Porsche is adding the Performance Start function to the 2015 Cayenne diesel (as effectively as the 2015 Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo) as part of the optional Sport Chrono package.
Although Overall performance Begin is not a complete-bore launch-handle system like the a single utilized to slingshot PDK-equipped 911s, Boxsters, and Caymans toward the horizon, it does permit the driver to launch the Cayenne from rest at wide-open throttle right after side-stepping the brake pedal. Porsche claims that Performance Start shaves .1 second from the Cayenne’s zero-to-60 time. And as if getting a compression-ignition Porsche SUV weren’t oddball enough, the gadget also signifies that model joins the really, extremely little roster of production diesel vehicles with similar technology. (Our extended-term BMW 328d wagon has launch manage, for instance.)
Here’s how it operates: The driver pushes the Sport Plus button on the center console. With the Cayenne stopped and the 8-speed automatic in drive, the driver presses the brake pedal and floors the accelerator pedal. A dash telltale indicates that Performance Begin has been initiated. Inside 2 seconds, the driver side-measures the brake pedal and with the accelerator nevertheless matted, the Cayenne launches in what Porsche describes as the “most efficient manner attainable.” This involves extraquick 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts, occurring at the optimal engine speed to leverage the powerplant’s peak power and torque.
No muss and no fuss, and the compression-ignition Cayenne pulls a wicked holeshot. At Porsche, it appears even the frugal get to have some enjoyable.
Wesbank anticipates positive vehicle sales in 2015
Despite an apparent slow start to new vehicle sales in January, WesBank anticipates industry growth this year. The latest new vehicle sales data from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) reflects a small decline in vehicle sales, compared to January last year.
Industry new vehicle sales totalled 52 306 units for the first month of 2015, a year-on-year decline of 1.2%. Of this, passenger cars accounted for 36 982, down 3.6%, while Light Commercial Vehicles increased 6% to 13 460 sales.
A closer examination reveals that the decline in sales of new vehicles can largely be attributed to a 9.7% drop in activity in the rental market.
“Rental companies seem to be shifting their replacement cycle to the second half of the year – as we saw in the last 6 months of 2014,” said Rudolf Mahoney, head of research at WesBank. “Sales in the rental market were down 11% at the start of 2014, but ended the year with double-digit growth.”
At a dealer level the drop is a mere 0.1%, year-on-year.
“In December 2014 dealer sales increased by 10.5%, suggesting that consumers brought forward their vehicle purchases to avoid January’s annual car price increases,” said Mahoney.
WesBank’s Mobility Index indicates that the monthly mobility costs for consumers are lower now than at the same point in 2014. The Mobility Index tracks all of the associated costs for owning and operating a car, including instalments, fuel, maintenance, and insurance. Compared to August 2014 consumers are now paying R3.99 less, per litre, which equates to a saving of more than 28%
“With interest rates remaining stable and manufacturer marketing incentives helping to drive sales the environment is conducive for marginal growth in the new vehicle market,” said Mahoney. “However, consumers would do well to not budget against savings at the pumps. Should the rand weaken or oil prices increase monthly household budgets will be under even more stress.”
September 26, 2014 at 5:27 pm by Clifford Atiyeh | Photography by Charlie Magee
If you don’t ask, there’s possibly no way to get some thing, correct? Effectively, now’s the time to rally and collectively petition Audi of America president Scott Keogh to offer the wonderful new S3 in the U.S. with a 6-speed manual.
According to committed Audi internet site 4titude, Keogh was asked at a dinner occasion in Austin last week if he’d think about selling a stick-shift S3—a standard automotive journalist query about every single automobile that precedes queries about diesel engines, a station-wagon version, and the color brown—and he said Audi was “looking really closely” at the possibility, whilst also citing the take-rate and cost issues that automakers must take into account. 4titude also said the firm was keenly investigating an RS3 sedan, no doubt spurred by overwhelmingly positive response to the A3 Clubsport Concept the firm unveiled in May. Previously, the RS3 was obtainable only outdoors the U.S. as a 5-door hatch.
None of this signifies a definitive “yes,” but much more essential is that we didn’t hear a “no.” So if you and a few of your pals can vouch that you’d buy a manual S3, send these tweets and letters—on paper even, maybe!—to Keogh to assist him make the correct contact. But keep in mind, to truly Save the Manuals you require to actually buy one.
