All posts by IMichailidis

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The new Audi A1 Sportback

It was a given, that sooner or later we would see the 5-door version of Audi's premium supermini on the market. What was surprising was the time the German brand chose to release photos and information about its new model., at a time when no one expected it.
The A1 Sportback closely follows the design image of its three-door sibling. Audi designers have however managed to add 6 millimeters in both the height and width of the car to improve the interior space. The length of the five-door model (3,95 millimeters) and their wheelbase 2.47 μ. it is identical to the three-door version.
The A1 Sportback comes standard with four seats, but Audi offers a fifth seat on request at no extra charge. According to the German company, the space for the head and shoulders of the rear passengers increased by approx 1 centimeter more than the three-door model.

The A1 Sportback's boot volumes are capacious 270 liters which can be increased to 920 l, by folding the rear seats .

European consumers will be able to choose from a range of three petrol engines and the same number of diesel engines. A common feature of all, that they are supercharged.

The range of petrol engines includes a 1.2-litre TFSI with 86 horsepower and combined fuel consumption in the order of 5.1 liters in 100 km. and two 1.4-liter TFSIs , a horsepower 122 horses and 185 horses. The more powerful version gives the A1 Sportback acceleration 0 – 100 km. / time in 7,0 seconds and top speed 227 km/h.

Those now interested in a diesel engine can choose between two 1.6-liter with 90 and 105 horses whose consumption is just 3,8 liters in 100 km. and a 2.0-liter TDI with 143 hp that accelerates the A1 Sportback to 100 km. / time in 8,5 seconds while the average fuel consumption is 4.1 liters in 100 km.

Audi offers the seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission as an option with the engines 1.4 TFSI 122 horses and 1.6 TDI 90 horsepower and standard for the 185 horses 1.4 TFSI model.

The new A1 Sportback is expected in European showrooms next spring with prices in Germany starting at € 16.950 for gasoline versions 1.2 TFSI and € 19.050 for her 1.6 TDI 90 HP.

Source : auto24.gr
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Alonso chooses Sumi!

Once again Fernando Alonso did not hide his admiration for Michael Schumacher. The Spanish pilot emphasized that Sumi has nothing to prove, after seven World Championships.

In fact, Alonso mentioned that if he had to pick a driver to race against, whether the race was in karts, either with cars, he would choose the German pilot.

«Michael Schumacher is the champion for all of us, because we respect him as a driver who has won seven World titles. He is a pilot who has nothing to prove and who is always fast», were the words of the Ferrari driver.

Alonso did not fail to make his predictions, stressing that if Mercedes gives a competitive car to its pilots, then they will be able to claim victories.

Source : sport-fm.gr
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The Juke Desire has arrived

The Juke in the version with the diesel engine of 1,5 l. acquires additional interest, since it is fast and economical, while at the same time it is a very pleasant to drive and distinctive aesthetic small crossover.
The most characteristic feature of the Juke is none other than the particularly distinctive and imaginative design of its body which causes the curious and admiring glances of those who see it. The elevated and eccentric bodywork of Nissan's small crossover in addition to their petrol engines 1,6 l. return 117 and 190 horses, is also offered with their diesel 1,5 l. return 110 horsepower with front-wheel drive only and priced from 18.410 euro.

Motor: "Ropatos" and civilized

THE 1,5 l. Juke's diesel engine is 4-cylinder, 8valve, by direct spraying, common feed line and turbo and it delivers 110 horses and 240 Nm of torque from 1.750 rpm. In practice, this mechanical set shows quite good traction and throttle response from low revs, while mainly from the 2.000 rpm. και άνω, it shows its power and moves the Juke at nimble paces. also, the noise it produces reaches the cabin quite filtered and will not disturb the occupants. Its consumption in real conditions is very low, since it fluctuated (according to the trip computer indication) στα 6,2 lt./100 km. The accuracy provided by the manual 6-speed transmission also gets very good reviews.

