Porsche 911 Carrera GTS ECU Remap by mcchip-dkr

The 3.8-liter direct-injected, naturally-aspirated boxer engine was played with for 4 hours, with the result being an extra 17 hp and 12 Nm (8.85 lb-ft) of torque. The increase was limited due to the fact that Porsche’s racing expertise allows the carmaker to push its engines to the limit. In this particular case, the engine on the Carrera GTS, which delivers 408 hp and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) had already been beefed-up by Porsche to offer more muscle than the 3.8-liter unit on the Carrera S.

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Jaguar XJ Ultimate coming to India in 2013.

Rohit Suri, head, premier car division at Jaguar Land Rover India, said, “We will launch the Jaguar XJ Ultimate and Jaguar F TYPE two-seater sports car in India in 2013 to give Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz a run for their money.” 

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AU survey results suggests men rely on GPS more than women

   

Remember the days before GPS? When it was just you, the open road, and a Rand-McNally mapbook tucked beneath the seat? We certainly do, but with the advent of GPS and smartphones, using electronic devices for guidance has become second nature. And it has turned one of the great stereotypes of the sexes sideways.

According to a study conducted by the Australian Association for Motor Insurers, men use GPS navigation more than women. The AAMI claims that 64 percent of men use nav systems while only 50 percent of women rely on them.

Reuben Aitchison, AAMI Corporate Affairs Manager, pondered the old stereotype of men never asking for directions, "It was a point of honour, sometimes known as stubbornness."

The poll also asked what voices from which people would be most and least likely to take directions. The most popular voiced included Morgan Freeman, Stewie Griffin, and Christopher Walken. The least favorite? Batman, Ozzy Osborne and your significant other.

A quick look over to the Garmin site reveals that none of those voices are available, but you can get Erine & Bert, Wallace & Gromit, Yoda, and Darth Vader.

The significant other? That's a no-cost option.

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Maserati's sub-Quattroporte sedan spotted testing

 

     


    


      




The spy photogs at CarPix have caught the upcoming small sedan from Maserati to slot under theQuattroporte, rumored to be dubbed Levante, out testing. The spy shots frankly don't tell us much more than that, since the mule is wrapped in an ill-fitting Quattroporte body giving away little more than a shorter wheelbase and smaller brakes.

The Levante, if that's what it's called, will be Maserati's entry into the luxury full-sized sedan segment to compete with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series. Said to arrive late next year, it will have its luxury ducks in a row, supposedly offering a twin-turbo V6, a V8 and a 300-horsepower diesel with 500 pound-feet of torque.

Questions about engines and their provenance remain; the next Quattroporte is getting a Ferrari-sourcedsupercharged V6 and turbocharged V8, but it is wondered if the Levante's V6 might come from the other side of the Fiat stable, namely Chrysler. No matter where the motors come from, though, they'll be run through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

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Honda reveals 1.6-liter turbocharged heart of its new WTCC Civic racer

     


Technical details are still scant, but we do know a tiny bit more about Honda and its plans for a World Touring Car Championship entrant based on the Euro-spec 2012 Civic. The automaker has unveiled its HR412E, a 1.6-liter, turbocharged and direct injected gas engine, and let us know its plans for getting the engine and car into some races: Tiago Monteiro will race one example in the final three rounds of the season, beginning with Suzuka, and multiple touring car champion Gabriele Tarquini will join him for races in the second car as of 2013. Tarquini is doing development work on the car this year.

The car itself is currently in Milan, Italy being tested and prepped by JAS Motorsport, a collaboration we've already had a taste of in the dirt with their Honda Jazz rally car. Honda has also partnered with Mugen on its WTCC project. It will be three months before we see the Civic WTCC going for the checkered flag, the Suzuka race running October 19-21. Have a read of the presser below for a few more details on the engine and the drivers.

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Lexus to get own version of Toyota Prius C?

The CT 200h proved that Lexus could make up for the sins against excitement committed by the company'sshort-lived HS 250h. Its bold styling and greatly improved handling combined with a fuel-efficient drivetrain suggests a brighter future for the compact luxury hybrid segment.

Word is, though, that Lexus is working on a sub-CT hybrid entrant. According to Malaysian automotive outlet Paultan, the diminutive luxury fuel-sipper will be based on the Toyota Prius C. The website has tentatively dubbed the model AS150, but it is here where we must advise that you take some of the report's details with grains of salt in varying sizes. If history provides us with context, any Lexus hybrid would include an "h" in the name, for example.

More believable, though is the speculation that the powerplant would be a variation of the 1.5-liter Hybrid Synergy Drive module that powers the Prius C. Another alternative floated by Paultan is that an even smaller 1.2-liter turbocharged unit featuring direct injection could find its way into the subcompact's engine bay.

RELATED GALLERY2012 Toyota Prius C: First Drive

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Watch the video of Chevy's Camaro 1LE lap VIR in 2:58:34

 


There are two draws in the pony-car competition bracket: brawn-über-alles pits the 580-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 against the 650-hp Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, while the track-day killers set the 426-hpCamaro 1LE against the 444-hp Mustang Boss 302. And all of them are eventually tested in anger at Virginia International Raceway, which could one day become our own Nürburgring based on the cars that have set times there.

