fast five: Agustus 2010

Selasa, 31 Agustus 2010

Safety and danger in the pits

A highly charged competitive environment compressed into a narrow pit lane where cars share space with crew members and where raw fuel is in close proximity to red hot engines and exhausts makes for a potentially lethal combination.
But while no-one can deny that a Formula One pit lane is a fundamentally unsafe environment, strict safety rules play their part in keeping things under control. These include the following:

Pit lane speed limit: The speed limit during pit stops is 60 km/h during practice and qualifying, 80 km/h during the race (60 km/h at Monaco). This limit was introduced in 1994 after a mechanic was injured in the Imola pit lane.
Rules against going in reverse: Reversing in the pit lane is prohibited. If a car needs to be moved backwards, the crew must push it.
Restriction on numbers of personnel in the pit lane: The crew of the competing cars are only allowed out of their garages and into the pit lane on the lap preceding their car�s pit stop. Other than officials, these are the only people allowed in the pit lane during the race. After the stop, they must return to their garages.
Fire-resistant clothing: All pit crew members wear fire-resistant Nomex suits similar to those used by the drivers. These suits can withstand heat of up to 800 degree C for 12 seconds. In addition, the pit crew must wear full-face crash helmets for further protection from fire.
Limited fuel pressurisation: Fuel delivery is limited to 12 litres per second, outlawing the high-pressure refuelling used in previous years. This rate of delivery produces a limited pressure that reduces the chances of spillage and fuel nozzle or rig failure compared to the old high pressure systems.
Standardised safety valves for rigs, hoses, and fillers: In addition to the dead man�s handle on the fuel rig (this handle ensures that fuel flow stops the moment pressure is released on the handle) the inlet valves and fillers are standardised and designed in such a way as to prevent leakage of inflammable vapours. A two-way system equalises pressure as the fuel is delivered.
Things can still go wrong though, as demonstrated by Ferrari in the 2003 Austrian Grand Prix when flames erupted from the filler of Michael Schumacher�s car during a routine stop. This was later traced to a faulty seal.

Pit Stop Crews

Two men at each wheel who work in concert to change the tyres
A front jack man who raises the front end of the car
A rear jack man who raises the rear of the car and restarts the motor if it stalls
A lollipop man, who drops the lollipop in front of the car to signal where it should stop
Three refuellers (including one on stand-by) who add the necessary fuel
Two fire extinguisher men who stand by in case of a fire
Maybe a visor cleaner (some drivers prefer not to have one) who wipes the visor of the driver�s helmet In addition, a team manager usually oversees the whole operation.

That leaves a couple of spare pit crew to do any changes to the car such as wing settings. With the exception of the team manager, the pit crew usually double up as mechanics. No formal qualifications exist that specify who can or can�t be a member of the pit crew, but crew members are invariably fully trained as mechanics. The lollipop man is often the chief mechanic. During a pit stop these folks move in high gear. Each has a job to do and must do it quickly and well.
Between pit stops the pit crew gets to sit down in the pit garage and watch the race on the monitors. They swear when their driver messes up or make rude signs at the screen when he�s not assertive enough in dealing with another driver. They make friendly banter with each other. This is one of the few chances they get over the whole weekend to relax.

Pit Stop Basics

Pit stops have become one of the most tense and exciting features of a Grand Prix, and races are frequently won and lost in this high pressure environment. Amazingly for a sport that is all about speed, for between 7 and 12 seconds (the time of an average pit stop), a stationary car becomes the focus of all attention, the most interesting thing that is happening in the race. The pit stop has also emphasised the team play aspect of Formula One making individual team members such as jack men and refuellers highly visible as part of a winning effort. Most of all, the pit stop has underlined the intellectual challenge of Formula One racing. The reason is that race strategies based on the timing and number of pit stops have assumed greater significance, and pit stops can have a huge effect on the outcome of the race. Pit stops are an intrinsic part of modern Formula One. They aren�t compulsory, but dividing the race into stints punctuated by pit stops and thereby having a relatively small amount of fuel on board at any given time is by far the fastest way to get a car through a Grand Prix race distance. This advantage is amplified by the fitting of new tyres during a refuelling stop. There is never any question of whether to have a pit stop or not. The only question is how many.
The pits is the name of the area between the race track and the garages where the team are based for the duration of the race. This area is called the pits because originally, in the dim and dusty past, there was a pit dug out of the track surface where the team personnel would sit and signal their drivers. Originally only this actual pit delineated the working area from the race track. In more modern times, the areas have been separated by a pit wall, and it is now in this area that the selected team members � usually the team principal and two or three race strategists � base themselves during the race. Across the other side of the pit lane the rest of the team � engineers, data loggers, and pit crew � sit in the team garages.

New Lancia Stratos Review

Resurrection of the legendary rally car, Lancia Stratos seemed not just a rumor. New Lancia Stratos has now been officially introduced.

New Lancia Stratos is a unique-shaped compact car with a mid-engine sports the short wheelbase.

Stratos is the initiation of the resurrection of a personal project Stoschek Michael, a successful businessman who heads the fifth largest supplier of automotive components in Germany.

In terms of appearance, New Stratos was designed to truly be a prototype of Lancia Startos. Although the overall color carbon black, unlike the legends who dominated the red and white Marlboro.

New Stratos based off the Ferrari F430 and body made entirely of carbon fiber, allowing the power-to-weight ratio was less than five pounds per dk and 50:50 weight distribution.

Stratos tested in the circuit. However, not yet known whether this car is really only going to produce one unit only, or at least be a limited edition with a small production, there is going to depend on the demand and production cost.

New Stratos body completely made of carbon fiber.

Stratos new (black) side by side with old Stratos.

New Lancia Stratos Review

New Stratos based off the Ferrari F430 and body made entirely of carbon fiber, allowing the power-to-weight ratio was less than five pounds per dk and 50:50 weight distribution.

New Stratos body completely made of carbon fiber.

Stratos new (black) side by side with old Stratos.

Toyota Avalon features

The tail lights now feature LED pipes and fuel economy has been slightly improved to an EPA-estimated 20/29/23 (city/highway/combined) mpg rating. The new Avalon has a new brake-override feature. It has an improved suspension system and a 12-speaker JBL Synthesis system which is only available on the Limited. 17" wheels are also standard on both trims although the Limited model has 6 spokes. Other exterior differences on the Limited include HID projector headlamps.

Toyota Avalon

Toyota Avalon

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2011 Volkswagen Tiguan Trend & Fun

The Trend & Fun specification is the entry level road oriented Tiguan.

Features it includes are six airbags, ESP, Trailer Stability Program integrated with the ESP, Isofix child seat anchorages on the rear bench and electronic parking brake with auto-hold function, RCD 210 radio with integrated CD player, �Climatic� semi-automatic climate control system, four electric window lifts, electrically-adjustable and heated outside mirrors, Multifunctional Display Plus (trip computer), RF remote control of central locking and various storage compartments and bins.

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan

2011 Nissan Versa Engines

* 1.5-litre straight-4 HR15DE gasoline engine; fuel economy 18.0 km/litre in JC08 Mode.
* 1.6-litre straight-4 HR16DE gasoline engine; fuel economy 6.5�9 km/litre in city and 9.3�13.5 km/litre on highway.
* 1.8-litre straight-4 MR18DE gasoline engine fuel economy 9-11 km/litre in city and 12.5-14.5 km/litre on highway, 125HP.
* 1.5-litre straight-4 K9K-1.5 diesel engine; 10�12 km/litre in city and 12.5�15 km/litre on highway.

2011 Nissan Versa