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[iRage]

Well the point was he doesn't use the Moke on a daily/frequent basis He too had his "state" cars..not as extreme as other heads of states though...I saw him a couple of times around in a "stretched Moke" (well it had 4 wheels on the back on two axels...and two rows of seats in the back) wonder what happened to that

...he did love his cars...and the ladies

[Scooter]

iR, was the long Moke like this rare thing?:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/6%20wheel%20mini%20moke/mini500_2006/Moke/Moke021.jpg

(Hope link works)

Met him once at a UniNSW Seminar back in the 90s. have to say he didn't come across as entirely convincing. Good news about the ladies, likely he'll have a bit more time up his sleeve these days for that sort of thing, who am I to criticise? :-)

[terrabytetango]

Gawd, Terra, those doors are thick! Can you imagine getting your fingers in the door-jamb,,,,arrrgh. Do you know if the doors are power operated?

Not that I know of. No doubt the doors have counter balances to make opening and closing easier.

[Magnum]

G-Power has introduced their new G1 V8 Hurricane RS package for the BMW 1-Series M Coupe.

Described as the world's fastest 1-Series, the car features a carbon fiber hood and trunk as well as 20-inch alloy wheels. There's also a stainless sports exhaust system, carbon ceramic brakes and a coilover suspension.

Under the hood, the twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine has been replaced by a supercharged 4.0-liter V8 that produces 600 HP (441 kW) and 580 Nm (428 lb-ft) of torque. It is connected to a dual-clutch transmission which enables the model to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 12.7 seconds and on to a top speed in excess of 330 km/h (205 mph).

Edited September 27, 2012 by Magnum

[Sylvi]

Members,

S L Politicians have BMW bullet proof cars.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[The Don]

Members,

S L Politicians have BMW bullet proof cars.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

Sylvi, this is no longer news. They have always had bullet proof cars from one manufacturer or the other.

[Scooter]

Sylvi, thanks for telling us about the BMW being used by pollies in SL. I had always assumed that the choice of security sedans would have been in the Mercedes camp. (As an aside I remember being gobsmacked in 1981 when President Zia of Pakistan, who was in Colombo for an official visit, gave me a cheery wave from the window of the official Mercedes in his motorcade as he floated past me on Galle Road).

Anyway after the info you provided about the BMWs I just had to hive off to find their security site:

http://www.bmw-security-vehicles.com/security_vehicles/en/index.html

Maybe have a look, when you get a minute, at the pictures of the "shot up in a test vehicles"! And what about the special tyre systems and the doors and the air quality packs? Amazing stuff, eh. The cars must be super heavy, though. I wonder what the top end performance is?

The other appealing thing on that BMW site is that they sell second-hand security vehicles.....maybe we should buy a couple.....be good in the supermarket parking lot, eh?

[frank_castle]

This is the first time I've seen beemers shot up like that. I mean, seriously shot up.

Edited September 28, 2012 by frank_castle

[Scooter]

Yeh, Frank, it's serious stuff, ain't it. Wonder what they did with car afterwards? Bit of Bondo and a quick spray-job......

And while we're at it, guess everyone has seen this South African flamethowing car security device before:

[iRage]

iR, was the long Moke like this rare thing?:

http://media.photobu...oke/Moke021.jpg

(Hope link works)

Met him once at a UniNSW Seminar back in the 90s. have to say he didn't come across as entirely convincing. Good news about the ladies, likely he'll have a bit more time up his sleeve these days for that sort of thing, who am I to criticise? :-)

Yupp..that is the one....never knew it was that rare...and if it actually is rare hope it is still in one piece.

For a president he was quite accessible, several times met him at restos, bars, etc and would talk (mostly because some of my female friends were quite friendly with him).Agree with you on the not so convincing part, it seems like he is always putting on an act and trying too hard; but at the end of the day he was nice as a person.

[Pericles]

Sylvi, thanks for telling us about the BMW being used by pollies in SL. I had always assumed that the choice of security sedans would have been in the Mercedes camp.

