Saturday, September 11, 2010

MG Cars

MG Cars is a former British sports car manufacturer, which was founded in 1924, the creator of the MG brand. MG Cars is best known for its two-seat open sports cars, but MG also produced saloons and coupés. More recently, the MG marque has also been used on sportier versions of other models belonging to the parent company. The MG marque was in continuous use (barring the years of the Second World War) for 56 years after its inception. Production of predominantly two-seater sports cars was concentrated at a factory in Abingdon, some 10 miles (16 km) south of Oxford. The British Motor Corporation (BMC) competition department was also based at the Abingdon plant and produced many winning rally and race cars. In the autumn of 1980, however, the Abingdon factory closed and MGB production ceased. Between 1982 and 1991, the MG marque was revived on sportier versions of Austin Rover's Metro, Maestro and Montego ranges. After an interval of barely one year, the MG marque was revived again, this time on the MG RV8 — an updated MGB Roadster with a Rover V8 engine, which was produced in low volumes. The "real" revival came in the summer of 1995, when the high volume MG F two-seater roadster was launched. This was an instant hit with buyers, and sold in volumes which had been unthinkable on affordable two-seaters since the 1970s. The MG marque passed, along with the Rover marque to the MG Rover group in May 2000, when BMW 'broke up' the Rover Group. This arrangement saw the return of MG badges on sportier Rover-based cars, and a revised MG F model, known as the MG TF, launched in 2002. However, all production ceased in April 2005 when MG Rover went into administration. The assets of MG Rover were bought by Chinese carmaker Nanjing Automobile in July 2005 who themselves were bought by SAIC in December 2007. In 2007 production of the MG TF roadster and MG 7 large sports saloon (derived from the previous Rover 75/MG ZT model) started in China. Assembly of MG TFs for the European market, from Chinese built complete knock down (CKD) kits, was started by NAC MG UK at Longbridge in August 2008.
Car models The earliest model, the 1924 MG 14/28 consisted of a new sporting body on a Morris Oxford chassis.[4] This car model continued through several versions following the updates to the Morris. The first car which can be described as a new MG, rather than a modified Morris was the MG 18/80 of 1928 which had a purpose designed chassis and the first appearance of the traditional vertical MG grille. A smaller car was launched in 1929 with the first of a long line of Midgets starting with the M-Type based on a 1928 Morris Minor chassis. MG established a name for itself in the early days of the sport of international automobile racing. Beginning before and continuing after World War II, MG produced a line of cars known as the T-Series Midgets which, post-war, were exported worldwide, achieving better than expected success. These included the MG TC, MG TD, and MG TF, all of which were based on the pre-war MG TB, with various degrees of updating.
MG departed from its earlier line of Y-Type saloons and pre-war designs and released the MGA in 1955. The MGB was released in 1962 to satisfy demand for a more modern and comfortable sports car. In 1965 the fixed head coupé (FHC) followed: the MGB GT. With continual updates, mostly to comply with increasingly stringent United States emissions and safety standards, the MGB was produced until 1980. Between 1967 and 1969 a short-lived model called the MGC was released. The MGC was based on the MGB body, but with a larger (and, unfortunately, heavier) six-cylinder engine, and somewhat worse handling. MG also began producing the MG Midget in 1961. The Midget was a re-badged and slightly restyled second-generation Austin-Healey Sprite. To the dismay of many enthusiasts, the 1974 MGB was the last model made with chrome bumpers due to new United States safety regulations; the 1974½ bore thick black rubber bumpers that some claimed ruined the marque MGB. As with the MGB, the Midget design was frequently modified until the Abingdon factory closed in October 1980 and the last of the range was made. The badge was also applied to versions of BMC saloons including the BMC ADO16, which was also available as a Riley, but with the MG pitched as slightly more "sporty". The marque lived on after 1980 under BL, being used on a number of Austin saloons including the Metro, Maestro, and Montego. In New Zealand, the MG badge even appeared on the late 1980s Montego estate, called the MG 2.0 Si Wagon. There was a brief competitive history with a mid-engined, six-cylinder version of the Metro. The MG Metro finished production in 1990 on the launch of a Rover-only model. The MG Maestro and MG Montego remained on sale until 1991, when production of these models was pruned back in order for Rover to concentrate on the more viable 200 Series and 400 Series.
The Rover Group revived the two-seater with the MG RV8 in 1992. The all-new MGF went on sale in 1995, becoming the first mass-produced "real" MG sports car since the MGB ceased production in 1980. Following the May 2000 purchase of the MG and Rover brands by the Phoenix Consortium and the forming of the new MG Rover Group, the MG range was expanded in the summer of 2001 with the introduction of three Rover-based sports models. The MG ZR was based on the Rover 25, the MG ZS on the Rover 45, and the MG ZT/ZT-T on the Rover 75. The MG Rover Group purchased Qvale, which had taken over development of the De Tomaso Bigua. This car, renamed the Qvale Mangusta and already approved for sale in the United States, formed the basis of the MG XPower SV, an "extreme" V8-engined sports car. It was revealed in 2002 and went on sale in 2004.


