The 2013 Jaguar XJ AWD

What about the new Jaguar XJ AWD..

• The AWD is rear-biased and operates as full rear-wheel drive in good weather, but when the road conditions turn slick, the system can split engine power 50:50 between front and rear axles using a center transfer case.
• On separate tracks normally used for motorcycle and rally car racing, Jaguar let us test out the XJ AWD and XF AWD for accelerating, braking and cornering on snow- and ice-covered asphalt and dirt tracks. Both of these circuits demonstrated the two different attitudes these cars can exhibit. With Winter mode on, the system does a great job of nannying the driver making sure the car keeps its footing and remains on the road, but staying true to Jag's motorsports heritage, the system can also be set to Dynamic to improve the performance of the car in bad weather giving the driver fewer safety nets to rely on. The complex also had courses set up for snowy slaloms and an icy, drift-friendly skidpad.
• Rather than being a part of an expensive option package, each AWD version of the XJ and XF will be an individual model. This means that getting the added benefit of all-wheel traction doesn't require buyers to opt for other unrelated packages (such as a cold-weather or technology package, for example) that some automakers force on buyers. On the XJ, AWD is offered on both regular and long-wheelbase XJL models.
• Neither the XJ nor the XF architectures were originally designed to accept all-wheel-drive, so Jaguar made extensive changes to parts of the car most people will never see, including the suspension, front floorboard and even some of the engine components. For example, to keep the engine low in the engine bay for optimal balance, the front driveshaft is actually built into the oil pan. All of the changes and added AWD parts increase the XJ's curb by less than 300 pounds.
• As the new base engine in the XJ, Instinctive AWD can only be had on cars equipped with the new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine. While this engine lacks the throaty exhaust note of the 5.0-liter V8, at virtually no point can its performance be faulted especially when factoring in the car's curb weight of just over two tons.
• The XJ AWD comes standard with Continental all-season tires, but Jaguar equipped our test cars with Pirelli M+S winter tires. While this certainly helped the cars handle better in the snow, Jaguar representatives noted this was done so to abide by Quebec law – and besides, these tires are available as an option.

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The Acura MDX (2012)

If you are planning to have a car, here is an option for you to choose..

Acura has three SUVs: a smaller five-seater called RDX, and the BMW X6-style ZDX, which sits on the MDX platform but ditches seven-seat practicality for a coupe profile. That means the MDX is the largest, most practical Acura you can buy. In America, it costs $43,280, where the comparable BMW X5 35i retails at $47,500. That’s a decent saving, and the Acura comes very well equipped too: rear-view camera, power tailgate, and that third-row of seats are all standard.
The MDX is set up to be a comfortable ride, which actually suits the proposition perfectly – leave the sportier stuff to those ZDX owners – so it’s a cushy if sometimes slightly rolly ride through the corners.
The MDX goes with a 3.7-litre naturally aspirated V6 that’s mated to a six-speed auto gearbox. The engine serves up decent levels of performance, but the 2084kg kerbweight and lack of turbocharged torque means you need to work it hard if you’re getting a hurry on, at which point it’s generally refined nature loses a little of its sheen.
The MDX is a good, practical family car, one that marries the versatility of a large people carrier with the added benefit of four-wheel drive and a more premium, upmarket feel. It’s just a shame that there’s nothing comparable in Honda’s UK line-up – the CR-V is a five-seater only – that Honda has no plans to bring it here and that the lack of any diesel powerplants makes it pretty irrelevant to us Brits.

 


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The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ

Chevrolet is offering another model that will be fitting to the present demand for cars.

Chevrolet's latest volley is the 2013 Malibu LTZ, a sedan that is both handsome in appearance and in appointments, slotting near the top of the trim level spectrum and offering a good selection of standard features and options.
The advantage: The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ's standard MyLink infotainment system offers a wide range of digital audio sources and limited app integration. SiriusXM Travel Link provides movie showtimes, sports scores, and weather on the dashboard.
The unfavorable: The Pioneer-branded premium audio system doesn't sound very premium. You have to choose between navigation and the MyLink system.
The offer: The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ is a comfortable ride with a good level of standard cabin tech, but it's a few thousand bucks overpriced when compared with the competition from Ford, Honda, and Toyota.

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The Flying Hovercraft

Try a different ride, this time on a soaring vehicle, the Flying Hovercraft.

The hovercraft that glides over land and water yet also soars in the air up to 70 mph with the aid of integrated wings. A 130-hp twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled gasoline engine -- turbocharged and fuel-injected -- drives its 60" wood/carbon composite thrust propeller while a 1,100-rpm 34" lift fan inflates its durable vinyl-coated nylon skirt for hovering above the ground. Operating in fresh- or saltwater and up to 30% inclines over sand, mud, grass, swamp, desert, ice, and snow, its wings and horizontal elevator enable pilots to simply hop over water- or land-based obstacles up to 20'-high unsurmountable to a typical hovercraft. A joystick controls three vertical rudders and the elevator, a twist friction-lock throttle controls forward speed, and a variable drive system controls the lift fan for hovering.

 It cost $190,000 at Hammacher Schlemmer.

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COLIN FURZE World's Fastest Stroller

Maybe it is your first time to read about this, yes, but it exist..

Colin, from Stamford, Lincs, designed the super buggy when his girlfriend Charlotte became pregnant.
He was determined to build the fastest pushchair in the world and applied to Guinness to set the record as there wasn’t one already in place.
He spent four weeks and £450 designing and making the pushchair, which has a 125cc motorbike engine hidden between the wheels.
He was told the pram would have to travel at least 30mph to win the title.
'I needed to go at least 30mph to do the record and I managed to do much better than that which is fantastic.
'I designed it with three wheels to make it easier to steer, but it’s still quite tricky.
'Hopefully one day I’ll be able to take Jake for a ride in it but I’m not sure if Charlotte would be very happy about that!'

How it works:

The pushchair has a 125cc motorbike engine hidden between the wheels.
The driver stands on a platform and uses buttons on the handle to start and stop the engine.
Accelerator and brake levers control the speed and a handle is used to steer.
There is even space for shopping and a handy drinks holder on the side of the pushchair.





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THE 2012 Mercedez-Benz SLS AMG Supercharged GT

Before feeling the speed and thrill of riding this car, first, take a look at what it got.

German tuner Kicherer has done just that with their drop dead gorgeous 2012 Mercedes SLS GT AMG Supercharged. As you probably already guessed by the name, the vehicle’s 6.3 liter V8 engine has been equipped with a supercharger, allowing the beast to put down a cool 700 ponies. What exactly does this mean for you? Try a zero to 100 kilometers per hour time of just 3.4 seconds. In addition to the power upgrade, the MB tuner has also outfitted the luxury sports car with a matte black paint job, a set of beautiful wheels, carbon fiber rear diffuser, and a hand crafted vertical fan grilles paying homage to the 1952 300 SL Carrera Panamericana.

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