http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1353
Crisis-hit Toyota hit back once again Monday at allegations that the electronics in its vehicles caused the problems with sudden acceleration which led to the recall of millions of vehicles.
The Japanese automaker staged a technical demonstration in which it tore apart as "unrealistic" and "contrived" a study by a vocal critic showing that crossed wires could send a false signal that would cause Toyota cars to speed out of control.
David Gilbert, a professor of automotive technology at Southern Illinois University. told a US congressional investigation last month that affected Toyota and Lexus vehicles may have an electronics design flaw.
Created fault
The carmaker dismissed his findings, saying he had re-engineered and rewired the signals from the accelerator pedal in order to create the flaw rather than analyzing "real world" evidence.
"If an electrical system is re-engineered and rewired it's not surprising that subsequent testing of the system may cause unrealistic results," Toyota spokesman Mike Michaels told reporters.
"Speculation is easy. Science takes a lot more effort."
Engineers from the consulting firm Exponent - which Toyota has hired to analyze its systems for potential faults - demonstrated how the process would create a similar result in vehicles made by General Motors, Honda, Ford, Chrysler and BMW.
"This in no way indicates a defect with this vehicle," Matthew Schwall, a managing engineer with Exponent, said as he showed how the altered circuits could send false signals.
"The only reason the engine accelerated is because we followed Mr. Gilbert's method and rewired it to do that."
The only way the fault could be created, they explained, was if the protective coverings on the wires were eroded and a specific electrical charge was created as two non-adjacent wires connected.
Not only is it highly unlikely in the real world, but it would also leave behind obvious physical evidence which has not been detected in any of the problem vehicles, the engineers said.
"You cannot rewire a circuit and expect it to behave as it was originally designed," said Chris Gerdes a mechanical engineering professor who is the head of Stanford University's Center for Automotive Research and attended the briefing at the automaker's US headquarters near Los Angeles.
Gilbert's report to congress "draws conclusions about the Toyota circuit based on tests on a different circuit" and contains "no evidence of any real world circuit malfunction," he said.
Incomplete repairs
Two US lawmakers on a committee looking into the Japanese auto giant's woes asked the company Friday for documents backing up its position that electronic defects were not to blame for acceleration problems.
Toyota's demonstration was a "convincing rebuttal" which effectively proved that an electronic hardware problem is not likely at the root of the problem, said Bill Visnic, a senior editor at the automotive website Edmunds.com.
US regulators said last week that they had received more than 60 complaints from Toyota owners reporting sudden unintended acceleration despite having their recalled vehicle repaired by a Toyota dealer.
Toyota is in the process of investigating those complaints and has found that some of the incidents were a result of incomplete repairs, Michaels told reporters.
"We remain confident that if the modifications to the vehicle are deployed and done properly that they are effective," he said.
Toyota, which overtook General Motors in 2008 to become world number one automaker, has seen its reputation tarnished by a litany of complaints ranging from unintended acceleration to brake failure and steering problems.
The Japanese auto giant's president, Akio Toyoda, met Monday with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who urged the founding company scion to strive to restore confidence in its brand.
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Deadly dice claims 4 teens
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1354
Four high school pupils were killed when a speeding car smashed into them in Soweto on Monday, Johannesburg emergency services said.
The four boys, aged between 17 and 19, were walking home from school with two other friends in Mdlalose Street, Protea North at around 4pm when the accident happened, spokesman Percy Morokane said.
Johannesburg metro police spokeswoman, Inspector Edna Mamonyane said two Mini Coopers were racing down the road, which runs between Protea Glen and Protea North.
"It is a two-way street and one of the cars went into the other lane, driving in the lane of oncoming traffic, parallel to one another."
Swerved and crashed
When a car came from the other direction, the driver tried to swerve back into the right lane and crashed into the Mini he was allegedly racing.
"They both drove onto the pavement and mowed down the four young boys who were still in school uniform," Mamonyane said.
Morokane said four of the boys were killed. The other two were in critical conditions with multiple fractures and head injuries.
Local ward councillor and Inkatha Freedom Party Soweto leader, Dlangezwa Mvelase, said that the community was "very angry" over the death of the four boys.
"The law must deal accordingly with people who play silly games on the roads, killing innocent children," said Mvelase.
Drivers arrested
Three of the boys killed were from Jules High School in the Johannesburg CBD and one from Altmont High School in Protea North.
Soweto police spokesman Inspector Kay Makhubela said the two drivers were arrested following the accident and that they will appear in the Protea Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
The two drivers will be facing charges of culpable homicide and negligent and reckless driving.
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Lexus IS F-Sport Package Announced for UK
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1355
Lexus has released their own upgrade kit for the Lexus IS series. The F-Sport package will cost UK consumers £3,940 over the price of the base IS 220d SE, and £4,080 above the IS 250 SE automatic.
Perhaps the extra money is for the lowered suspension and new gear lever, which only comes on the 250 F-Sport. Included in both versions of the package are 18-inch alloys and a decklid spoiler. The all-black with grey stitch interior features Alcantara and leather, along with sport seating, new steering wheel, and aluminum pedals.
Other equipment seen on the IS F-Sport units include HID headlights, front seat position memory, door mirror memory, and a 13-speaker premium audio system. You can read more about the F-Sport package and the 2010 Lexus IS series in the press release below.
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Lamborghini Gallardo by BF-performance
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1356
Swiss tuners BF Performance have completed work on a new tuning kit for the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. Called the GT600, their package can be used on either the coupe or the Spyder.
The company says their inspiration was driven by their perception that "the Gallardo is too innocent and neither dynamic nor individual enough." To that end, they designed a set of aerodynamics that gives the car an even more aggressive look, while cutting down on weight.
New body parts are made entirely of carbon fiber, and include new side skirts, rear diffuser, and a rear wing. A set of wing doors is also a part of the package.
BF Performance claims that they have tuned the engine of the Gallardo, though they provide no specifications. They do say that, between the mods and the 43 kg reduced weight, their GT600 has better acceleration than the LP640-4 SV. Carbon-ceramic brakes were used to better control speed.
Inside, the company installed five-point belts and sport seats. Carbon was used on the handles, vents, switch casings, and steering wheel to further reduce weight. A rollover cage was also fitted to better protect passengers.
The BF Performance GT600 is now available for order. The company says they can reconfigure the car from a four-wheel drive to a rear-wheel drive, if desired.
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