Electric motorcycles and scooters

Electric motorcycle

Electric motorcycles and scooters are vehicles with two or three wheels that use electric motors to attain locomotion.
Electric motor and Lithium-Ion battery Z-Force
Increasingly accepted as capable, even appealing, forms of transportation, particularly in densely populated urban areas, electric two-wheel vehicles is a category that includes electric bicycles, electric kick scooters, electric motorcycles, and electric scooters. According to a recent report from Pike Research, worldwide sales of electric two-wheel vehicles (E2WVs) are expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4% through 2016.


Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Galpin Autosports 2008 Red Mist Mustang from ‘Kick Ass’ Movie Reviewed


A Real Kick In The Ass’ – Galpin Autosports 2008 Red Mist Mustang The Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) 2008 Red Mist Mustang was built for super hero Red Mist in the movie ‘Kick Ass’, played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who you might know better as McLovin from the movie ‘Super Bad’. Even though the GAS Red Mist Mustang is a ‘one-off’ built for the movie, it is a real Mustang that packs a solid punch, with a Rich Evans designed bodykit that turns heads wherever it goes. GAS got involved with the movie when Red Mist director Matthew Vaughn came over to the GAS shops looking for a possible custom Mustang to use in the movie since GAS had already built several cars for movies in the past.
Matthew met Steve Carpenter, Sales Manager at GAS, and the two hit it off as Steve saw an opportunity to build another Mustang for a Hollywood movie. A few days later Steve met with Matthew and Rich Evans to go over sketches and plans on what the Mustang should look like and have inside for the movie. As I said before, this isn’t a ‘shell car’ just used for several scenes in the movie, but a real, fully functional, high-performing Mustang that is a real ‘kick in the ass’ when you mash your foot down on the throttle. With the plans and sketches penned by Rich Evans in hand, Steve went to work with the GAS crew with a 2008 Mustang GT and started to transform it into the Red Mist for the movie.
GAS built the unique bodykit true to the sketches from Rich Evans, and then had it custom painted red with Galpin Boss black paint stripes and graphics. The factory pull-out doors were changed to Lamborghini styled scissor doors for that unique, custom look. To finish the unique exterior look, GAS ordered custom red-on-black 20X9in. front, and 20X10.5in. rear wheels wrapped with high-performing Pirelli P-Zero Rosso low-profile ZR rated tires. The GAS crew then added a custom cold air-intake system and a Vortec Supercharger to bring the power up to 550hp for incredible acceleration. The Mustang’s 5-speed manual transmission was left untouched since it can handle up to 600hp. 
Next, the suspension was lowered using Ford Racing springs and shocks that gives the Red Mist a more menacing stance and extra road hugging capability to match the more powerful engine. To stop the Red Mist Mustang as fast as it accelerates, GAS fitted custom Wilwood punched and slotted, vented discs and calipers to the front and rear wheels. Inside, the GAS crew added custom two-tone, red and black bucket seats, a custom steering wheel, red LED mode lighting, took out the rear seat and parcel shelf, added front and rear cameras with a split screen on the navigation system, fitted auxiliary gauges on the dash shelf and ‘A’ pillar to check out the vitals, located two toggle switches on the dash behind red protectors to operate the two nitrous oxide bottles located in the trunk with purge capabilities to provide the smoke-filled red mist emanating from jetting outlets on the giant front hood scoop, then finished it off with HID headlamps up front.
The movie was a hit and the GAS built Red Mist Mustang made a huge impression on the fans that bought tickets to see the move. source http://www.automotiveaddicts.com


Automotive Cars

One of the greatest creations of man, the "Automotive Car" or popularly known as the "Car" is a result of man's consistent efforts and perseverance. Over the years, the automobile industry has evolved as one of the main revenue generators, provider of employment and has progressed a lot.
Though the credit for the modern day automobile goes to Karl Friedrich Benz (from Germany), the first theoretical plans for a motor vehicle were conceptualized by both Isaac Newton and Leonardo da Vinci. Some of the major breakthroughs in the automobile history are as follows: * 1769: Nicholas Joseph Cugnot (1725-1804) from France built the first self-prOpelled road vehicle (military tractor) for the French Army. It was a three-wheeled vehicle with a maximum speed of 2.5 mph. * 1832-1839: Robert Anderson, from Scotland built the first Electric Carriage. * 1885/86: Karl Friedrich Benz (1844-1929) from Germany built the first true automobile. This three-wheeled vehicle was powered by an internal combustion engine. The engine was a four-stroke one and it formed a single unit along with the chassis. * 1886: Gottileb Wilhelm Daimler (1834-1900) and Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929) built the first gasoline powered, four-wheeled, four-stroke engine which is also known as the Cannstatt-Daimler. * 1876-95: George Baldwin Selden (1846-1922) combined the internal combustion engine with a carriage. This vehicle was also powered by gasoline. * 1893: Charles Edgar Duryea (1862-1938) and his brother Frank (1870-1967) from United States built the first successful gasoline powered car. This car had a 4 HP, 2-stroke motor. He is also credited with the setting up of American Car Manufacturing Company. As time passed by more and more developments came in, that finally saw through after many experiments. Even now, various R&D efforts are being carried on by al the global auto majors. Their objective is to make the car more fuel-efficient and dynamic while ensuring that it suits all budgets and become easily afFordable.
Today, with the help of latest technologies like GPS navigation system, power windows and locks, the automobile industry is touching the sky and this trend is here to stay. With more technological improvements in the offing, one can only hope of better and more advanced cars becoming a common sight across the globe in near future.


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