Auto Trends

Lotus Exige Scura, all photos originally uploaded by www.Dream-car.tv

The newest special edition to the Lotus line-up is getting ready to be unveiled to the general public at this years 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. And when I say special edition, I mean a very special edition. Only 35 of these Exige’s are on tap for production, and according to sources, not a single one is headed for the states. So, what makes the Exige/Scura so darn special? Let me tell you…

The Matte Scura (Italian for “dark”) Paint
One of the most noticeable features of this edition is its unusual paint job. While it may look just like any other matte black finish you’ve ever seen, this one is unique. The process begins with several base coats of the gloss black. This color is what is represented in the center stripe. The stripe is then masked off, the remaining paint is properly sanded and prepped for maximum adhesion, and a rubberized flat black is then carefully applied.

This black coating is similar to the paint typically used on wheel wells, lower/underbody panels, and truck bed coatings. The difference is, unlike the lumpy texture rubberized paints normally exude, the Lotus has an ultra smooth sheen, that is also smooth to the touch. Even more surprising, Lotus claims this finish is up to 5-times more durable than the typical automotive grade paint. No word on how the finish is going to react to wax, and let’s face it, that center stripe is going to be awfully tempting to wax.

260 Horsepower Supercharged 4-Banger
You can’t have a Lotus without the performance to boot, and the Exige delivers. The Lotus philosophy has always been, moderate horsepower + lightweight frame + world class suspension = driver appeal. The high-winding (8,000 rpm), intercooled, supercharged engine pumps out a relatively moderate 260 horsepower (175 lb-ft of torque), but combine that to its featherlight curb weight, and it’s not hard to fathom it’s capable of 0-60 in 4-seconds, 0-100 in less than 10-seconds, and a top speed of 152 mph.

Additional highlights to the engine compartment, include VVTL-i variable cam, high capacity injectors, uprated fuel pump, and roof scoop air-charger feed. A relatively light flywheel connects the power to an efficient and sturdy C-64 six-speed, which also includes a high performance clutch. On top of this comes the standard traction control, adjustable dampers, and a nifty launch control for quick starts off the line. All this amounts to around $73,000 U.S. dollars.

Pricey, but worthy!

MSN Autos released some interesting statistic recently, looking at the most popular vehicles driven in various areas. Let’s breakdown these findings, and try to deduce what made these vehicles so popular.

Scarsdale, New York Covets their BMW 328xi Sports Wagon
Interestingly, Scarsdale resident are almost exclusive leasers (85 percent) which means they are not necessarily committed to the 328xi, but rather have deemed it as the most practical and functional for the next three years. The wagon allows the typical family to trudge the daily grind in relative comfort, convenience, and fuel economy (25 mph highway), while also having decent cargo availability, and reasonable winter capability to boot (all-wheel drive).

Grand Blanc, Michigan Cruises the empty Boulevards in a Chevrolet Impala
Michigan has been hit hard by the poor economy. In the relatively small town (9,000 souls) of Grand Blanc, approximately 200 locals are out of work these days due to the layoffs that hit earlier this year. There are a couple of factors which have made the Chevrolet Impala the choice vehicle for 2009. For one, it is affordable ($24,000 and up); two, economical (29 mpg); and three, well, it is made by General Motors. Grand Blanc is home to General Motors’ Weld Tool Center, so they probably figure they might as well support the home team!

West Palm Beach, Florida Sets their Standards at the Lexus RX 350
The luxury oriented Lexus RX350 is the old stand-by in West Palm Beach. The crowd is hip, professional, and well endowed with a beefy yearly income. In the lush concrete jungles of Florida’s West Beach, there is really not much necessity for 4-wheel Drive, yet residents seem quite fond of them. There is a lot of single professionals in the median age of 36.7, which means there is more calling for status vehicles than affordable and practical minivans and family sedans. Not that a Lexus isn’t practical, but with its $40,000 base price, there are lot more practical options out there.

Deluth, Georgia Holds Favors the Honda Civic
The folks of Deluth, prefer Honda Civic’s more than any other vehicle. This finding was a bit surprising considering these suburbs are typically known for their upscale nature. Most folks around here, however, appear more concerned with stretching their dollar than gaining materialistic status. As a former railroad town, Deluth has few options for public transportation, so their vehicles have to be safe, reliable, dependable, and economical. The Honda Civic represents all of these, and for those with a particularly long daily trek, the Civic Hybrid offers up to 45 mpg on the highway.

Source: MSN Autos

[Photos via david.tormey, autodetailer, F1Photography.net, and resedabear]

2010 Lexus IS 350C - interior, originally uploaded by Zane Merva - AutoInsane.com

A few weeks ago we reported on the largest Toyota recall in history, covering 3.8 million of their vehicles, including the 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, 2006-2010 Lexus IS250, and IS350. The problem behind these recalls is a floor mat which is a bit to large for the floor board area, which can cause it to snag on the accelerator, forcing unwanted acceleration.

The idea behind an accelerator becoming stuck is nothing new. There was even a made-for-TV movie based on such a phenomenon, many years ago. These threats have changed a bit over the years. Back in the days of old, not only was the petal capable of becoming jammed underneath a carpet, but there were also cases of the carburetor itself jamming under full acceleration.

Today’s vehicles, with their fuel injection and computer technology have less chance of becoming jammed, but a pedal becoming snagged on the carpet, or jammed by a maladjusted floor mat is always a danger. Toyota has found this out the hard way, and while they have told consumers to remove their mats for the time being and not to replace them, they still have to come up with a permanent solution.

Toyota has already declined the possibility of replacing each of the suspected defective floor mats with a redesigned mat. Instead they are considering installing new software. How it would work, is the accelerator and brake pedal would both be monitored by the vehicles inboard computer while driving. If at anytime during active acceleration, the computer senses the brake is also being applied, it will shut down the accelerator in favor of the brakes.

Quite simply, the brake system takes precedence over the accelerator. There are a couple manufacturers who have been using this drive-by-wire technology for several years now, such as BMW, Volkswagen, and Audi. BMW in fact, has a slightly more complex system which allows the driver to hold the brake while accelerating, as long as the vehicle is not in motion (power braking, spinning out, hard launching, showing off, etc.). Once the vehicle is moving however, the accelerator and brake will not work simultaneously.

Toyota would become one of the few manufacturers in the world who incorporate this type of software as part of their standard safety equipment. This could put a bit of a positive spin, on what has been a very negative few weeks for Toyota’s consumer morale.

Source: New York Times