Archive for July, 2009
A Real Flying Car – Terrafugia Transition
Back in the 1940’s and 50’s a number of futurists declared that flying cars were “just around the corner,” and that they would revolutionize the world of personal travel. That never quite happened, but almost 60 years later it is now possible to own a very similar contraption that promises to extend the utility of the personal airplane in a brand new direction.
Terrafugia Transition's Flying Car
The Terrafugia Transition is less a flying car and more an airplane that can be safely driven on public roads. In terms of appearance, the James Bond-style transporter is either an odd-looking airplane or a completely off-the-wall automobile…depending upon how you look at it. But one thing is certain: it succeeds both in the sky and on the ground in providing its pilot with excellent flying and driving characteristics.
Popularity: 2%
How To Kill A Perfectly Good Engine for $5.68
We’ve already talked about the buying a Toyota Tundra under the Clash for Clunkers “CARS” program, but here’s a quick recap.
The government offers $3500 to $4500 to trade-in a vehicle that gets less than 18mpg provided that:
- You’re buying a car that gets better than 22mpg.
- You’re buying a truck that gets better than 18mpg or one that gets at least 2mpg better than the vehicle you’re trading or
- You’re buying a work truck.
The specifics are sort of complicated, so you should visit the official Cars.gov website to figure it all out.
One of the requirements of this bill is that the vehicle you trade-in is scrapped. Unfortunately, scrapped doesn’t begin to describe the torture that your clunker’s engine is put through. The description of the scrapping process isn’t for auto fans with a weak stomach…here’s how it works
Popularity: 2%
Car and Driver Likes The 2010 4.6L V8 Tundra
Car and Driver gave a nice review of the new 4.6L engine in the 2010 Tundra. Basically, C&D likes the engine for what it is – an adequately powerful and efficient V8.
Car and Driver reviews the 2010 Tundra 4.6L V8
The review mentions some nice things about the engine and the Tundra in general too:
Popularity: 3%
Toyota Closes NUMMI – Get Ready For A Backlash
It’s official – Toyota is going to close NUMMI. Toyota has a list of good reasons for closing the plant – it’s unprofitable, it’s in a bad location, building cars in California is only going to get harder with environmental regulations and increasing taxes, etc. A couple of weeks ago we came up with a list of reasons Toyota wouldn’t close NUMMI (we were wrong).
NUMMI closes 25 years after GM's Roger Smith and Eiji Toyoda created their joint venture.
First and foremost on our list was the PR nightmare that comes with closing a plant. While “nightmare” might be a little over the top, there’s no denying this decision will negatively impact Toyota’s image. Here’s why:
Popularity: 4%
Total Chaos Toyota Tundra Long Travel Suspension Kit
There are a number of people who buy a Toyota Tundra because they want a truck that combines excellent day to day utility and driving comfort with the ability to head off-road on the weekends and have some fun. As with all types of motor sports, after you have been off-road more than a few times you start to get a hankering for some extra performance from your pickup. This can mean picking up bigger tires, installing a lift kit or maybe an additional skid plate to keep things protected down below.
Long travel suspension for 2007 and up Toyota Tundras from Total Chaos
Sometimes, however, you get bitten hard by the rock climbing or desert racing bug and you want to make a more extreme modification to your pickup that will not only help you stand out from the crowd but will also give you a healthy dollop of extra abilities out on the trail. This is where Total Chaos Fabrication steps in.
Popularity: 6%
