 3D printing to develop and build a fully functional supercar with 700 bhp, called the Divergent Blade. They actually managed to print the entire metal structure of the car with their propriety construction methods.

Unlike conventional cars, this has a body on frame design where a chassis with all its mechanical bits fully attached to it, is mated with a top shell, which in this case is the car’s body. It’s an approach that the company believes saves time and valuable resources compared to the methods used by big name automotive manufacturers. And as such, this Divergent Blade, is a prototype that may open the eyes of many automakers and nudge them to change their processes and in turn offer vehicles at a much cheaper price.

CEO and Founder of Divergent 3D showcased the car during and episode of Jay Leno’s garage, take a look at the video and let us know what you think.

Jay Leno surprises fans with virtual reality experience

It would appear that the virtual reality craze has entered the automotive world as well. For increased realism, games and driving simulation systems have employed the technology to help provide gamers/users with a more immersive experience and a sense of realism that was inconceivable unless you were in the actual thing.

Jay Leno, the former Tonight’s Show host and comedian, decided to use this particular technology for a less serious reason. His team organised an event where his fans could show up, sit in his 1954 Jaguar XK120, put on their virtual reality googles and pretend that they are on a drive. But there is a twist, Jay was actually present during this and would engage in a conversation with them through, what many of them believed were an audio recording.

At the end of the session, they would take off their headset only to see the legendary denim clad comedian, standing beside the car with his usual signature grin. It was an eventful day for many, check out the video clip for the full story.

In general, the XK120 was manufactured by Jaguar from 1948 to 1954 ad was the follow up car to the SS 100. Initially, the cars had wood-framed open top bodies with aluminium panels but that changed in 1950 when the automaker switched to an all-steel construction.

The significance of the ‘120’ in the model designation was of great value at the time. It denoted the top speed of the car, which was 120 mph or 193 km/h. During that time, it was considered the XK120 was fastest production car in the world and broke several records.

It was powered by a 3.6-litre XK inline 6 engine but was also supposed to be offered with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder one, with the XK100 model name. The smaller engine vehicle was meant for the UK market but the project was canned before production started.

The XK120 was a well known car due to its speed and agility, which made it a formidable force in racing and rallying. Till today is a vehicle that is coveted and revered by many including those who aren’t that into cars. A considerable amount of money exchanges hands when an XK120 is sold, which is a testament to its value.