Tyre Wear

Nothing will wear out your tyres quicker than uneven wear.  Not only will it cost you money to replace tyres before you should, uneven wear can be an indication that something else is wrong with your vehicle.

The most common cause of uneven wear is poor wheel alignment.  Hitting curbs, going over speed bumps and driving through pot holes can all contribute to your wheel not being properly aligned.  When you hit a curb, for example, the wheel gets pushed out of alignment with the one on the other side.  This means that they are not quite pointing the same way resulting in one tyre being dragged slightly along the road.  While driving, you can detect poor wheel alignment because the steering wheel will slightly pull to one side or the other.  Not only will this wear the tyre out very quickly on one side, it is also bad for fuel consumption.  Fortunately, this is a common problem that is easily fixed with a few adjustments.

Another problem that causes uneven tyre wear is over/under inflation.  This usually occurs when people find that their tyres keep going down and they keep pumping them up.  If you tyre is going down then it has a hole in it.  Getting a puncture repaired is much cheaper than buying a new tyre.  Running your tyres under-inflated will not only wear out the edges of the tyre on the outside, it can cause damage to the lining of the tyre inside.  Damaged lining is fatal to tyres.  They will need replacing.  Similarly, running them over-inflated causes them to wear right down the middle of the tread, making them illegal and thus, will need to be replaced.

Random patchy looking tyre wear can be due to faulty suspension.  It can also be due to wheel problems such as buckling.  Either way, these problems can be dangerous as well as costly if not sorted out.

Therefore, check your tyres when ever you think of it and stop these problems before they become a big expensive issue.

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Could Kevin Magnussen Be the New Wonderboy of F1?

There's no doubt about it – McLaren did not have a very good campaign in the last F1 season.  But with the introduction of a promising new F1 driver McLaren’s fortunes could be just about to change for the better.  If the first race of the season is anything to go by, McLaren may even have a shot of winning the Championship, and if this dream turns into reality then McLaren will probably have their new driver Kevin Magnussen to thank.

The lacklustre Sergio Perez of last season has been replaced by Kevin Magnussen. Magnussen is a 21-year-old Danish driver with a racing pedigree and a clear skill for driving – evident from an early age.  He participated in many racing cups and championships as a youngster, though it was in 2012 that he began to draw some serious attention – not least from the sporting director of McLaren – and near the end of 2013 it was confirmed that Magnussen would be racing for McLaren starting in the 2014 season.

He is only young, but already Kevin Magnussen is proving to be a talented racing driver.  During testing in Bahrain he made the fastest lap – 1.5 seconds faster than second best –and he achieved third place in his debut race in Melbourne (raised to 2^nd place afterwards with the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo).  His driving was aggressive and determined, and yet he displayed the sort of maturity you would expect from any top veteran driver. 

Melbourne was the first time McLaren has seen a driver on the podium since Jenson Button won the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, and thanks to the disqualification Button also achieved a podium place, making not one but two drivers on the podium.  It is only the first step of the Championship, and there may have been a certain amount of luck involved, but McLaren can certainly be proud of their initial lead over rivals Mercedes, Red Bull, Williams and Ferrari.  Added to the strong performance of Magnussen and Button, the McLaren team also appeared to make all the right choices and out-wit the other teams. 

McLaren has faced engineering problems over the last few seasons, and although their latest motoring rendition is not the fastest car on the track, the strength and consistency of their first race gives them a firm foundation to build on this season.  But for now it is all eyes on Kevin Magnussen.

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2014 Car of The Year Award goes to: Peugeot 308

With 307 points from the 58 jury members, Peugeot 308 has won the European Car of Year 2014 award.

Peugeot 308 is a stylish 5-door hatchback, and fought off competition from the likes of the tech tour de force Mercedes S-class and also bested BMW’s i3 EV.

Have a look at the seven finalists that have been shortlisted from a 32-strong crop of nominees. The Car of the Year finalists has been selected by 59 motoring journalists from 23 countries.

BMW i3

Citroen C4 Picasso

Mazda 3

Mercedes S Class

Tesla Model S

Skoda Octavia vRS

Peugeot 308

Do you agree with their decision? Let me know your comments below.

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Nissan Reveals New London Black Taxi Cab

 

A new taxi for London has recently been unveiled, made by Japanese car manufacturer Nissan, which will go on sale in December.