Modern interior with sufficient spaces

The aesthetics of the interior of the Juke are also distinct and particularly youthful. In terms of quality, it satisfies to a large extent despite the use of hard plastics which look solid, however, in their finishing and assembly, some small imperfections cannot be avoided. The driving position is very good even though the steering wheel is not adjustable in depth, while the spaces inside it are sufficient for transportation 4 adults with some air concessions for the heads behind. The trunk is shallow, but together with the extra space under the floor it has a total capacity 251 liters and reaches up to 830 l. by folding the rear split seat.

With a pleasant feeling on the road

The diesel Juke immediately wins its driver from the first meters since it is a balanced, friendly and pleasant car, which at the same time exudes a compact feel. Also thanks to its short length (4.135 mm.) and the high driving position is easy to handle in the city although rearward visibility is relatively limited. Its suspension has a tight setting, yet it penetrates over the various irregularities of the roads without reacting "dry" and with bumps. Moving on the straights it inspires safety and does not scare even at high speeds, while respectively, it shows very good "press" even on a course with turns. At compressed rates the understeer is limited, while the steering wheel is fast and with a very good feel, especially in the Sport option of the Nissan Dynamic Control System.

Source : autotriti.gr
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Kubica's absence cost Renault

Renault boss Eric Boullier believes Kubica's absence 2011 it is the factor that affected the team's performance and not the problems with the exhaust.

The season started with very good results for Renault (podium in both first Grand Prix) but it ended badly with the team trying hard to get some points.

Many pointed out that the peculiar exhaust system chosen by the team had ultimately created problems for the car.

The R31's exhaust tips instead of being at the rear of the car were at the front under the side vents. According to Boullier, however, this risk could be overcome.

What was not overcome was the absence of Kubica due to his serious injury. Asked by Autosport magazine about the key factor affecting the team's performance, Boullier responded: “Robert, certainly".

Robert's absence cost him very directly in terms of speed and because it was also a blow to the morale of the team and everyone. But we also had indirect losses, and this shows the value of Robert. It was the faith we lost and the commitment that we can do better. And of course, we don't know how much the front exhausts cost us as things might have been different if we had had Robert's opinion".

Robert Kubica will now definitely miss the start of his championship 2012 and it looks hard to compete in Renault colours, which was named Lotus Renault, since the team has already announced Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.

Despite his poor season 2011 Boullier believes this experience will make the team stronger in the future.

He stated himself: "This year has been very difficult for our people, for me and for everyone in the company because it contained many special and stressful situations, however, through this we may become aware of the way in which we can become better".


Source : newsbeast.gr
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Maintenance of controls : You pull up

