Car News Articles

SuperSergio


29th April 2009 17:37

I’m a sucker for a good analogy, or even a bad one that is at least amusing. Mr Bursa has delivered a new moniker for Fiat Group’s CEO ahead of what could be a Big Day for him and Chrysler. Yes folks, SuperSergio could be a busy fellow tomorrow. He certainly talks a good game and has apparently impressed Obama - arguably another superhero. SS is seen in the industry as a turnaround expert who did good things at Fiat. Some say he takes his cue from Carlos Ghosn.

The latter likes to move the game along and keep momentum by adding new bits of jigsaw to the alliance - and then harvest the low-hanging fruit by applying tried and tested industrial lessons and cost-saving solutions. It can also divert attention and play well politically. Is Fiat coming off the rails again (it’s a very heavily indebted company and has just chalked up the first loss since 2004)? If it is, that might well be yesterday’s story when another alliance strategy starts to unfold tomorrow.

Chrysler quick rinse in Chapter 11 to start?

ANALYSIS: SuperSergio to the rescue

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Via China View

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) — Singapore led the world in industrial competitiveness while China rose five places up from the 31st in 2000 to the 26th in 2005 in the rankings of the competitiveness industrial performance (CIP) index, according to the Industrial Development Report 2009 released here on Monday by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO.

The Industrial Development Report 2009 said China’s CIP has overtaken the Philippines and is approaching Thailand. In 2000, China ranked the 31st place by scoring 0.387 points in CIP index value. The value rose to 0.418 points in 2005, when data collection ended.

The UNIDO said the CIP index, which measures the ability of countries to produce and export competitively, was used to help assess national industrial performance in the global economy.

The CIP index combines four main dimensions of industrial competitiveness: industrial capacity, manufactured export capacity, industrialization intensity and export quality, it said.

The report said the CIP ranks changed little between 2000 and 2005, and countries at the top and bottom tended to maintain a relatively stable position.

According to the rankings, developed countries congregated near the top, countries with economies in transition and East Asian countries around the upper middle, low-income dynamic countries in the lower middle range, and low-income countries and the least-developed countries at the bottom.

Singapore led the rankings, by scoring 0.887 points of CIP index value in 2000 and 0.890 points in 2005. Ireland and Japan followed, along with Switzerland, Sweden and Germany.

The United States was the only mature industrial power that has seen a deterioration in its relative position, down from the 9th place in 2000 to the 11th in the 2005 ranking. This was the result of the improved performance of the Republic of Korea and China’s Taiwan, which ranked the 9th and 10th position in 2005, respectively.

The other two Top 10 countries in the 2005 ranking included Finland and Belgium, according to the report.

The 2009 report was first released this February in Vienna, Austria, where the UNIDO is based. Since then, the UNIDO had been making a worldwide tour of presentations to disseminate information of the report.

The UNIDO first introduced the CIP index in the Industrial Development Report 2002-2003, which was released in late 2002. In that report, China’s rankings jumped from the 61st position in 1985 to the 37th in 1998.

Complete Article

Originally posted by Chris Hafner on Jan. 23, 2008.

When GM announced in the early 1980s that it would be introducing a two-seat, mid-engined sports car under the Pontiac nameplate, the automotive world rejoiced. Trim two-seat, mid-engined cars have superior weight distribution for the best possible handling; a mid-engined layout is the configuration used in most serious race cars and supercars.

The consensus was that GM was going to build a younger brother for the Corvette; in fact, possibly a Corvette updated for the 1980s - light, trim, agile, and efficient. The name–Fiero–also implied a car with some of the performance pedigree of Pontiac’s Firebird.

Danger signs first began to appear when GM insisted on calling the upcoming Fiero a “commuter car”–a laughable designation for a two-seat, mid-engined sports car. Red flags also popped up when GM revealed the Fiero would be based on an economy car front-wheel-drive chassis and would be initially available only with GM’s antiquated, wheezing Iron Duke four-cylinder engine–a heavy hunk of low-horsepower boredom.

The Fiero debuted in 1984 to initial gasps of delight at the sexy, daring styling and comfortable interior, only for that delight to lapse into sobs of disappointment. The Fiero offered all the space, comfort, and practicality of a dedicated high-performance sports car–with the fun-to-drive quotient of a clunky Citation.

Read the rest of this post, its comments, and post your own comment here.

The Ferrari 599XX, now in concept stage but nearing production as a special Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano high-performance variant, is perhaps more exciting than even the hallowed Ferrari Enzo in the track performance department. While the Ferrari Enzo earns the highest marks for exclusivity and sharp-creased style, the 599XX looks like a Ferrari is expected to but taken up about 7 notches. The Fiorano on which the bold new Ferrari 599XX track car is based is not the most expensive Prancing Pony, but it is certainly the most exciting large production model from a driver’s standpoint.

The 599XX is officially labeled a prototype, but industry rumors have pointed toward the new razor-sharp Ferrari track car seeing a very limited production run to “loyal Ferrari customers” or some such thing. While the engine and transmission are the same basic units found in the 599 GTB, Ferrari has raised the redline all the way up to 9000 rpm, with some new internals allowing a power increase to a cold 700 horses.

