Mini One

One, originally uploaded by M. Grittani (Gritts Photography).

Heart of Madness

Heart of Madness, originally uploaded by M.Alreshaid / Studio M (Automobile Photography).

2009 Nissan GT-R.

Dutch Supercar Challenge

Dutch Supercar Challenge, originally uploaded by lennertje555.

racing festival in francorchamps.
Comments & critics are always welcome.

1999 Chevy Tahoe running rough

The engine on my Tahoe is running rough. It idles rough when first started but after it warms up it's fine. Occasionally, while driving it will skip badly. I have replaced the fuel filter. Before I spend any more $$ on guesses, is there any one thing I should be looking at?



Response:





First, check your Engine Codes. Then check your Compression as GM V series engines are known for dropping the last cylinder on the passenger side of the engine due to valve failure and sometimes No 1 cylinder. Also note that the V8 series has a problem with blown head gaskets on the passenger side.

Toyota executive Irv Miller urged automaker to ‘come clean'

WASHINGTON (Bloomberg) -- A Toyota Motor Corp. executive urged the Japanese automaker to “come clean” in January about mechanical failures in accelerator pedals for some vehicles, after other officials suggested a more cautious approach.



Irv Miller, then a vice president for communications at Toyota's U.S. sales unit, told other officials in an e-mail on Jan. 16 that “the time to hide on this one is over.” The world's largest automaker recalled 2.3 million vehicles in the United States for accelerator pedal flaws the following week.



“We are not protecting our customers by keeping this quiet,” Miller wrote in an e-mail to Toyota executives in the U.S. and Japan, obtained Wednesday.



Toyota faces a proposed fine of $16.4 million after the U.S. Department of Transportation said this week the company “knowingly hid a dangerous defect” that caused its vehicles to accelerate unexpectedly. The carmaker waited at least four months before it told U.S. regulators in January that gas pedals in its vehicles may stick, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said on April 5.



Miller, who retired from Toyota later in January, declined to comment when reached by phone Wednesday. His retirement was announced Dec. 16.



‘Poor job'



“While Toyota does not comment on internal company communications and cannot comment on Mr. Miller's e-mail, we have publicly acknowledged on several occasions that the company did a poor job of communicating during the period preceding our recent recalls,” Toyota's North American unit said Wednesday in a statement.



Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles worldwide for flawed parts including accelerator pedals made by CTS Corp., based in Elkhart, Indiana, and floor mats that could jam and cause cars and trucks to accelerate unintentionally.



Miller and other communications staff discussed how the company should respond to a pending television report on unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.



Katsuhiko Koganei, a company communications official based in Torrance, Calif., had said in a message earlier that day that Toyota “should not mention” mechanical failures in gas pedals “because we have not clarified the real cause” and “the remedy for the matter has not been confirmed.”



Mike Michels, a spokesman for Toyota who was also mentioned in the e-mails, declined to elaborate on them. No one at the company advocated hiding or ignoring concerns about accelerator pedals, he said.

Smart 4-seater for U.S. likely to come from alliance

A four-seat Smart car developed jointly by the Daimler-Renault-Nissan alliance is likely to be sold in the United States, said Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche.



Zetsche said having a partner for developing a four-seat Smart “was a prerequisite” for expanding the microcar range. “We could not have found a feasible basis alone for the next-generation Smart family,” he said in a call with reporters today.



The next-generation SmartForTwo two-seater, a four-seat Smart and the next-generation Renault Twingo will be jointly developed by the partners. The agreement calls for electric versions of both the Smart and Twingo families as well as sharing and co-development of diesel and gasoline engines.



“Of course, we could do a next-generation Smart alone, but we would lose a lot of money,” said Zetsche, who noted that a final decision on a four-seater for the United States hasn't been made.



Daimler AG would also have had a hard time recouping the required 10 percent return-on-sales it requires for new vehicles by developing a second Smart on its own, he said.



Zetsche said Daimler has no intention of using Nissan dealers in the United States to sell Smart cars. The partnership announced today with Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. will not affect the Smart distributorship agreement Daimler has with Penske Automotive Group, the sole distributor of Smart cars in the United States.



The SmartForTwo went on sale in the United States in 2008. A total of 24,622 were sold that year, exceeding Daimler's and Penske's expectations.



As gasoline prices fell from record highs and the economy collapsed, Smart sales plunged 41 percent in 2009. This year's demand is down 72 percent from year-earlier levels.

Porsche GT3 RS

Porsche GT3 RS, originally uploaded by KuleliDesign.

Right after the f360 went around the corner this beast drove by.