Soon after we inspected the biggest group of teams in 24 Hours of LeMons history on Friday, we knew that this swarm of wild-eyed racers would be really eager to attempt out the new, enhanced 5-mile course at Thunderhill Raceway Park. So eager, in reality, that a lot of could be counted upon to spin their long-suffering engines well into the “here there be monsters” portion of the tachometer, and to stuff their cars into concrete barriers, and to cook their brakes and melt their bearings and inflict all manner of mechanical torture on their junkyardy hardware. That’s precisely what happened on Saturday, and although we didn’t literally get 200 blowed-up automobiles, a fast stroll previous the endless line of dead cars on jackstands sure produced it look that way. The competitors in the 3 classes (A, B, and C) was fascinating, the dramatic stories kept coming, and we’re positive all the neighborhood junkyards got picked clean of Honda engines. Here’s how the day went. We’re filling out all the types needed to get this race in the Guinness Book of Globe Records, as the largest endurance road-race in history. Here’s what 222 LeMons vehicles look like when they line up to enter the track. And, of course, it wasn’t long ahead of numerous of the teams looked like this. Some felt that the Audi victory in last weekend’s Colorado LeMons race marked the starting of an era of Audi LeMons domination. Such optimism seems to have been premature. So, let’s get right to the class leaders. In Class A, there was a lot of switching of positions amongst the usual prime-of-the-standings teams for the duration of the course of the day, but the checkered flag for the day’s race session waved over the usual suspects: the Cerveza Racing 1983 BMW 533i. The Cerveza drivers look to have a sixth sense for problems creating several corners ahead, and while other teams get caught up in 40-auto tangles and go spinning off into the weeds, the Cerveza BMW stays far from something approaching difficulty. At this point, they have a 2-lap lead over the P2 car. That P2 automobile takes place to be the 1987 BMW 325i of The Faustest Group, and it’s much faster than the Cerveza E28. The Faustest guys have been racing the automobile recognized as “the Devil E30” in LeMons considering that the early days of the series, and they’ve been really high in the standings on quite a few occasions. This could effectively be The Faustest Team’s race, even though hold in mind that becoming rapidly is not as essential as being constant and mistake-free in this sort of racing the mighty Eyesore Racing Miata knocked off a very best lap a full 14 seconds quicker than Cerveza’s fastest lap, and they finished the day in P5. Major Class B is the Tartan Brigade and their 1980 Datsun 280ZX. This automobile has been terribly slow and unreliable in previous races, thanks to its automatic transmission and common air of decrepitude, but every little thing seems to be going correct for the Tartans this weekend. The ZX has a 2-lap lead over a trio of Class B pursuers, so Sunday promises to be a very good race day for fans of this usually-overlooked LeMons class. The Class C win most often comes down to the group that breaks the least, and somehow the veteran 1979 Ford Fairmont of Billy Beer Racing managed to stay away from throwing any connecting rods in its Ford 200cid inline-6 engine. The Fairmont has just a single-lap edge over the Repeat Offenders’ Volvo 244, and more Class C combatants lurk not far behind them. The Hella Shitty diesel-engined Porsche 911 jumped out to an early Class C lead, but paid a time-consuming pay a visit to to the penalty box that set it back a few essential laps. This auto (which is the shell of a rollover-victim parts-donor 911SC with a Volkswagen TDI swap) is just slightly quicker than the ’79 Fairmont, a lot to the displeasure of each 911 and TDI fans the planet more than. The Peugeot Daddy 1963 Peugeot 404 could not be contending for a class lead (at the moment in P176 and a enormous 41 laps behind the Billy Beer Fairmont), but it is doing extremely well for a vehicle that not lengthy ago was abandoned in an Oregon field. Even although it is running laps about 2 minutes slower than the other vehicles, the Peugeot Daddy 404 looks lovely on the track. The Spank the Builder and the Can-Do Crew 1967 Cat 416F Backhoe Loader (really an oft-reduce-and-pasted Mini Moke) also gets a lot of spectator approval. P160 and 9 laps ahead of the Peugeot! After all the automobiles had been off the track, absolutely everyone got busy eating, wrenching, and generally celebrating a good day at the race track. Verify in later to see what occurs on Sunday!
“I have a ticket for barrier line. The time I start overtaking a moving car there was safe to overtake in other words there is no solid line so when i’;m finished to overtake there is a solid line. So the traffic police give me a fine of R1000.. Can you explain me how it works or must go to court?”
Answer:
You may only overtake where you can do so starting and returning to your lane without crossing the barrier line. Normally there is a warning arrow before the barrier line that warns you of its presence.
“I have a ticket for barrier line. The time I start overtaking a moving car there was safe to overtake in other words there is no solid line so when i’;m finished to overtake there is a solid line. So the traffic police give me a fine of R1000.. Can you explain me how it works or must go to court?”
Answer:
You may only overtake where you can do so starting and returning to your lane without crossing the barrier line. Normally there is a warning arrow before the barrier line that warns you of its presence.
“I have a ticket for barrier line. The time I start overtaking a moving car there was safe to overtake in other words there is no solid line so when i’;m finished to overtake there is a solid line. So the traffic police give me a fine of R1000.. Can you explain me how it works or must go to court?”
Answer:
You may only overtake where you can do so starting and returning to your lane without crossing the barrier line. Normally there is a warning arrow before the barrier line that warns you of its presence.