Carbon fiber is used extensively in the 599XX, even underhood, where carbon intakes and other bits save weight and add a little visual flair. The F1-style transmission also gets a reprogramming, with shift times now coming in a miniscule 60 ms, far quicker than even the most skilled clutch-and-lever operator.

The 599XX, which should be getting an official production announcement sometime in the near future, rides on 19 inch racing slicks and also a dedicated suspension different from that employed in standard 599 donor cars. Another interesting Ferrari 599XX feature is that even the brake discs are covered in carbon fiber “doughnuts”, said to help with both aerodynamics and cooling. Were this not a Ferrari, they could be mistaken for something from the Autozone parts aisle.

Some serious airflow direction tricks are employed. The 599XX features fans in the trunk and synthetic jets along the rear ductwork, and even tiny wings poking out sideways just in front of the C-pillars. Not as extreme as the Enzo, but the 599XX certainly looks ready to take off and fly somewhere. 599XX pricing, if it makes a short production run after all, will be… well, you know.

-RSportsCars

Official Ferrari Press Releases

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The new 599 GTB Fiorano Handling GTE Package and the world preview of the ‘laboratorio tecnologico’ 599XX

Maranello, 27th February 2009 – The 79th Geneva International Motor Show provides the venue for Ferrari to announce two new pieces of good news: the arrival of the sporty, dynamic Handling GT Evoluzione (HGTE) Package for the 599 GTB Fiorano and the world debut of the 599XX which is a technological laboratory aimed at a select group of clients. The latter new car incorporates the most advanced technologies resulting from Ferrari’s road-going and F1 research. Many of the technological solutions it carries are being used for the first time and have been developed exclusively for this special car.

The two new arrivals will be introduced to the international media by Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo on the opening day of the Show, March 3rd, at 10 am.

In addition to the 599 GTB Fiorano equipped with the Handling GTE package and finished in a new three-layer metallic Rosso, and the 599XX in a colour matching the F2008, Ferrari clients and enthusiasts will also be able to admire this single-seater that recently won the Prancing Horse its 16th Constructors’ World title. On the stand there

will also be the full range of Ferrari road cars: the Scuderia Spider 16M in a Grigio Titanio livery, the 430 Scuderia in Rosso Corsa and two Grand Tourer models, the Ferrari California in Nero Metallizzato with a Sabbia interior and the flagship 612 Scaglietti. The latter will be displayed in the Atelier, a dedicated area where owners can get a taste of the virtually endless personalisation options on offer to them.

**

While based on the 599 GTB Fiorano with the same transaxle layout and engine type, this prototype is an extreme track car. Ferrari’s engineers have carried out extensive work on the engine’s combustion chambers and inlet and exhaust tracts. These modifications, combined with the fact that internal attrition has been reduced and the maximum revs have been boosted to 9,000 rpm, helped achieve the target power output of 700 hp at 9,000 rpm. Particular attention was also paid to cutting the weight of the engine unit components. This was achieved both by optimising forms - as in the new crankshaft - and adopting exclusive materials, as in the carbon-fibre used for the intake plenums. A new gearbox shift strategy cuts overall gearchange times to 60 ms.

The 599XX is characterised by an innovative electronic concept called the “High Performance Dynamic Concept” which has been designed to get the maximum performance from the car by managing the combination of the car’s mechanical limits with the potential of its electronic controls. The mechanical and electronic systems work together to get the maximum performance from the car under extreme high performance driving, for consistent lap times. The sporty handling has been improved thanks to the adoption of second generation SCM suspension system. Track usage is also made easier thanks to the new “virtual car engineer”, a screen in the car that provides a real-time indication of the vehicle’s efficiency.

The 599XX’s aerodynamics were honed in numerous wind tunnel test sessions with the result that the car now boasts 280 kg of downforce at 200 km/h (630 kg at 300 km/h). The front underside of the body is completely faired-in and the vents that channel hot air from the engine bay have been moved to the bonnet.

The “ActiflowT” system increases downforce and/or cuts drag depending on the car’s trim cornering conditions, courtesy of the use of a porous material in the diffuser and two fans in the boot which channel the air flow from under the car out through two grilles next to the tail-lights. Winglets have been added to the rear buttresses to increase downforce. while synthetic jets have also been incorporated into the rear of the car to control and smooth the air flow and to reduce drag.

Ferrari’s engineers have also used F1-derived “doughnuts” which partly cover the brake discs and wheel rim. These have the dual function of improving both aerodynamics and brake cooling.

In terms of the bodywork, composites and carbon-fibre have been widely used and the engineers drew on their experience in working with aluminium to reach the weight target. The development of increasingly high-performance materials has also benefited the carbon-ceramic material braking system. The brake pads are now made from carbon-fibre which means that the calipers are smaller whilst guaranteeing the same efficiency. The new racing carbon ceramic braking system also delivers shorter braking distances and is generally more efficient due to the weight saving.

The 599XX comes with slick tyres (29/67 R19 Front and 31/71 R19 Rear) specifically developed to maximise stability in cornering and increase lateral acceleration. They are fitted to 19 x 11J wheel rims at the front and 19 x 12J at the rear.