The Motoring World
Motor Trend has named the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S as its Best Driver's Car for 2013. The Best Driver's Car honor is decided after a yearly competition among the top new or improved performance cars available in the U.S. This is the second consecutive year that a 911 variant has won the award. Ed Loh, Editor-in-Chief of Motor Trend. Each year, Motor Trend editors choose the car that most compels them to want to drive. Each contender is run through a series of instrumented performance tests, a 500-mile road trip highlighted by aggressive canyon driving on a closed course and finally, evaluation at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The test aims to go beyond the numbers to uncover the one vehicle that offers enthusiasts the most engaging and rewarding driving experience possible. Enthusiasts can follow all the track testing action that took place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and discover how each of the competitors performed throughout the competition by viewing a series of stories and videos.
Unfortunately, the two prefer slow dancing to krumping. With 300 horsepower, 83 more than the 4.6-liter, Buick-derived pushrod V-8 that did duty in the Disco, the new 4.4-liter DOHC engine is even 18 horses more powerful than the BMW-sourced 4.4-liter found under the Range Rover's bonnet. Roll out into the left lane, and the LR3 will pass with more confidence than the previous model as the six-speed finds the appropriate gear for the situation. If you find there isn't enough room to pass, stomp on the predictable and strong brakes that will bring you to a stop from 70 mph in 173 feet, not too shabby for a nearly three-ton beast. When considered in relationship to its gene pool, the LR3 isn't exactly slow, but there are faster and lighter sport-utes that are the same size and trade for similar cash. On-road demeanor is far more refined than in the Discovery, and if you were able to drive the LR3 blindfolded, you might think you were in the more expensive Range Rover.
Some radios will require you to remove four small Allen screws (with a 2mm or 5/64 Allen Key) before you can insert the removal keys. I believe these are simply a security measure. Now, push the keys outwards slightly, away from the radio, this will push the securing spring clips inwards. Now, pull on the removal keys to remove the radio. Some radios are a little bit stubborn, but a little persistence should pay off. Some factory-fitted radios are held in place by securing the screws located at the sides of the radio. This type of mounting concept is found primarily on Japanese cars and these radios are mounted behind the dash that surrounds the radio. Most radios have some type of rear support but this is more often than not, just a push fit. Once you have removed the radio from its sleeve, disconnect the aerial and factory wiring harness connectors. If you encounter problems when removing radios that are mounted behind the dash try ringing your local dealer. Ask for the service department and ask to speak to a technician as they are generally happy to advise. On the other hand, you could always consult a Haynes manual.
The heavy camouflage prevents us from getting a good glimpse of the vehicle鈥檚 extra features, but it鈥檚 safe to assume that exterior updates for the Velar will be similar to other SVR models. Up front, Land Rover will redesign the bumper, adding larger intakes on each side and a revised lower section with a large splitter. The headlamps will carry over unchanged, but the grille should receive a new mesh. Wide fenders are also on the table, so this Velar will have a more aggressive stance, especially when seen in the rearview mirror. The crossover shouldn鈥檛 be too different from the side, with most panels likely to remain the same. Sure, the wider wheelarches will have a certain visual impact, but not to the extent that it changes the way the car looks. Highlights should include sportier side skirts, unique wheels, and a lower ride height. Around back, expect to see a larger spoiler atop the tailgate, as well as a redesigned bumper with new exhaust pipes and diffuser.
Another twenty seconds later the lander was separated and lowered from the backshell on a 20 m bridle (tether). When the lander reached 1.6 km above the surface, a radar was used by the on-board computer to determine altitude and descent velocity. This information was used by the computer to determine the precise timing of the landing events that followed. Once the lander was 355 m above the ground, airbags were inflated in less than a second using three catalytically cooled solid rocket motors that served as gas generators. The airbags were made of 4 inter-connected multi-layer vectran bags that surrounded the tetrahedron lander. They were designed and tested to accommodate grazing angle impacts as high as 28 m/s. However, as the airbags were designed for no more than about 15 m/s vertical impacts, three solid retrorockets were mounted above the lander in the backshell. These were fired at 98 m above the ground.