Nissan has reworked one of its existing minivan designs to look like the capital's trademark black cabs. The design is sleek and modern with a new front grille, though the overall shape and size still comforms to the existing black cab design. The Executive Vice President of Nissan, Andy Palmer, said that it was important to retain the classic "bowler-hat" look, so that this new generation of taxis will be instantly recognisable with pedestrians on the busy streets of London.

With petrol engines under the hood, these new cabs will be cleaner than the current diesel-fuelled cabs. They will also conform to London's strict public transport regulations.

With only two London taxi manufacturers currently in play, this move show that Nissan is challenging the status quo. Nissan is already a popular taxi supplier to Tokyo, Barcelona and New York. We can expect to see these black cabs on the street by the end of 2014.

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Vrrooom: The 10 Fastest Production Cars in the World 2013/2014

For us mere mortals the dream of owning a true supercar will remain just that. But we still love to dote over the fastest cars for their gorgeous looks and superb engineering, and who knows? Maybe we will get lucky! The following list includes the 10 fastest cars in the world yet!

10. Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 (220mph)

The 2012 Aventador comes with a bran new V12 engine capable of producing 700 horsepower. This makes the car faster and more powerful than its predecessors, capable of reaching 62 mph in 2.9 seconds. Keeping with the tradition of this manufacturer, this car has been named after a bull that fought valiantly in the bull ring of Saragossa, Spain, 1993.

9. Noble M600 (225mph)

The Noble M600 was unveiled to the world in 2011. Released to little fan fare and relative anonymity, this car has since won the hearts and minds of many for its modest profile and styling. It has 4.4 litter V8 under the hood, reaching 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. Fewer cars boast this sort of performance for the price.

 8. Pagani Huayra (230mph)

The Pagani Huayra, created by the Italian supercar manufacturer Pagani (most famous for the Zonda), stunned all when it was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Autoshow. With a carbon-titanium shell the Huayra is very light, and this added to a horsepower of 720 gives the car a zippy acceleration of 0-62 in 3 seconds. This car is a fitting replacement for the Zonda.

7. Zenovo ST1 (233 mph)

The Zenvo is the first supercar made by the Danish sports car company Zenvo Automotive. This car is made entirely from Danish components, with a twin-charged 7 litter 8V and a whopping 1,104 horses under the hood. Zenvo are clearly making a statement with this car and we can expect to see great things from this company in the future.

6. McLaren F1 (240mph)

  The McLaren F1 was the fastest car of the century, and when it first appeared on the scene it was a breakthrough for the automotive industry. With an unsurpassable engineering pedigree it's great to see the latest F1 high on the current list - if McLaren have their say the F1 will always be very difficult to beat. It has a mid V12 engine and 327 HP.

5. Koenigsegg CCX (245 mph)

 The Koenigsegg CCX is the latest model in super-successful line of supercars. It has been the aim of the Swedish Koengsegg to become one of the biggest supercar auto makers in the world, and they certainly living up to their own high expectations. Constructed from a carbon fibber and Kevlar body, the CCX boasts a 32-valve DOHC V8 engine capable of delivering 806 HP.

4. Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo (248 mph)

S7 was one of the fastest and most technically advanced cars ever to be made in America, and the latest Twin-Turbo V8 rendition is Steve Saleen's response to the increasingly competitive supercar market. It breaks the 3 second 0-60 mark (2.8 seconds) and has 750 horses under the hood.

3. SSC Ultimate Aero (257 mph)

This car was verified by Guinness as the fastest production automobile in the world from '07 to '10, trumping the original Bugatti Veyron. Created by Shelby SuperCars, who are known for creating replicas of exotic cars, the SSC Ultimate Aero is truly an engineering marvel. It comes with a custom V8 engine and has a staggering 1287 HP, reaching 60 mph in 2.78 seconds.

2. Hennessey Venom GT (260 mph)

Hennessy Performance Engineering takes some of the best supercars in the world, and uses their amazing skill to make them even better. The Venom GT is a car that has very few peers, and it could even be the fastest car in the world. Very few of them have been made. There is a 775 HP version and a 1,200 HP version, and the latter could be capable of reaching 275 mph!

