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Sam Abuelsamid

Ypsilanti, MI - http://sam.abuelsamid.com

After 22 years of working as an engineer for car companies and automotive suppliers I now spend my days writing about cars and alternative fuels.

BMW reaches agreement to sell F1 team back to founder Peter Sauber

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 27th, 2009 at 6:02PM

The future of Sauber F1 looks a little more secure. After BMW's announcement earlier this year that it would withdraw from its involvement in Formula one at the end of the 2009, the automaker has reached a deal to sell the team back to eponymous founder Peter Sauber.

The new deal comes just days after it became clear that the previously unknown Qadbak investment company that had a deal to buy the team may have in fact been nothing more than a scam. According to previous reports, Qadbak apparently just wanted to collect Sauber's share of the F1 commercial money.

Peter Sauber has apparently raised the financing to buy back the team he sold to BMW in 2005 although the announcement does not disclose the purchase price. The team is being restructured in accordance with new F1 rules designed to bring down costs, and the staff at team headquarters will be cut from the current 388 to 250, with the first batch of layoff notices landing in inboxes today.

[Source: BMW]

Porsche cancels Boxster/Cayman production contract, Magna wants cash

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 27th, 2009 at 5:03PM

2009 Porsche Boxster S - Click above for high res image gallery

Shortly after the Boxster debuted in 1996, Porsche contracted with Valmet Automotive of Finland as a second production source for the sports car, and a few years later, employed the facili along with the Cayman coupe. In 2008 Porsche decided that it would shift that production contract from Valmet to Magna International and its assembly plant in Graz Austria. Today, with Porsche being subsumed into the Volkswagen Group, the sports car maker has decided to cancel the Magna deal. With Volkswagen now buying up the remains of Karmann, the Boxster and Cayman are now expected be built at the coachbuilder's factory in Osnabrueck, Germany.

Magna claims it has already invested a significant amount of money on development to prepare for production. As a result Magna is seeking €400 million in compensation from Porsche. There's no word from Stuttgart on its plans to repay Magna, but with VW's legal arm exercised and ready to go, the battle is sure to be drawn out over the coming months and years.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Porsche Boxster S PDK

[Source: Reuters]

Spy Shots: New BMW 6 Series cabrio caught, reveals no more flying buttresses

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 27th, 2009 at 10:56AM

It looks like the lakes around Arvidsjaur Sweden have frozen early this year and the engineers from Munich have hit the ice already. The current generation BMW 6 Series has been one of the company's more controversial designs of the past decade, along with the previous-generation 7 Series and Z4. Like most of the rest of the lineup, it will be getting a re-work in the not-too-distant future, and judging from some new photos, it will be following a similar design direction to other recent introductions.

It looks like the bustle back trunk lid (a.k.a. "The Bangle Butt") is being given the heave-ho, although the convertible that was spotted looks like it might be sporting a two-piece rear lid similar to the 5 Series Gran Turismo. It also appears as though there are two cut-lines, the lower one being the one that goes along the side to open for the top to go up and down. The second smaller one higher up might be just for cargo access.

Another element that some will be to see go are the flying buttresses on the top. Thankfully, it appears that BMW has decided to avoid the unnaturally long rear deck that would come with a hard top and retained the fabric variety. At the front, the 6 gets a more vertical grille and headlights that look much like the Z4.

Underhood, the current 4.8-liter V8 will probably be replaced by the newer 4.4-liter twin-turbo and the six-cylinder will probably be the new 300-horsepower single turbo unit just announced for the 5 Series.

[Source: AutoExpress]

ALMS champs Highcroft to run updated LMP2 Acura in 2010

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 26th, 2009 at 10:29AM

Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-02a - click above for high-res image gallery

2010 is bringing some changes to the class lineup in the American Le Mans Series, and defending LMP1 champions Highcroft Racing are adjusting. The new structure will combine the former P1 and P2 classes at all races except for Sebring and Petit Le Mans. As a result, Highcroft will campaign a new evolution of Acura's original ARX-01 P2 car dubbed 01c. Highcroft has been part of the Acura ALMS program since its inception in 2006 and is slated to continue in 2010 as the lead development squad.

