Thursday 19 January 2012

Awful Materials Found in Automobiles

Brian Turner

With all the attention on the outside pollution that the vehicles of today placed into the atmosphere, one would think that the regulators in government and the private institutions that are overseeing the auto industry would've picked up on something else – the toxins that reside inside of each car that is slowly killing drivers under the radar.

Mostly in older vehicles, asbestos was used in different vehicle parts for fire-resistance like brake linings, gaskets, hood liners, clutch plates, etc. Exposure to this substance can lead an aggressive disease called mesothelioma. Hobbyists and mechanics need to take safety pre-cautions before performing on their cars.

The many substances that are used to create the plastics that go inside cars have been shown by many studies around the world to be completely toxic and unhealthy for people of any age, and the things that they cause inside of the body are often not curable and are completely long-term and even terminal in nature.

Phthalates, or phthalate esters, are acidic compounds that are used to increase the usability of plastic through increasing their longevity, flexibility, durability and transparency. They are usually used in PVCs, which is definitely not a group of products that is in favor with the Western world right now. There are many products that are being phased out because they contain these types of chemicals for the same health reasons that they should not be used in cars.

The other large form of chemicals that are used in cars and cause major health problems for drivers is known as PBDEs. This group of chemicals is similar to phthalate esters in that they cause definite long-term, completely incurable problems in all human beings, although they are not being fazed out of products at the same rate as phthalate esters are.

These awful materials usually find their way into the human body through inhalation of dust particles, which are contained on the inside of the vehicles. What this means for drivers is that the one way to keep as much of those toxic materials out of your body as possible is to keep the inside of your car as clean as possible. Along with that, another way to keep these substances out of your system is to wear a gas mask whenever you are dealing in close proximity to the car, including working under the car, pumping gas for the car and looking under the hood for any type of problem.

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Citroen C1 facelifted


This is the new, facelifted for 2012, Citroen C1. In addition to the more obvious physical changes, the new C1 will cost £700 less than the outgoing model when it arrives in April this year. 

LED lights have been added to a body that will now come with a greater choice of colours for the outside and a greater choice of cloth materials for the inside. 

The higher spec models will likely be a lot more expensive than the lowest VT trim level and so will not drop much in price, however the car in its most basic form is nonetheless a significant amount cheaper than it was, while looking better as a result.



Detroit Auto Show - Vauxhall reveals new Mokka



Vauxhall has revealed a totally new car, the Mokka, set to compete with the Nissan Juke/Ford Kuga class of cars. To be sold in America as the Buick Encore, the Mokka will arrive in the UK in November this year.

The car measures 4.28m long x 1.645m tall, so although it looks a little like a tall Corsa, it is in fact a much larger car, differing greatly from the supermini. It will however use the Gamma II platform which the next generation Corsa will be based on.

There will be several engines available, both petrol and diesel. The petrols will include a 1.6-litre, 117bhp motor and a 1.4-litre turbo producing 142bhp. Customers will also be able to choose a 1.7-litre CDTi turbodiesel with 132bhp and 221lb ft of torque.

The standard car will be front-wheel-drive but the car will be available in 4x4 specification. All cars will come with start/stop technology and the turbos will be available in either six-speed manual or automatic configurations.

Although it will be related directly to the new Corsa, the Mokka boasts promising amounts of space - with the rear seats folded it provides 1372 litres of load space and 533 with them up.

The car will be fitted with 18-inch wheels and as well as the usual driver assists the Mokka will use hill start assist, hill descent control systems with adaptive forward lighting and even the option of a front-facing camera.













Detroit Auto Show - 9th Jan Gallery

Due to the sheer number of cars that debuted yesterday, I'll only be able to update you with a gallery and brief details on every car so far.

The Smart For-us - a zero emissions pick-up style concept
The new Mercedes SL - due to be released mid-2012

The electric version of Nissan's NV200 van
The new Nissan Pathfinder concept.  The new car will be far less rugged than its predecessor using an entirely new platform
The Volvo XC60 plug-in-hybrid concept, boasting 325bhp
The upcoming Hyndai Genesis Coupe, rumoured to come with an eight-speed auto
The new Hyundai Veloster coupe, with 210bhp and three doors - literally
The Mini Roadster will compete with the Mazda MX-5 in late 2012
The all-new BMW 3-series made its first appearance in America
An all-new V8-powered Bentley Continental GT made its first appearance
The Scion FR-S - North America's take on the Subaru BRZ and the Toyota GT86 - also broke cover
The new European Ford Mondeo appeared under American Ford Fusion guise, to be sold as a saloon in North America but also as an estate and hatchback in Europe
Also making its first appearance was the new Dodge Dart, based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta 
The soft-top convertible version of Ford's new 200+mph Shelby GT500 also made its debut
It was revealed that the North American BMW M5 will come with a six-speed manual, whereas the European  M5 will use an automatic transmission
Following the release of the new 911 last year, the first 911 cabrio debuted at Detroit
Mercedes will be using its most powerful 2.1-litre engine in the new E300 BlueTec Hybrid
Cadillac's 3-series rival, the ATS, finally broke cover
Although only a concept, the Lexus LF-LC Hybrid Sports Coupe showcases the firm's new design styling
The new Audi A4 has been facelifted and given a new 1.8-litre 170bhp TFSI engine
Audi also showcased its new Q3, the Vail concept, supposedly inspired by a Colorado mountain resort
Chrysler showed off its new MPV, the 700C by showing a concept of what the styling could look like
Perhaps the biggest story of the show so far, Honda turned up with yet another NSX concept, although this time it is very likely that a successor will be made
A new 'sporty' VW Beetle appeared in the shape of the E-Bugster, a preview of the new Beetle cabrio and VW's electric technology that we may see in the near future
This Scion FR-S drift car with 600bhp and 500lb-ft of torque will compete next season
This completes most of the exhibits as of the 9th January, please return later for more.