Didn't keep up with the news when there was that assassination attempt on Gota, did you?

[Scooter]

mmmmm..did you keep up with Donegal beating Mayo in the finals....

[Pericles]

mmmmm..did you keep up with Donegal beating Mayo in the finals....

Not interested in footie, tho I do like Mayo specially with coleslaw...

[Scooter]

...ah, those Irish colleens......

[Scooter]

And, Frank, I'm betting you'll love this clip from Tony Scotti's Vehicle Dynamics Institute driving school in the Englishtown in New Jersey USA where some of the world's real professional protection drivers train up:

3-day basic course starts at about $1800...let's start saving!

[Pericles]

Now this is interesting...

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/10/05/nissans-nsc-2015-concept-car-shown-off-working-remotely-with-a-galaxy-s-iii-can-park-itself-and-alert-you-to-suspicious-behavior/

Nissan's NSC-2015 Concept Car Shown Off Working Remotely With A Galaxy S III, Can Park Itself And Alert You To Suspicious Behavior

Posted by John Thompson in Galaxy S III, News

[liya]

Sri Lanka is to become car manufacturing hub

China’s number 3 Car Manufacturer Geely, the Fortune 500 Chinese automotive multinational is to establish an assembly and manufacturing plant in Hambantota. Geely now owns 100% of Sweden’s Volvo and part produces the famed London’s black taxi cabs.

Geely is to partner with Micro Cars Company of Sri Lanka in this venture and an in depth discussion in this connection has been held with the Minister of Industry and Commerce. Rishad Bathiudeen with the participation of the special investment team of Shanghai’s Geely International Corporation led by Martin Xiang, Director of Geely.

The $ 23.3 billion U.S.Dollar Geely entered the Fortune Global 500 list at 475 last July and is considered as one of China’s fastest growing car makers. Geely also owns the Australian automatic transmission supplier Drivetrain Systems International. Apart from China, it also has production bases in Russia, Ukraine and Egypt.

Martin Xiang, Director of Geely has told the Minister that Sri Lanka has become a key market but more importantly, a manufacturing hub in the South Asia for car makers, especially due to its strategic placement. He has said that they want to use Sri Lanka as their production hub and to export to South Asia and the Far East from Sri Lanka. He has also said that initially they are considering an assembly line with 20 million U.S.Dollars in shared investment with Micro Cars.

The establishment of the factory is to start mid 2013 and Phase I is to be completed by end of 2014 and the first car is to be rolled-out in January 2015.

Edited October 26, 2012 by liya

[Watchman]

Yeah right... in a administration/country (and island surrounded with ocean) that cant even set up a sardine factory without running it bankrupt, what makes you think a car factory would be a success.

[Schiffer]

Well acura/honda might bring back the NSX back

but the bad news is, its gonna be a Hybrid with AWD

http://www.acura.com/future/NSX#6

[liya]

Yeah right... in a administration/country (and island surrounded with ocean) that cant even set up a sardine factory without running it bankrupt, what makes you think a car factory would be a success.

Where did I say it would be success???? Posting a news item doesn't mean you agree with whats written on it.

Personally I think Micro's gotta pull up their socks first if this is going to be anywhere near "successful", let alone the bureaucratic bungling of the ruling idiots

[Sylvi]

Where did I say it would be success???? Posting a news item doesn't mean you agree with whats written on it.

Personally I think Micro's gotta pull up their socks first if this is going to be anywhere near "successful", let alone the bureaucratic bungling of the ruling idiots

'liya',

Very well said. Micro is one of the worst automobile Manufactures (Assemblers) in S L.

They take our money and enjoy for few months before they deliver a vehicle. Never to promised date always keep on postponing with a lame excuse.

Unfortunately we do not have a good Automobile assembler. Japan, India, came up with western help. First they did assembling of vehicles.

I have seen on my own eyes that said two countries came up became industrial giants because I was in and out from 1970 to those countries.

S L has a very skill technicians but our leaders do not harness their skills. They are more interested in Growing their a family Trees.