According to Highcroft spokesman Paul Ryan, the team plans to run only the 01c in 2010, and at this point, only one car is confirmed. If the team can line up sufficient sponsorship, a second 01c may be added to the program.

ALMS spokesman Bob Dickinson has informed Autoblog that the final technical rules for 2010 are still being ironed out by sanctioning body IMSA, but in all likelihood, existing P1 and P2 cars will run together in a common class with weight and restrictor adjustments for equivalency.

At this time, we also don't know the fate of the other two Acura teams, de Ferran Motorsports and Fernandez Racing – or the ARX-02a. The last we heard, Fernandez is still looking for 2010 funding and may end up dropping out while de Ferran previously announced an expansion into IndyCar for 2010. Given Gil de Ferran's longstanding relationship with Honda, we would expect to see an ARX-01c in de Ferran colors next season. For its part, Honda Performance Development couldn't tell us anything about Acura's 2010 plans beyond what Highcroft has already announced. According to HPD spokesman T.E. McHale, plans are still being finalized and an announcement is planned for early December,

Gallery: Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-02a at Mid-Ohio 2009

[Source: American Le Mans Series]
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

VIDEO: Chevrolet Volt tests driver-controlled audio warning system with the blind

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 25th, 2009 at 3:13PM

As the popularity of hybrids has grown over the last few years, advocates for the blind have been raising a red flag about noise, or -- more to the point -- the lack of it. Because electric-drive vehicles emit much lower levels of sound on the street, blind pedestrians who've relied on the noise emitted from traditional vehicles lose a major source of information when navigating the streets and sidewalks.

There have been movements in various legislatures to mandate some minimum sound level from electric vehicles to ensure that blind pedestrians can tell when they're approaching, and General Motors recently conducted a test session at its Milford Proving Grounds with a group of the visually-challenged to assess the audible warning systems on the Chevrolet Volt.

The engineers have employed the car's horn to emit a series of warning chirps when a pedestrian is in proximity to GM's gas-electric hybrid, evaluating the nature and level of the warnings to alert pedestrians rather than startle them. GM spokesman Rob Peterson tells us that on the first generation Volt the warnings will be manually activated by the driver, although future iterations are likely to incorporate some sort of active system. Currently, the biggest hurdle is developing an active system that can distinguish a pedestrian from another vehicle. Otherwise, without a reliable detection system, the horns would be going off at all times, increasing noise levels and making it largely useless.

[Source: ChevroletVoltage.com]

Renault introduces Twingo Gordini R.S. hot hatch

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 25th, 2009 at 12:58PM

Renault Twingo Gordini R.S. - Click above for high-res image gallery

A few weeks back, Renault announced plans to revive the classic Gordini badge for its new high performance variants and now, the first model has been unveiled. Based on the automaker's smallest model, the Renault Twingo Gordini R.S. should prove to be mighty quick, with a 133 hp 1.6-liter engine to twist its 17 inch front wheels, along with an uprated suspension package and brakes.

Outside, the Twingo is coated in the historic blue hue that adorned French racing cars in the days before corporate sponsor colors took everything over, and buyers can also opt for pearlescent black to go with the white accents. Renault is displaying the car at their "Christmas in Blue" exhibit in Paris through the holidays and deliveries will start in March. Pricing hasn't been announced, but it will surely come in at a level that would make American consumers blanche for such a small car.

Gallery: Renault Twingo Gordini R.S.

[Source: Renault]

Top Gear builds Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust, an ER-EV to answer the Chevy Volt

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 25th, 2009 at 10:45AM

Click above to watch videos after the jump

Many electric vehicle fans out there are constantly complaining about how long it's taking automakers to bring plug-in vehicles to market. We've had commenters on this site claim that automakers should be able to bring EVs to the street in six months. Apparently even six months is too long for the crew at Top Gear.

For those unfamiliar with the format of the show, most episodes involve the producers giving a challenge of some sort to hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. The most recent episode, aired this week on the BBC in the UK, included just such a challenge. The boys were tasked to build their own answer to the extended-range EV Chevrolet Volt.

