Victoria Day’s car race at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, formely Mosport International Raceway.
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Motorsport in Canada
Race in the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
I made the next few photos at Victoria Day’s weekend at ex-F1 race track, formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway. It is now Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It is a multi-track motorsport venue located north of Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
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Victoria Day Mosport
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BMW, the environment and their employees in North America
BMW AG, located in Munich, Germany. It’s subsidiary in Canada is: BMW Canada Inc. It was formed in January 1986 to support BMW customers better, bringing services closer to many local enthusiasts through a stronger presence and structured organization.
Their current head office is in LEED certified building in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
How BMW getting ahead by putting the environment at the top of their agendas? For example their head office is established as a green and Eco-friendly structure.
As part of BMW plans eco friendly production BMW is testing various forms of alternate energy throughout its manufacturing network.
The company US hydrogen storage and distribution facility fuels hydrogen powered equipment at its Spartanburg facilities. They streams methane gas from the nearby landfill to produce on-site renewable hydrogen for the plant electrical requirements. This location alone saved 92,000 tons CO2 every year.
Than BMW ads solar energy to their alternative energy portfolio. The company stated: “Adding a new alternative energy platform to our energy portfolio is another step in our commitment to sustainable methods of generating power at our factory,” said Duncan Seaman, Department Manager, Market Operations USA & Canada. “It is the perfect complement to our existing landfill gas-to-energy and hydrogen fuel cell program and offsets the fossil fuel requirements otherwise needed to run our facility.”
They use solar energy in many different location. The latest installation of 400 solar modules (in US) , each capable of producing 240 watts of energy, now provides power to BMW’s Zentrum Museum, as well as the new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
To manufacturing the BMW i3 zero emission electric vehicles, to make them more environmentally friendly, the company use electricity, produced by local wind turbines. So far they build the i3 only in Leipzig, Germany.
BMW is manufacturing carbon strands that form the basis of the i3’s carbon-fiber reinforced plastic bodywork at a new US $100 million plant built in Moses Lake, Washington, using raw material shipped from Japan. This location was selected, beside a hydro electric dam to reduce CO2 output due to the high power demand of the carbon fiber components manufacturing.
There are numerous other initiatives at BMW, all aimed at leading the way on on the environment. Some of them are really simple: The company changed the setting of their employees PC’s. With this simple move they save 27,000 megawatt hour a year, the equivalent of 12,200 tons of CO2.
In their vehicle, the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid they use laser light technology, an improved head light system, that contributes better nighttime vision and use 30% less energy, compeered to the alredy highly efficient LED headlights.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=m3JAtvsqfF8
BMW i8 Hybrid
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The new BMW 3 Series
For a very long time, the BMW 3 Series was the car to beat in the market for premium compact sedans. Recently the competition has caught up, with the likes of the Mercedes C-Class and the sharply styled Lexus.
The next BMW 3-series will be the most efficient yet, with at least two plug-in hybrid models and a miserly three cylinder engine promising to dip below the 100g/km CO2 emissions threshold.
New BMW 3 Series
The new car, codenamed G20, will also major on improved dynamics, better quality materials and enhanced safety in a bid to reclaim ground lost to the Mercedes C-class.
The hybrid option-will be a 1.5-litre with a 60kWe electric motor, good for approximately 30 mile range and the more performance oriented 2.0 liter with the 90 KW electric motor will offer approximately 50 EV miles.
The more conventional modular four and six pot engines will still account for the bulk of
sales.
The next M3 / M4 will adopt electronic turbochargers, and water injections, inspired by the forthcoming current generation of M4 GTS.
The dynamic brief is to fuse cushy ride with sportier handling, via adjustable dampers, switchable anti roll bars, second generation active steering and a new torque vectoring system, which piggybacks ABS and DSC.
Longer wheel base, wider track, lower center of gravity, and lighter overall weight will enhance the handling road holding as well.
On the quality front BMW will invest in better materials for carpets rubber seals and sill covers to re-take the premium crown.
In addition the 3 Series will be a techno tour, de-force that can park itself via remote control. It will stay in lane or change lines if required, overtake if needed under certain conditions, brake when required will drive semi autonomously on the road. This feature is especially helpful in stop and go traffic up to 60 kilometers in hour.
Although the 3 series cockpit looks familiar, it boasts a variety of new high quality instrument graphics, a more comprehensive head up display and a large color monitor in the center stack which blends touchscreen access, gesture control and voice activation with the existing iDrive controller.
G20 will be built on the flexible new cluster architecture chassis and will be designed with sharper creases and harder edges than the current car.
Expect to see it on the road in North America in 2018.
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Spring Car Maintenance on Your German Import Car
Performing spring maintenance on your German import car and on any other car is one, if not the best way to ensure your vehicle is safe and ready for the hot Canadian summer drives.
There are few things that every car owner should do. At first get a detailed car wash. Salt and other de icer chemicals can cause serious damage.
