2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

The new Grand Sport combines the Corvette LS3-based powertrain with unique, wide-body styling and a racing-bred suspension for a unique model that provides a great balance of street and track performance. It is offered in both coupe and convertible body styles, with either a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed automatic transmission. The LS3 6.2L engine with 430 hp (321 kW) and 424 lb.-ft. * Rated torque (575 Nm) * with the standard exhaust system. An optional two-mode exhaust system raises the nominal power to 436 horses (325 kW) and 428 lb.-ft. (580 Nm).

The Grand Sport Corvette Z51 replaces the previous package, and brings a higher level of handling performance, with wider wheels
and tires, revised shocks, stabilizer and spring specifications and special gear. The equipment allows cornering ability of 1.0 g LS3 and a 0.2-second improvement in 0-60 acceleration vs standard-powered models.

The full list of contents and special features for the Grand Sport includes:

* Wider front and rear fenders - including specific front fenders with integrated Grand Sport Achievement
* Z06-style front splitter and large rear spoiler
* Functional brake ducts and additional cooling
* Unique 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels, painted standard and optional chrome-plated
* Large 275/35ZR18 tires in front and 325/30ZR19 tires in the rear
* Z06-size brakes, including 14-inch (355 mm) front brake discs with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch (340 mm) rear rotors with four-piston calipers
* Specific gearbox ratios
* Specific rear axle ratio for the automatic-equipped models

Chevrolet offered a limited edition Grand Sport Series model in 1996, to commemorate the original race car and marks the end of the era of Corvette C4 production. All the 1,000 copies were painted Admiral Blue and had a white stripe and red center "diamond" graphics on the left front fender, a graphics system which mimicked the look of some of the original race car.

Car Tech and Me

In my last post I ranted, rather crazily, about technology slowly creeping into everything a car does. From cruise control, to steering, it's filtering in everywhere.

I admit, I sounded like a stark raving lunatic that wants to go back to the old days of "horseless carriages" that required hand cranking and manual spark advance.

I don't want that. I know that technology is a good thing. I just firmly believe that too much is a bad thing.

What I'll call "latent" technology (my own term) is definitely a benefit, and completely useful. These are the pieces of technology that significantly improved the car since its creation.

Things like:

The airbag.

















This is a latent piece of technology. It doesn't activate itself until absolutely necessary, and it saves lives. Cars are safer because of them, especially now that manufacturers are putting them in the headliner of cars and even in the sides of the seats. I fully support this. Old cars, contrary to what everyone seems to think, aren't safe.

So the airbag's brought us a long way.

Stability Control:























The diagram above is referring to Ford's Roll Stability Control, but the image applies to every company that has a type of stability control. It's a type of program that is mostly latent. Under normal circumstances, the computer won't apply the brakes or cut fuel to the engine unless it senses that the vehicle is about to roll over or outright crash.

I support this. It makes cars safer and saves lives.

A number, if not most, of sport car manufacturers have their own versions of this program. These programs created faster cars. They also ensure that the customer can get as much enjoyment as they can out of their car, without killing themselves. Many people, myself included, simply can't handle brand new Ferarris or Lamborghinis the first time out. Traction control is a necessity.

But, ideally, they don't cut in until something is about to go wrong. They wait in the background until they are needed. That is important to me.

ABS:
















That picture demonstrates why ABS is a wonderful thing.

ABS stands for antilock braking system, it automatically pulses the brakes so that it slows the car without locking the brakes, which would send the car into a skid. That's what's happened to the car on the left.

With the wheel still moving, but slowing down, the driver can keep control of the car. I'm all for control. It was revolutionary when it came out, but now it's a standard feature on almost every car.

Still, I enjoy driving cars without ABS. I can feel how the car's breaking and change my driving style appropriately. I have to pay more attention when I drive; something more people should do.

So, no, I don't hate all technology. I just dislike certain applications of it, and enjoy older versions of it.

However, in a comment on my last post, a gentleman reminded me that many old technologies, or skills, have faded away because they were no longer useful. People don't need to know how to light a kerosene lamp or take care of a horse, for example.

Well, he's right.

Some skills and tech are no longer applicable, or won't be in the coming years. But, you see, I'm strange. I like old technology, the old ways of doing things. It's not because I despise new technology, or new advances. I'm not a reactionary. It's because I love history.

These skills, being able to rebuild a generator or manually adjust spark timing, are part of that history. It's where things have come from, and what has given us the ability to create variable valve timing and coil on plug ignition.

So my defense, and lamentations, of these technologies are brought about by a love of history, of preserving a few old things that no longer exist.

That being said, I don't support technology for technology's sake. To me, that is where the self steering ability from that Mercedes falls into. It's unnecessary in my opinion. (And for the record, it probably will make it to production. Mercedes-Benz has a habit of previewing tech like that in their show cars and then putting it into their products.)

However, I am in the minority on that one. People love convenience, and anything that makes a few simple chores even easier. That's why I ignored the automatic parallel parking software in my rant. It's useful, I suppose, but I'd never use it.

I'd never use the media center in a car, either. I only listen to CDs and the radio. Yes, I'd like to have satellite radio someday, but I don't need a hard drive in my dash to store my iTunes files.

I look at GPS units and shrug my shoulders. I'd love to have some of these new luxury cars, if I could afford them. But then I wonder if I could get the GPS unit deleted from it, somehow. Part of the fun in taking a long trip, for me, is using a map and enjoying the drive, not having a computer voice tell me to take a left hand turn while I'm on a bridge. Still, I definitely understand why other people would want it.

Whenever technology can improve the car, I'm all for it. Whenever it can make a car safer, I'm all for it. But I have problems accepting technology that only serves as a selling point to a customer, something that doesn't solve an existing problem.

I enjoy convenience like any other human being. I take on technologies that make my life easier.

But there are some I just cannot accept.

OPEL Corsa 1.2 16V Edition

Confirmation of VAT, 2.000 km, 59 kW (80 KS), Results 05/2009, General and exhaust gas inspection new, Test drive, Petrol, Manual transmission, limousine, Magmarot.

Equipment:
Euro 4, Anti blocking system (ABS), Window lift electric, Electronic stability program (ESP), Air condition, Power steering, Immobilizer, Central locking Euro 4, Anti blocking system (ABS), Window lift electric, Electronic stability program (ESP), Air condition, Power steering, Immobilizer, Central locking.

2010 ENCO Exclusive Audi Q7 3.0 TDI

this is the new 2010 ENCO Exclusive Audi Q7 3.0 TDI picturesna and reviews

Several customizations added by ENCO Exclusive on the Audi Q7 accommodate advanced and aback accent in the appearance of the V12 top model, the behemothic radiator grill, the use of atom lights from the face lift archetypal at the advanced and back, the addition of the caster arches which is distinctively complete to be acclimated calm with the V12 apparatus and the aboriginal S band package,and the ENCO GT beanie fabricated of carbon fibre with congenital blast slits that was covered in a matt atramentous foliation.

The ENCO Q7 additionally has the centralized Jura rims 11×23 inches with the “black chrome” finish, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres 315/25R23 with chicken saddle of a bowl braking system, and stoppers that were crude from a Porsche Cayenne. To add, the lower contour of the Audi Q7 is done by blurred the abeyance ambience bore for the accepted airride system.

In the interior, the Audi Q7 is accomplished with assorted carbon genitalia and it is archetypal for ENCO. The focused colors were acclimated in the dashboard, average console, aperture coverings and in the anew advised sports council wheel.