In a mere 18 hours they transformed a TVR Chimaera (interesting choice since a chimaera is a mythological creature composed of parts of a number of animals) into the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust pictured above. Once the i-Thrust was completed, it was turned over to Autocar magazine for an independent road test. As you might guess based on the photo, the results were not surprising and are a testament to perhaps taking all the time you need when developing a car. You can grab a copy of AutoCar's full road test as a PDF or just watch the entire Top Gear segment and video of the Autocar road test after the jump.

[Source: Autocar]

All Grown Up: Audi celebrates 20th birthday of TDI

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 4:31PM

Audi A3 TDI – Click above for high-res image gallery

As Audi begins to roll out the A3 TDI to its U.S. dealers in the coming weeks and the diesel version of the Q7 takes an ever larger share of sales, it's time to celebrate. This Fall marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the first ever TDI engine. TDI, for the uninitiated, stands for turbocharged-direct-injection, and refers to modern diesel engines from the Volkswagen group. Today's TDI technology has evolved from the 20 year-old 2.5-liter five-cylinder in the Audi 100.

Back then, the first TDI engines retained distributor type injector pumps, although the fuel was sprayed directly into the combustion chambers rather than a pre-chamber. Later, the company used something called Pumpe Düse – pump-injectors – for fuel delivery. This design integrated the high pressure pump and injector for each cylinder. These days, TDI uses common rail injection where a single pump pressurizes a single fuel rail that feeds all of the injectors. Regardless of the injector type, TDI has gone a long way towards improving the power output and reducing emissions of diesel engines. Audi and Volkswagen have built over five million TDI powerplants and remain committed to the technology. Congratulations on the double-decade milestone, guys.

Gallery: Review: Audi A3 TDI

Officially Official: BMW unveils all-new 5 Series sedan

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 2:12PM

2011 BMW 5 Series - Click above for high-res image gallery

The 5 Series is an important model for BMW, particularly in North America where it's the brand's second best seller behind the 3 Series. Heading into 2010, BMW has expanded its mid-size line with the new Gran Turismo body style already on sale. However, the volume leader for the 5 Series is the four-door sedan, which officially debuts today. The 2011 model transitions to a new platform architecture shared with the latest 7 Series as well as the upcoming Rolls-Royce Ghost. The 5 Series sedan gets a four-inch shorter wheelbase than its siblings, but at 116.9 inches, it still stretches well past its competition. The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class runs a mere 113.1 inches between its axles and the Cadillac CTS is 113.4 inches.

From a technical perspective, the new 5 Series picks up much of what can be found in the 7 Series and the Gran Turismo. Read on after the jump to learn more about it.

UPDATE: Nine videos added and more images uploaded into gallery.

Gallery: 2011 BMW 5 Series sedan

[Source: BMW]

New Hyundai 2.4-liter GDI four-cylinder makes 200 hp in 2011 Sonata

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 1:01PM

Hyundai 2.4L Theta-II GDI - Click above for high res image gallery

When Hyundai's all new Sonata goes on sale early in 2010, it will arrive in U.S. showrooms with only one available engine, a thoroughly revamped version of the 2.4-liter Theta-II four cylinder. The new engine is Hyundai's first production powerplant with gasoline direct injection, but John Juriga, director of powertrains at the Hyundai-Kia Technical Center (HATCI), promised it wouldn't be the last. Juriga told a media briefing at HATCI recently that Hyundai was planning to roll out GDI across its lineup in the coming years.

For now though we have to be content with the new Sonata engine, which is now more powerful than the engine it replaces with 200 hp and 186 pound-feet of torque. The basic internal dimensions are carried over from the 2010 port-injected edition, with bore and stroke of 88 mm x 97 mm for a total displacement of 2,359 cc. The new fuel delivery system has allowed the engineering team to bump the compression ratio from 10.5:1 up to 11.3:1. Like other direct injected engines, the charge cooling effect of injecting the fuel in into the high temperature compressed aid allows the elevated compression without the risk of knock. Read on to learn more about the first GDI Hyundai engine.

Gallery: Hyundai 2.4L Theta-II GDI

[Source: Hyundai]

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