Even our people are interested in making money. First thing they request when you offer to a job person is what is their take away income.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[Sylvi]

Members,

Under is from the WEB.I got from Email.

Electric Vehicles Strengthen American Competitiveness

• by Pew Environment Group
  
• November 2, 2012
  
• 4:00 pm
  

Note: This is a guest post from Phyllis Cuttino, director of Pew’s Clean Energy Program.

In his 2007 State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush declared that America was addicted to oil. He was not alone in this view, because presidents, national security experts, economists and others have asserted the same.

Dependence on foreign oil requires our military to protect oil shipping routes, forces us to deal with regimes that may not share our national security interests and has cost the U.S. economy more than $5 trillion on expenditures for foreign oil and related GDP reductions since the 1970s, according to Oak Ridge National Laboratory. One way to reduce this dependence is to deploy vehicles that are powered in other ways. Developing and producing advanced-technology vehicles will help the United States maintain leadership in the global clean energy race and enhance its national security.

The transportation sector accounts for 70 percent of petroleum consumed in the United States and provides significant opportunities to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Close attention has been paid to the progress of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), including hybrid electric vehicles, in the United States, and we believe the future remains bright despite some challenges endemic with any emerging technology.

More than 1,270 electric drive vehicles are sold daily in the United States, according to the Electric Drive Transportation Association. Worldwide, the number of vehicles is expected to increase from 700 million to more than 2 billion by 2050, and the annual global market for advanced batteries could reach $100 billion by 2030, according to Pike Research, a leading market research firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean energy technology markets.

Currently, the United States leads in PEV manufacture and deployment: The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are produced and sold domestically, and the United States has higher sales of electric drive vehicles than other nations, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. But if America wants to seize the opportunity presented by this growing market, it must do more.

Pew’s research indicates that for the United States to compete effectively in the rapidly expanding clean energy sector and reduce dependence on foreign oil, we must adopt national policies that will spur private investment in technologies such as PEVs. In the growing domestic PEV sector, cities, states, utilities and manufacturers are working together to develop local policies to spur greater adoption of plug-in vehicles and charging infrastructure. But national policies are needed to support the development of local markets and provide incentives for consumers to purchase these vehicles. As with airplanes and semiconductors, federal policy should also lead by example through expanded procurement activities such as adding electric vehicles to the fleet of government cars.

Public investment in clean energy research and development, especially advanced batteries and related components, is necessary to ensure that American entrepreneurs continue to turn out the best technologies in this growing sector. Countries such as China, Japan, France, and Korea are dedicating billions to advances in battery technologies in order to lower PEV costs over the long term and take the lead in manufacturing. They are also using incentives to spur private-sector innovation and create consumer demand.

Under President Bush, temporary purchase incentives were adopted, and the current administration continued to expand opportunities for PEV deployment at the federal, state and local levels. Both administrations saw promise and invested in developing advanced battery technologies. These targeted public investments in battery technology development helped secure additional private sector investment in the projects as well.

Policy matters. With fierce competition from abroad now is not the time for America to relinquish its lead in advanced battery innovation and the manufacture of electric vehicles. Simply put, the United States should continue to support electric vehicle and technology innovation, because the economic and national security benefits of cleaner vehicles powered by affordable domestic electricity-rather than foreign oil-are too significant to ignore.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[GTAm]

Some desirable news. If they get it right their products could be fantastic.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/11/renault-and-caterham-join-forces-resurrect-alpine/#more-465867

Renault And Caterham Join Forces, Resurrect Alpine

By Bertel Schmitt on November 5, 2012

For a while, TTAC has been following rumors that Renault may be reviving is storied Alpine brand. Renault will do it, together with another motor celebrity, Caterham.

Renault and Caterham will start a joint venture to make sports cars. Renault and Caterham will each own half of the resurrected Automobiles Alpine Renault company, which will change its name to Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham. The company will be managed by Bernard Ollivier, a Renault director.

Each company will launch its own vehicle within the next three to four years.

[maliths]

Anyone want to buy a car company?

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=26754

[GTAm]

50% of Aston Martin is for sale too