If you have winter tires on, change them for all season tires when the temperature is consistently around 7 Celsiuses.
Check the pressure in those all season tires, before you start to drive them. Usually tire’s temperature is dropping during cold winter storages. Incorrect tire pressure effects the car’s handling and the tires’ life time.
Brake maintenance. Salty slushy roads probably did some damage with your car brakes. Use the opportunity the check the brake when you change the winter tires. If you are not sure, than take your car to your mechanic.
The winter season really hard on engine oils. Oil change should be done list twice a year. It is a short term expense, that effects the engine’s life. Therefore this short term expense, will save you on long turn.
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The simple oil change is not that simple anymore on your high tech German Import car
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Electric system and battery check up, clean. Our winter season is harsh, the cold and salt and ice might cause corrosions. The battery terminals and cables should be inspected and cleaned if necessary.
Ice does not do anything good with the viper blades. If you drive a lot at winter time, there is a good chance those blades damaged. Inspect them and change them if they are not in perfect condition.
Than you need to check the brake fluid, the coolant, the transmission oil and hopefully your car is good to go for the time being.
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My visit to BMW Welt, BMW World to Munich, Germany
Like other European automakers, BMW welcome visitors too at its headquarters in Munich, Germany. The beauty in it, you do not need to buy a car to see it. But trust me, if you spend a day there, you will think about to buy one…
The German car maker’s visitors center is BMW Welt, (at the above photo) is provide a very popular attraction. An attraction that two million visitors visits, every year since opened it doors in 2007.
The German word Welt translated to English mean world, so BMW Welt stand for BMW World.
BMW Welt includes a car delivery, car pick up center where at around hundred new car owner pick up their new cars every day.
Check out the next video to see how the new car owners pick up their new BMW in BMW Welt’s car pick up center.
There are a lot of other things to see, like exhibits showcasing the company’s operations in new products development, design and production. The center even can host concert venues and it comes with conference rooms. They think about the younger generation too, because they have Junior Campus for younger guests.
Visitors to BMW Welt can also stop by the BMW Museum at “next door” to check out the 120 original exhibits covering 90 years of BMW history laid out on a virtual roadway across 25 exhibition areas that close to half million visitors see each year.
Finally, visitors can also tour the company’s main plant in Munich where BMW produces the 3 Series sedan and wagon as well as the bulk of its engines.
I was lucky enough to see all this above. I was lucky enough to spend a day in Munich with my family and we visited BMW World. I have to say, it is something, that I always will remember, and I think my son will remember too.
If you are planning a trip to Germany, you should find a day to spend in Munich. There are no other place in the world for car lovers, like the BMW world.
For more BMW World’s photos visit our on-line photo album View more BMW Welt photos
Dual Clutch Transmission
With the tough CO2 targets for the near future, electric cars and hybridisation are the key elements to improve fuel efficiency. Many of those hybrids and “regular” cars too, comes with dual clutch transmission.
If you are planing to buy a new car, questions about cargo room, technology options, luxuries, cost, full efficiency and other elements will come up. One of those element is the transmission. Traditional manual transmission is not for everyone, they require knowledge and level of perfection to get the car move right.
One of the latest technical solution for better and more efficient driving experience is car with dual clutch transmission.
What is dual clutch transmission?
The first passenger car to have a dual clutch transmission was the 2003 Volkswagen Golf. After VW other car companies started to offer dual clutch transmission for extra cost as an option on many of their cars.
For example today the 2015 BMW M4 Coupé comes with 7-gear M dual-clutch transmission. The M Double Clutch Transmission with Drivelogic is an innovative 7-speed Double Clutch Transmission that is specially designed for the BMW M high-rev. engine.
2015 BMW M4 Coupe
With a traditional manual transmission the clutch is engaged and disengaged, while another gear is selected. During this (while the drivers push the clutch pedal down), the flow of the power from the engine is interrupted, and this causing power drops.
Professional race car drivers can shorter this power drops to a fraction of the but second, but a dual clutch transmission accomplish gear change even more quickly. Changing gear takes about 8 – 200 milliseconds a dual clutch transmission. This makes the car accelerate more quickly, plus it contribute better fuel efficiency by shorten this power drop to a fraction of a second.
So does a dual clutch transmission, the gear change is even quicker. On this engineering marvel changing gears will take just from 8 to 200 millisecond, depending on the shift program applied and multiple other factors.
How does dual clutch transmission work? Continue Reading…
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Italian Super cars
Even tough our primary businesses is German cars’ maintenance & repair (I love them for their precision and no none sense approach), we also love the Italian cars for their flamboyant style and their passion for fine automobiles. They known to play on your senses, beautiful design, rich textures and amazing sound is their trademarks.
Detroit Michigan is renowned for being the birthplace of Ford, GM, and Chrysler. But the Motor Valley in Bologna, Italy eclipses its North American counterpart with prestigious marques Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati and Pagani.