Answering that challenge, the Camaro 1LE has just come from posting a 2:58.34 around VIR. According tothe list at FastestLaps.com, that puts the Camaro 1LE exactly midway between the 2005 lap time of aChevrolet Corvette Z06 at 2:58.20 and the 550-horsepower 2011 GT500 which did 2:58.48. For better comparison, the 1LE is 6.1 seconds behind the Camaro ZL1, 4.46 seconds ahead of the Boss 302 Laguna Seca, and within two seconds of serious handlers like the Porsche 911 Turbo S, Ariel Atom 3 and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, all run in the last two years (although we don't know who the Porsche and Mercedes drivers were). FastestLaps lists a time of 2:58.00 for a "659-hp" GT500, but the year tested is "0" and we aren't sure what the story is there.

Not a bad day's work for the $37,035 Camaro, which starts at a price nearly $13,000 less than the Boss 302 Laguna Seca. Don't take our word for it, check out the whole lap below.

                                        

RELATED GALLERY2013 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE

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CVTs expected to more than double in popularity

Belts and pulleys will continue to replace traditional gears in the coming years as more carmakers turn to Continuously Variable Transmissions to increase fuel economy. 

According to a new Automotive News report, by the numbers, about one percent of new vehicles were equipped with a CVT in 2005. By 2010, that number of new vehicles in the U.S. grew to seven percent, thanks largely to Nissan, not to mention an increase in the number of hybrid models sold in America (most of which are fitted with the technology). Experts at IHS Automotive now predict that percentage will more than double by 2016 to 16 percent.

The belt-and-pulley transmission can adjust to an engine's torque in an infinite number of ways, making it more efficient than traditional gearboxes. But CVTs have become the bane of many enthusiasts and critics because of a number of undesirable characteristics – namely the unpleasant 'rubber band' sound they emit under hard acceleration.

According to Automotive News, Japanese carmakers appear especially interested in adding CVTs to their lineups. Honda is widely expected to offer a CVT on its next-generation four-cylinder Accord, Toyota may include a CVT on its future Corolla, and the CVT stalwarts at Nissan introduced its 2013 Altima earlier this year with an upgraded CVT that helps it achieve 38 miles per gallon on the highway.

While CVTs continue to improve, some providing faux programed "shift points" through sport programs or paddle shifters, they remain a non-starter with most enthusiasts we talk to. Further, critics like us can't help but note that with the advent of newer, lighter automatics and dual-clutch gearboxes with more and more speeds (eight speeds are becoming increasingly common, and nine- and ten-speed autos cogswappers on the horizon), the efficiency advantages of the CVT aren't as impressive. 

We'll obviously need some sort of pulley mechanism to drag us into the future.

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Ferrari 599 Rides on DPE Wheels

The Prancing Horse was played with using DPE Wheels. This particular car uses a two-tone finish, with blue being used up to the windows and black being used for the roof. The new rims use a matte black finish that matches the color of the car’s upper side, while also offering the 599 a bad boy image.

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Matte Red Lamborghini Murcielago

Move over Aventador, the Murcielago wants back in the attention pool! Ladies and Gentlemen drivers, we are here to give an example of the Murcie that is screaming “Look at Me!”, with the car using both a special color and custom wheels.

It all started with a matte red wrap for the Raging Bull, with the V12 Lambo probably being willing to give Prancing Horses its middle finger. The supercar was then gifted with a new set of shoes coming from DPE Wheels.

The rims uses a multi-spoke layout that creates a mesmerizing effect as the car moves.

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Bentley Continental Supersport on PUR Wheels

The Continental GT Supersports packs a 6-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine with an output rating of 630 horsepower. This extraordinary power means it accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds) with a top speed of 204 mph (329 km/h).

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Long-wheelbase Range Rover in the works?

The current Land Rover Range Rover is equally capable of going up mountains, going down Munich's Maximilienstrasse and going across Kenya's Masaai Mara. The next Range Rover, which we've seen plenty of spy shots of, appears set to wade into territory completely new to it: a long-wheelbase version. A set of extra-lengthy rear doors have been spotted on one of the camouflaged prototypes navigating the English midlands, the expectation being that a longer Range Rover is being developed for markets like China that crave stretched models with ample leg room in the back seats.

The bigger back end will negate some of that 600-to-800-pound weight loss we've been hearing about for the next big Land Rover, but most Chinese and Middle Eastern buyers won't care. It isn't known if the extended version will come to the States, but a recent report in Automotive News suggests that if it did come, it could fit a third row of seats and become a challenger to the Mercedes GL, which is currently the best-sellling full-sized luxury utility here. And for those who'd like even more gumption than the current Range has, an article in Car says a higher-capacity V8 is being looked at "for power-crazed countries where fuel prices matter less."

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Hyundai recalls over 220,000 Sonata and Santa Fe models over airbag concern

 

Hyundai is recalling certain Sonata and Santa Fe models due to issues with the vehicles' airbags.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, certain 2012-2013 Sonata models may have been built with side-curtain airbags that may deploy inadvertently, potentially injuring occupants and greatly reducing driver visibility. Hyundai will replace those airbags free of charge.

Meanwhile, the airbag system in certain 2007-2009 Santa Fe crossovers may not detect smaller adults in the front seats, which means they could fail to deploy in a collision. Hyundai will update the software that controls the airbag system free of charge.

All told, the recalls cover 199,118 Santa Fe models and 22,512 Sonata units. While the Sonata campaign is expected to begin next month, Hyundai hasn't supplied NHTSA with a campaign schedule as of yet

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