Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Hybrid Racer Debuts, Fails To Charge Audience

Photo Source: Motor Dude

Recently, Peugeot unveiled their new green Le Mans contender, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Hybrid Racer. Although heralded as a major achievement in the racing industry and praised for its environmental progressiveness, I am not enthused. If an automobile doesn’t translate into a real world application, like the Peugeot 908 hybrid racer largely fails to do, then I’m just not interested. To be perfectly honest, I think dropping that kind of cash to engineer a top performance race car that stores any unused kinetic energy is a waste. When was the last time a Formula 1 racer interrupted his crew chief by saying, “Well yes Hank, 0-60mph in under 3 seconds is very impressive, but what kind of gas mileage does it get?”

I’ll hand it to Peugeot though, the design department did a hell of a job creating an aesthetic for the 908 HDi that was both sleeking and imposing, in an impending-alien-probe sort of way. Bottom line: if this were street legal, I’d be all over it, but as it stands, it doesn’t seem particularly exciting.

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Top 5 Geek Gadgets for Your Car

So you’re a geek and you want some geek gadgets? I’m with you mang. Too long I’ve hidden my science and electronic loving ways. It’s time I wore my geek-itude on my sleeve, like some kind of sleeve based pocket protector for a pocket that’s on my sleeve. Right?

Whatever, here are the top five awesome whiz-bangs 4 your car:

1. 400 Watt Power Dome Mini Generator

Every car should have a jumpbox - a battery box that lets you jumpstart your car even if no one is around. That’s what this is, a 600 cranking amp jumpbox, in addition to a bunch of other things.

It has 2 AC outlets and 2 DC outlets, a 400 watt inverter, with a level indicator, AND, the best part… a built-in 275 psi air compressor.

2. Digital Wi-Fi Detector

Autonet mobile is supposedly coming out with always on wi-fi for your car. If so, I can wait for that to come out, shell out $399 up-front and 50 bucks a month for their untested service. Or I can pay 50 bucks once for the ability to find free wi-fi as I drive. Easy choice.

Your typical WiFi detector will only show you if the signal is there, and it’s relative strength. Not that helpful. This Digital WiFi Detector has a backlit LCD screen that provides information on signal availability and strength as well as network information, like SSID, security status and channel. When multiple networks are present, the LCD will allow you to scroll through information for each network.

3. Mini Fridge/Warmer - For Your Car

It’s a fridge AND warmer for your car, you shouldn’t need convincing.
It has a 20 liter capacity and a digital LCD display with the current inside temperature. It goes down to 44 degrees Fahrenheit and warms up to 140 degrees. Come on. Awesome

4. Automotive ECM Scanner

Getting your car’s brain scanned and reset at an automotive shop usually costs a few hundered dollars. Now you can do it yourself. Most people don’t realize, theres a plug on your car’s ECM/ECU computer (called the “brain”) that’ll let you access that computer.

You can read engine trouble codes and can reset the “check engine” light, read all sorts of tracked data (fuel economy, battery voltage, coolant temp., etc.). You can even start to get involved in the whole engine ECM turner subculture.

Pretty cool stuff that used to be only available to diagnostic and repair shops.

5. Smart AC 120 USB Power Inverter

I’m always in need of converters in my car. With this gadget, I can just plug it into the cigarette lighter… then plug in any standard AC powered device. Screw all those old adapters.

300 Watt peak output, 120 Watt standard use, so that’s plenty of power for anything I’m using.

You know of any gadgets I miseed? Let me know in the comments.

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Global Production of The New Ford Fiesta Begins; Only Shriners, Clowns Rejoice

New 2010 Ford Fiesta

On Thursday, Ford Motor Company began global production of the new Ford Fiesta, the B-car intended to serve as the “blueprint” for Ford’s new “Global Ford” program. Ford, publicly struggling to tread water in the midst of rapidly sinking SUV and truck sales, announced months ago plans to condense its global market and shift priority focus to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. 

Launched in 1976, the Ford Fiesta was a hit with the part-time-job-at-The-Gap tax bracket in the United States until production was officially cancelled in the U.S. in 1997. Obviously huge fans of fruity little cars, the European market continued to prove receptive to the Fiesta long after it had run its course in North America. Now, with 2/3 of Detroit looking towards to the fuel-efficient, compact car European market success for financial salvation at home, Ford has decided to bring the whole operation back home to roost with the 2010 Ford Fiesta. 

In December of 2009, Ford will begin reconstructing its truck plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico to prepare for the mass production of the Ford Fiesta in the United States. In early 2010, the newly assembled models are anticipated to hit showroom floors nationwide. According to Ford, the new Ford Fiesta will serve as direct competition to other small cars like the Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa, and is described as”crucial” to Ford’s competitive edge. Being incredibly optimistic, Ford also revealed that in five years, they plan to build about 1 million vehicles a year globally using the Ford Fiesta platform. Now, if you don’t mind, please excuse us while we go sob quietly into the steering wheel of our F-150.

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The 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor: “We’re Going To Drive This Right Up Toyota’s Ass”

In comeback-kid news, Ford has something up its sleeve for the seemingly ill-fated F-150 in the form of the new 2010 Ford F-150 “Raptor”. Intended to be an extreme, off-road version of the current Ford F-150, Ford has been overheard bragging that the F-150 Raptor will be “The first and only Baja 1000 Trophy Truck you’ll be able to buy from a dealer.”

Spy shots of the new 4×4 desert hauler show an F-150 that does indeed appear to have hit the gym. To view gallery, click “Read More”

Sporting a heftier suspension, the Ford Raptor will feature custom-built Fox Racing long-travel shocks that will have 50% more travel than the 8-inch shocks currently found on the Ford F-150 FX4 off-road package. Further attempting to minimize dune-impact, the F-150 Raptor will also be outfitted with a set of bulky 35-inch all-terrain tires. Expected to be badged as a Ford SVT [Special Vehicle Team] product, the Ford F-150 Raptor will be powered by Ford’s 6.1L BOSS V8 engine and although preliminary output was rated at 380-hp and 400lb-ft of torque, experts expect the F-150’s large displacement engine to ultimately net about 420-hp.

Although we’re a little skeptical of its authenticity, one source quoted a Ford exec. on hand at the Raptor’s desert premier in Las Vegas as saying, “We’re going to drive this right up Toyota’s ass.” Now that’s the attitude we like to hear, Ford.

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