Many of these companies also have a museum in the region, with showroom and factory tours, featuring jaw dropping collections that will educate visitors on everything from auto world to world history.
I was lucky enough to visit BMW’s museum, BWM Wolrd in Munich Germany. Check out the related post here.
Pagani
Horacio Pagani moved from Argentina to Italy to pursue his passion for cars. After working at Lamborghini and consulting for the likes of Daimler and Ferrari, he began crafting his own super cars.
Our Favorite is the Pagani Huayra. Check out our Pagani Huayra page at here.
Lamborghini
Founder Ferruccio Lamborghini amassed his personal wealth through a number of business, including tractor factory, which funded his pursuit to build a super car to riival Ferrari.
Ferrari
The brand is tied to racing and the Ferrari Museum in Maranello features Formula 1 simulators, two semi professional one for adults, and two junior ones for kids.
Maserati
Established in Bologna, this luxury automaker is now headquartered in nearby Modena. They are working on the release of the Levante, the first SUV in the company’s history.
Ducati
Beginning as a producer of components for radio transmissions. Ducati shifted it focus to motor bikes in 1946 and they became one of the world’s pre-eminent motorcycle makers.
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Tomorrow’s Electric Cars
The electrification of tomorrow’s cars are going into high gear since there are some rules mandating the percentage of new cars to be sold has to be 4.5 percent electric by 2018 for all the states whom adopted California emission standards.
The percentage of zero emission electric or plug in hybrid cars will have to increase to 22 percent by 2025. The companies whom can’t meat the mandate will have to buy clean air credit (ZEV credit**) from Tesla* or Nissan since they are the major provider of the credits. Since Tesla became a major manufacturer of electric cars all the other car manufacturers are getting worried.
2015 Tesla STesla’s 2015 S model is priced form US $69,900 – US $93,400.
They are willing to spend billions to catch up or surpass Tesla and their future electric automobiles, in particular the Germans will take the lead in the expenditure of major research and development of a slew of new plug in hybrids and near zero or full electric zero emission cars.Please keep in mind Tesla will not stand by and watch their success to be tarnished by others so it will be interesting to watch as the titans of the car manufacturing will fight out the next stage of the future of the automobile, stay tuned and enjoy the ride.*When Tesla Motors reports its first-ever profit, much of the money will come courtesy of the state of California.
In its zeal to push electric cars into the market, the state has created a system in which Tesla can make as much as $35,000 extra on each sale of its luxury Model S electric sports sedans. That’s because the Palo Alto company qualifies for coveted state environmental credits that it can turn into cash.
These Zero Emission Vehicle credits could put as much as $250 million in Tesla’s coffers this year, according to one Wall Street analyst, and they are a key reason the 10-year-old automaker has survived this long. Tesla gets to sell the credits to other automakers that need them to satisfy tough California regulations.
**So wait, what’s a ZEV credit? California forces automakers (based on their sales) to sell a certain number of zero emissions vehicles in order to generate credits; the more ZEVs you sell, the more credits you earn. Companies with a positive credit balance can sell them to other manufacturers who don’t meet the set standard at an undisclosed rate.
The most drastic change though came in GM, which went from buying over 876 ZEV credits in 2013, to needing to buy just 4.4 in 2014. That’s a HUGE turnaround, and it can be attributed to steady Chevy Volt sales, as well as the Chevy Spark EV.
2015 Chevy Volt
The Canadian EV credit is depending on the size of the battery and it’s up to $8,250 per vehicle in Ontario, and there is also a government grant – rebate for a dedicated home charging station to endorse EV or plug in hybrid vehicle use.
Further more, there is a green plate in Ontario for most plug in hybrids and for EV cars, which currently allows you to drive on the HOV lanes in Ontario with a single occupant, again to endorse low emission vehicle use true out the province.
BMW i3 Electric Car
The facts you may like to know about the new BMW i3 electric car.
The vehicle is made of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic). You may recognize the material from the M3 coupe or the M6 roof which was made from the same material as well.
The question remains why invent a new way of making a vehicle when you already have made and perfected the steel body construction for many decades? The answer is the weight savings are substantial to offset the weight of the battery pack. It was important to start with a new way to approach this matter. Continue Reading…
BMW ActiveHybrid 5
BMW ActiveHybrid 5. Is it the ultimate hybrid – driving machine?
The ActiveHybrid 5 is BMW’s contribution to the world of hybrid motoring. It was created to use electric motors, without sacrificing the ability to get across the intersection and up to speed quicker than most of the other cars. The 5-series hybrid not only use electric motors but also does so with considerable style and operating with a combination gasoline electric power train.
There are obviously many other alternative offerings if you are looking for hybrid car, even in the mid-size-luxury segment, but for the moment, at least, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 represents the most sophisticated performance hybrid yet, a seamlessly smooth driving machine, that advances the state of the art in its class.
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