Toyota’s electronics - no proof of malfunction

The American Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, handed down the results of a 10 month probe into whether Toyota’s electronics had flaws which caused the vehicles to speed out of control, as had been asserted by an army of US lawyers, left with nothing to do after silicone breast implants proved to be a furfy.

Toyota

“The verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas. Period,” Secretary LaHood said at a packed news conference at the Transportation Department’s headquarters. “Our conclusion is Toyota’s problems were mechanical, not electrical.”

The 10 month probe conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and NASA narrowed the causes of runaway vehicles to mechanical issues such as sticking pedals and trapped floor mats, and to driver error - stepping on the gas, rather than the brake.

In examining the data, NHTSA and NASA reviewed more than 280,000 lines of software code for Toyota vehicles and even traveled to the Goddard Space Center for testing and to Chrysler’s Auburn Hills headquarters to bombard Toyota vehicles with electromagnetic radiation to see if was a factor in the unintended acceleration.

NASA was less categorical than LaHood, and in a fine display of scientific ass covering, stated that it was “theoretically possible” that two electronic faults could cause unintended acceleration under specific circumstances, but even NASA admitted that, “such an occurrence was highly unlikely in the real world.”

Steve St. Angelo, Toyota’s chief quality officer for North America, said he hoped the government’s findings would “help put to rest unsupported speculation” that unintended acceleration caused by electronics could occur. “We believe this rigorous scientific analysis by some of America’s foremost engineers should further reinforce confidence in the safety of Toyota and Lexus vehicles,” he said.

And whilst that should be the end of the saga, it is not, as there are many people who can smell money in all this, irrespective of the scientific findings. “They ignored cases they can’t explain,” said Sean Kane, president of Safety Research and Strategies, a private Massachusetts auto safety consultant. “We don’t think the story’s over - not by a long shot.”

“The issue is not going to go away just because they didn’t find anything,” said Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of an online automotive research company. “The fact that they couldn’t replicate unintended acceleration doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist, whatever the cause.” With logic like that, they will soon be claiming that the electronics are polluting the ozone layer with emissions that cannot be currently found. Or worse, causing giraffes to miscarry in sub-Saharan Africa.

The army of litigation lawyers will also not call a ceasefire against Toyota either, just because this study is negative. If some doubt exists, then the legal eagles will proceed, especially as nebulous claims of untraceable electronic malfunctions would make it that Toyota would find it nearly impossible to disprove. And by association, guilty!

Here’s big horses from GM

The General has taken up the challenge in the new pony car challenge with its 2012 supercharged 6.2 liter V8 Camaro delivering 410 kW of power.

Called the ZL1 after a Camaro racing engine of the same name in the 1960s, this fastest official Camaro ever built is powered by General Motors’ blown LSA engine that made its debut in supercharged form in the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V.

GM Camaro 2012

It has 96 more kW than the standard V8 Camaro, this 2012 coupe will also be featuring a stronger chassis, transmission and rear axle assembly.

According to GM, the new Camaro’s LSA V8 produces 677 Nm of torque. No performance figures were released, with GM saying they would be announced later in the year when the car’s development is more advanced.

For the first time, a Camaro gets Magnetic Ride Control and electric power steering. The V8 engine has an intercooled four-lobe Eaton supercharger, heat-resistant aluminum alloy cylinder heads, lightweight reciprocating assembly, high-strength pistons and piston oil squirters.

Electric power steering cuts power losses from a traditional pump, while the engine drives the rear wheels through a heavier, high-torque version of the six-speed Tremec manual gearbox with a dual-mass flywheel and twin-disc clutch for easy operation and shift smoothness.

In the rear, the drive-train has been strengthened in the driveshaft, larger and stronger cast iron differential housing, stronger axles and heavy-duty limited-slip differential.

Brakes are six piston Brembo disc brakes with two-piece 370 mm rotors combined with four piston 365 mm rear brakes to provide extra stopping power.

New 20 inch wheels - fitted with tyres developed by Goodyear especially for the ZL1 - combine with reshaped rocker panels, redesigned exhaust tips and a sprinkling of ZL1 badges complete the exterior package.

The Camaro ZL1 was presented at the February Chicago Motor Show by GM vice president global design Ed Welburn, who said everything about the ZL1’s design was directly related to its technology and serious performance, especially aerodynamics.

Chevrolet’s marketing vice-president Rick Scheidt said the company had revived the name from the 1960s Camaro all-aluminum track V8 engine that was installed in just 69 cars, achieving mythical status among Camaro fans as the pinnacle in Camaro performance.

“It’s the most technically advanced Camaro ever, so we’ve chosen a name from the most elite and exclusive Camaro in history,” he said.