The strings, as part of the motorcycle they fulfill many useful functions, even though their operation is simple, so they require care to perform at their best.
Except for functions in which they were replaced by hydraulic circuits due to technological development (on brakes and some clutches), but also from electrical circuits (speedometers, tachometers, even throttle butterflies), the cables continue to play an active role in the operation of the motorcycle, as they had from the dawn of their use, when motorized two-wheelers first appeared.
Their most important enemy remains the deterioration of the external insulation, especially at the points where the cable moves parallel to the movement of the steering wheel. In these cases, the rust appears very soon due to the inflow of moisture inside it. We should often check the insulation of the strings for places where their cylindrical outer insulation has become flat due to friction. The safest way to locate a possible wear point is to move the steering wheel from end to end., so as to cause intentional contact of the chains with some fixed point of the motorcycle. Often there is severe wear on the ends of the strings, a phenomenon which is due to the improper cooperation of the cable and the moving part or even poor lubrication due to accumulation of dust or moisture.
The correct route of the cable
The basic rule regarding the path of a string is the one known for the straight path. The straighter their placement, the easier and more reliable their operation will be. Sharp bends make it difficult to operate the cable, increase the internal friction of the wire rope and may eventually lead to wire rope sticking. Before any cable replacement, note the original path of the old one, as especially in the throttle and clutch cable most malfunctions come from bad placement. It is essential in cases of changing the air cable (choke) or throttle to check their proper operation by turning the steering wheel from end to end with the engine running and checking the idle (of course it must remain absolutely stable). Another enemy of the good operation of the strings is high temperatures, as the temperature of the exhaust, for example, can cause the cover to wear down, resulting in the loss of its insulating capabilities. So, humidity will wipe out the lubrication from the inside of the cable at some point, which is usually also the worst possible, it will stick.
Settings
Chain adjustment is a key factor in the proper functioning of the motorcycle. What we should pay particular attention to is the freedom in their movements during the operation of the suspension so that there is no strong tension on them, as well as when turning the steering wheel from far right to far left. Most strings are easily adjusted with a simple nut and which, depending on its setting, frees or retracts the string path. It is common to see these regulators (mainly for the clutch and the throttle cable) right after the respective controls (throttle lever and grip).
Lubrication
As the operating hours of the chains increase, the more difficult it becomes to use them. This can be caused by either wear and tear (shedding) of the inner wire rope, either from an unwanted concentration of solid particles due to dust or even pieces of the cable's outer insulation. For the above reasons, it is necessary to carry out a lubrication task to facilitate their operation and thus extend their life span. We will propose an easy and reliable way to lubricate the chains, which only requires the existence of the lubricant and a plastic bag. Remove one end of the string (usually the part which is on the steering wheel) and we place it inside a plastic bag in which we have drilled a hole. Subsequently, fill the bag with oil and let gravity work. Of course there is also the lubricant spray method, but it is not as cheap as the solution we suggest you. There are about 30 different types of strings in terms of how they work on the respective component, 4 or 5 different sizes (thickness) in the outer casing, 7 or 8 different diameter sizes of the wire rope, and these are all dependent on the supplier or manufacturer of the cable. For this reason we should always keep the old cable in order to check whether the new one meets the specifications of the original and theoretically genuine cable. However, there are also the strings that we can adjust each time according to the needs of each motorcycle. For example, a motorcycle with different suspensions than the factory ones, may require a different length of string that is not commercially available and must be fabricated.
Tips for better strings
1.    Visually check the new string against the old one so that it has the same ends and length as the original string.
2.    Measure the length of bare wire from the old string and mark it, since it expresses the length between the end of the string guide and the moving part.
3.    Keep and reinstall any special bracket on the old cable, since it will play an important role in its proper functioning.
4.    Before installing the cable, lubricate its finish to prevent wear from friction.
5.    There are several sets on the market with special string finishes. It's good to have them at home just to be able to repair our wiring in an emergency.
Source : mototriti.gr
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What Concorde and DS5 might have in common;

Citroen fan club 'C-Forum' has published a series of photos showing the new DS5 model alongside the Concorde aircraft, in honor of the first generation DS.
The Citroen fan club has published several new photos showing the French brand's new DS5 model alongside the Concorde supersonic passenger jet. "C-Forum" was intended to connect the past with the present, since the first photo shoot next to Concorde was the first time in a decade 70, but the protagonist at the time was the dear and special Citroen DS.
This time, however, the subject of the photoshoot was the new DS5 model, who posed under the wings of Concorde at Le Bourget Airport in France and the excellent photos are due to the well-known Laurent Nivalle.
The Citroen DS5 debuted at the Shanghai Motor Show last April and is based on the Peugeot platform 3008/5008. It is worth noting that the DS5 is the first Citroën to use HYbrid4 technology, a hybrid system that combines the performance of the HDi diesel engine, with the efficiency of the electric motor. The result is a performance set 200 horses, four wheel drive, possibility of purely electric movement, high performance and CO2 emissions of just 99 g/km.
End, The DS5 will be on the UK market in March 2012.
Source : autotriti.gr
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WRC : "Mythical Race"

Delighted to have the Monte Carlo Rally back on the WRC calendar for the 2012, said Sebastian Leb.
The eight-time World Champion described the asphalt race as legendary, which he has won five times.
"For sure Monte Carlo is a rally that I always like a lot. It is a tour that takes place in France in a very good atmosphere. It's a legendary rally and I think it's great that he's back in the championship, it was a little disappointing that it was pulled.
also, it is a home match for Daniel Elena as well, he is very happy", said the Alsatian guide.
Source : sport-fm.gr