chrisescars.com

Extreme off roading from the King of Hammers event: Video
Pagani Huayra races onto SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED for your gaming pleasure
2011 Ford Fiesta safest car in its category worldwide
Volvo creates first diesel Plug-in Hybrid

Extreme off roading from the King of Hammers event: Video

Posted: 11 Mar 2011 10:51 AM PST

Have you ever heard of the event called King of Hammers? It’s a race that involves hard core rock crawling and high speed sprints over open deserts. This extreme off-roading event not only pushes the driver’s ability to the limit but also tests the mechanical limits of the heavy duty trucks.

This annual race is set in the southern California desert and is a week long spectacle that draws serious off-road racers and fans alike. But this is not just a race, the event also includes dinners, seminars, vendor displays and even a golf tournament.

This year's event took place in February and was won by Shannon Campell, the 2008 King of the Hammers champion. Watch the 10 minute video below to see some extreme off-roading from the King of Hammers.

Related Posts You may Find Interesting

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

2011 Ford Fiesta safest car in its category worldwide

Posted: 11 Mar 2011 07:07 AM PST

The 2011 Ford Fiesta has now become the first car in its category to earn top crash test ratings in each of the world’s largest auto markets including the United States and China.

The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested the compact car under new testing standards and it was the only car in its class to receive this rating.

Ford points out that underneath the Fiesta is a structure made from high-strength steels engineered to preserve quality and enhance driver and passenger safety. More than 55 percent of Fiesta's body structure is built from ultra-high-strength steel

Group Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety – Sue Cischke had this to say about the results:

"Ford is committed to safety and to delivering top crash test ratings that customers look to when choosing new vehicles", "Fiesta is the latest example of that safety commitment, and it shows that a small, fuel-efficient car can deliver top-level safety."

Congratulations Ford Fiesta.

Related Posts You may Find Interesting

Volvo creates first diesel Plug-in Hybrid

Posted: 11 Mar 2011 06:31 AM PST

Volvo has released the details and images of the new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid which was created by a joint venture between Volvo and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall.

This new model is the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid and will be launched in 2012.

The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is equipped with a five-cylinder 2.4-litre D5 turbo diesel engine that sends 215 hp and 440 Nm of torque to the front wheels and giving the rear wheels power is a 70 HP electric motor that receives juice from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Controlling the power is a six-speed automatic transmission.

The car’s battery can be recharged via a regular power socket and a full charge takes around 4.5 hours .(3 hours with 16A)/p>

The driver can choose from three different modes via a set of push buttons on the center console: Pure, Hybrid and Power.

Pure mode:
This allows the car to run on just the electric motor and gives a driving range of up to 32 miles (51 kilometers) while producing zero emissions.

Hybrid mode:
This is the default setting for when the car is started and makes use of both the diesel engine and electric motor. With this mode activated, the Volvo V60 Plug in Hybrid returns a fuel economy of up to 125 mpg while producing just 49 g/km of CO2 emissions.

Power mode:
In this mode the vehicle is optimized to give the best possible performance, with the diesel engine and electric motor working together to produce a combined output of 285 hp. With this mode selected the V60 can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds.

Volvo has stated that due to the increased cost of fitting a battery pack and electric motor system means that the V60 plug-in hybrid will be more expensive than a standard V60, but with the fuel costs expected to be one-third of a conventional combustion engine V60, customers will eventually save money in the long run.

Pricing and availability will be announced closer to 2012 when the vehicle is launched.

Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid Gallery

[View with PicLens]