Remember the new venue for our Bangkok Motor Show

Grand Prix International, through its chairman, Dr. Prachin Eamlumnow, has announced it will hold the 32nd Bangkok International Motor Show for 14 days from March 23 (Wednesday) to April 6 (Wednesday), 2011. Public days will be from Saturday, March 26 until April 6, and this year the Motor Show will be held at Challenger Hall (Impact Muang Thong Thani), Bangkok.

First Grand Prix in two weeks

The first GP for the 2011 season will be held in Bahrain on Sunday March 13 at 7 p.m. We will be watching the GPs in front of the big screen at Jameson’s Irish Pub (Soi AR next to Nova Park - turn right into Soi 4 Pattaya Second Road at the Bangkok Bank and follow it round to the right and Nova Park and Jameson’s is on your left). We will be getting there around 6 p.m. and watch the previews, whilst indulging in some palate cleansing beers and the famous Jameson’s carvery. Please come and join us. By the way, the Qualifying is on the Saturday at 6 p.m. Thai time.

As we go to press, the situation in the Middle East remains chaotic. The Bahrain circuit was too close to the action last week for the GP2 Asia circus, who cancelled their race meeting citing a ‘Force majeur’. The F1 Grand Prix may go the same way.

New BMW 6 Series convertible bigger, fatter and better?

BMW 6 Series convertible

The new BMW 6 Series sports new engines that do deliver slight savings at the bowser with the 300 kW V8 using just 10.7 liters per 100 km (down from 10.9 L/100 km), and the 235 kW turbo six cylinder returning 7.9 liters per 100 km, as good as some small cars. The performance figures have not been compromised either, with the 3.0 liter turbo six cylinder just one-tenth slower than the old 4.8 liter V8 in the 0-100 km/h dash, and the new 4.4 liter turbo V8 six-tenths quicker, completing the dash in an impressive 5 seconds flat. And for the diesel enthusiasts, BMW are hinting at a diesel power plant as well.

The new six-cylinder engine marks the return of an entry level six-cylinder model for the range, which since 2006 was only a V8. Both engines are matched to BMW’s new eight-speed automatic transmission.

The new BMW 6 Series is wider, longer and lower to the ground than its predecessor and BMW claims the changes have produced more leg, head and shoulder room in the rear. The car is about 70 kg heavier than the previous 6 Series, mainly due to extra structural bracing for torsional rigidity that BMW says improves crash performance and cornering ability.

BMW’s head of functional integration, Gerard Schick said, “We have had to add weight for crash regulations and to make the car’s body stiffer, but we also cut 50 kg out of the car by using lightweight materials.”

Styling has moved away from the much un-loved Chris Bangle “flame surfacing styling” replacing it with more classic convertible lines more acceptable to buyers.

By using a rag roof, rather than a folding metal one, BMW say this has resulted in more luggage volume. The boot on the new BMW 6 Series convertible has a 350 liter capacity with the roof up and 300 liter capacity with it down. No longer is it necessary to stop when it rains to raise the roof which can be lowered and raised at speeds of up to 40 km/h.

BMW have gone for the full armamentarium of electronic driver aids - including adaptive suspension designed to retain the BMW’s sharp cornering, but also giving a better ride over rough surfaces.

The standard suspension on the new BMW 6 Series convertible cannot be adjusted by the driver, but there are normal, sports and sports plus buttons, which adjust the car’s throttle sensitivity, steering feel, stability control settings and transmission shift points to suit different driving styles.

Adaptive Drive adds a comfort button that allows the driver to alter the car’s suspension settings with different damper rates and stabilizer bar settings for more relaxed commuting and freeway cruising.

If you want to go the whole hog, there is a new version of BMW’s jet-fighter heads-up display, night vision with pedestrian detection, automatic parallel parking, lane departure warning and a system that reads road signs and tells you the speed limit (but I doubt that you will find Thai in there). The car also offers internet access and a system that downloads and displays emails.

The center display screen has been upgraded to give it a flatscreen look that reduces glare with the top down, while the instrument panel and heads-up display have been redesigned for better clarity.

Safety includes front, head and thorax protecting airbags for front seat passengers and rollover protection bars that pop up if they sense a potential rollover to protect rear seat passengers.

BMW has been coy about the pricing, but one thing is for sure - it won’t be cheap!

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I asked what favored hot rod was immortalized by the Beach Boys? It was obviously the Little Deuce Coupe, which quite a few of you got right, showing you are old enough to remember the Beach Boys!

So to this week. This car company began making cars in 1904 in the South London area (UK). They used a six cylinder engine of their own design from 1921 right through to the 1950’s and ended up as one of the most lusted after and iconic sports cars. Zero to 100 km/h in around 4.6 seconds was possible. What was the car company?

For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected]. Good luck!