1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (267 mph)

The original Bugatti Veyron lost its crown to the SSC Ultimate Aero in 2007, but they reasserted their prowess with this latest Super Sport version, beating the SSC's top speed by at least 11 mph. It is officially the fastest production car in the world, with an 8 litter W16, quad-turbocharged engine, 1200 HP and an acceleration of 0.60 mph in 2.4 seconds. This will be the car to beat in the coming years.

Honourable Mentions

There are a number of cars which tie with the ones mentioned in this list. These are the Koenigsegg Agera R (joint 2nd), the 9ff GT9-R (joint 3rd), the Gumpert Apollo (joint 9th), and the Aston Martin One-77 and the Ascari A10, which are both tied with the Aventador for 10th place.

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Schumacher Fighting for His Life After Skiing Accident

Michael Schumacher, the seven time Formula 1 champion sustained a head injury on Sunday, Dec. 29 in a skiing accident in the French Alps, while he was skiing  off piste with his 14 year old son.

The motor racing legend has been since fighting for his life in intensive care and has had two brain operations in order to ease off the pressure of the haematoma and remove a clot.

He is currently still in a coma and in critical condition but according to an official update from Moutiers hospital where he's being treated, there had been a slight improvement in his condition. 

It's definitely too early to say whether the former Formula 1 champion is out of danger or not but one thing is for sure. If he hadn't been wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, he would have definitely not survived this accident. 

AutomotiveMania is hoping for better news and our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family. 

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2014 Guide For The 10 Girliest Cars

It is a little unfair to specify gender specifics when it comes to anything, mainly because pigeonholing gender specifics often encourages people to take on the associated roles.

Still, for those of us who are stuck with our mind full of gender stereotypes, it is hard to look at something and not recognize a gender issue. A boxy car with hard edges and lines like a tank is considered more masculine, whereas a rounded and curvaceous car is considered more feminine.

Some of the cars on this list are there because they look outright girly, and some are there because more women have bought them than men have.

1. Volvo S40

This car does have a few smooth edges and contours, but it still has a masculine touch to it and is fairly imposing on the road. However, this is one of those cars that is on the list because of female sales figures - 57.9% of new Volvo S40 sales went to women. This may not seem like a lot, but even in our times there are still far more men buying new cars than women. Even married couples tend to have the man make the purchase, so even though 57.9% of the S40 purchases went to women; it actually took a very large number of women to get up to that point.

2. VW Cabriolet

This car has actually picked up a girly image that is hart to shake. It is mainly due to female students having too much money and buying cars that are a little bit different.  

 3. Nissan Juke 

This is a four-wheel drive car that is still pretty imposing considering that it is trying to appeal to a feminine market. It gets its girly “feel” from the fact that it has no hard lines. The typical land rover is a perfect example of hard lines looking masculine, but, this car looks more like a smooth pebble that has washed up on the beach.

4. Fiat 5000

If hard lines on a car make it masculine, then this car is a born semi circle. The entire body has hardly a sharp corner or hard line on it. Every element is rounded. Even the decorative line on the front about the license plate has a rounded end to it. A glossy pink version was issued and displayed in honor of Barbie’s 50th birthday. 

5. Toyota Matrix

Around 54.1% of new car purchases are made by women, and there is a certain indescribable something to it that makes it slightly more feminine. The front of the car almost looks indignant. It almost looks as if it has an expression on its face similar to if you told a British person that their champagne needed a few more minutes to chill. If you were to ask people to pigeonhole the car as masculine or feminine, then few would pick masculine, but the exact reason why is hard to pinpoint. 

 6. Honda CR-V

It is not a burningly girly car, but it is easy to see why people think so. It seems to have such an inoffensive look about it. It looks apologetic through simply how the bonnet is shaped. It is the sort of car where if it hit you as you crossed the street you would dust yourself off and assume the driver didn’t mean it. There are lots of women who gravitate towards SUV cars, and given the choice, it is easy to see why they would pick the Honda CR-V.

7. Nissan Rogue

The Nissan Juke is the Nissan Rogue crossover. The Nissan Rogue has actually sold better with woman, where 56.9% of total purchases of the Rogue were mady by women. In design and convention terms, the Rogue is the normalized and "pop" design, where the Juke takes the less trodden path and differs from most cars.  

8.Volkswagen Beetle

The modern beetle has smooth contours and to this generation has little to do with hippies and long hair. Still, its smooth design and curves does make it a girly looking car. The hardest thing is picking a less girly color because unless you paint it with the colors of your national flag, then it is still going to look little girly. The sales figures show that 54.6% of new car purchase are made by women.

9.Peugeot 308CC 

This one is a bit of a puzzle because if it's painted black, silver or blue then it just looks like another unisex car. But, paint it orange, yellow or any shade of red and it looks just like a woman's car. One of the reasons it is more of a unisex car is because the windscreen has a very low slant to it, which makes it look like it was built for speed. 

10. Citroen Picasso  

Sure, one could say that it is the car of a responsible father and that is fair enough. But, mainly it is the sort of car that one may expect a woman to pick. It has sensitive curves and a body shape that says 'Precious cargo on board'.

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First look at the Ford Mustang 2015

The Ford Mustang is enduringly cool as it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2014. The classic compact first hit the road in 1964, and will roar into its second half-century with two new models confirmed for 2014 and 2015.

The new 2015 Ford Mustang Cobra was recently spotted on the test track in Dearborn, Michigan and onlookers said it was going fast. The 2015 model being tested looked a bit different from what we’re used to seeing from the Mustang, coming draped in a funereal black curtain. But that’s because it was in disguise.

Hellraiser

The manufacturers are very keen that you don’t know too much about their latest bad boy, lest we spoil the birthday surprise. But from what could be detected through the camouflage, though, the 2015 Mustang looks set to be exactly the kind of rugged powerhouse we’ve come to expect since the first Mustang hit the 1964 Indianapolis 500 as a pace setter. After which, it quickly became known as the kind of car dead movie stars would be found in, earning its place in popular iconography as the epitome of cool.

The 2015 Mustang is set to be considerably smaller than recent models, and will feature a steering wheel with 20 buttons, chunky tyres and the kind of brakes that could stop a fighter jet. By the look of its performance on the track, it’s going to need them.

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Team Bloodhound set to break speed records

The next contender for the world’s fastest car is currently being assembled in Bristol. A team of top engineers behind the Bloodhound supersonic car hope to smash through both the sound barrier and the land speed record with their pencil-shaped wheelie beast.

The current land speed record was set way back in 1997 by a British team also led by Richard Noble, who built the Thrust SSC. It reached speeds of over 768mph to become the first car to ever break the sound car and become ‘supersonic’. It was powered by two Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines.

But the Bloodhound is set to race past that record with speeds of up to 1,000mph. Noble's team of just 34 people, which is currently working in the former Maritime Heritage Centre on Bristol harbour, will use a jet engine – specifically a prototyope Eurojet EJ200 – to propel the car to 300mph. After that a second engine will pick up the speed, a special hybrid rocket designed by Daniel Jubb, which will blast the Bloodhound up to the 1,000mph barrier.

In total the Bloodhound will have as much power as approximately 180 Formula 1 cars. If the world record attempt goes according to plan, the team will have broken the land speed record by around 33%, which is the highest ever margin. The record attempt is set to take place in 2016, but before that it will be tested on a 12 mile runway in South Africa in 2014.

Hold onto your hats!

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Why the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is the best car in ages

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a blast from the past, and a rocket into the future at the same time. Here’s why it’s our favourite supercar of the last five years.

Sitting in this tidy Merc is having your wheels firmly rooted in automobile history. It’s like being in Back to the Future, with classic design and features propelled with state-of-the-art technology and whoosh! contours.

It’s a modern-day take on the classic Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing from 1954, which makes it look like something Steve McQueen or Sean Connery would have driven back in the day. It’s not easy to get into, but then, being an action hero isn’t supposed to be easy. When they’re open, they look more like wings. And boy, can she fly…

With 369lb of torque at 2000rpm, this Benz screams through the early gears to leave your skull pressed firmly against the headrest. At full throttle, it does 60mph in 3.7 seconds, and handles like a snifter of vintage brandy after a feast of molecular gastronomy.

At £150,000, the SLS AMG looks like a bargain for a supercar of its quality. It is possibly the tastiest item on the menu, when compared with its rivals, the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Aston Martin Vantage V12. Both the Aston and the Porsche weigh in a little cheaper, but if you’re looking for a car that will stand out, the Mercedes has easily the finest handling and aesthetic prowess.

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