Audi A7 with Long Roof and Headlights

October 14th, 2011

Automover News: Considering that Audi already offers the popular mid-size A6 sedan and full sized A8 sedan, one may wonder about the purpose of 2012 A7. Audi A7 fits as the emotional symptom between these two.

The 2012 Audi A7 has four doors and the back seat is well-sized, with plenty of leg room. Yet, because of its coupe-styled body, most people don’t notice the rear doors. The design is so deceptive that some people call it a coupe, others call it a sedan – Audi calls it a Sportback. Here is what causes the deception and the beauty. The long roof is like a movement from the front to the back, which meets the car’s boat tail at the rear. Shoulder line sinks far back. It begins at the front, takes its power from the engine and then sinks slightly to the rear. This combination creates a fresh-looking design, which has got the car a worldwide acclaim. The doors are frameless and the car has a very large cargo space, good for family events.

Last week Audi delivered the 2012 A7 3.0T to our Hickory headquarters in NC for a week-long review to Despite its luxurious price, we think it’s a great car not only for individuals, but also for family needs. We drove the new Audi A7 in Hickory, driving in one of the most beautiful roads in the country. One has to actually drive the car to appreciate all that it has to offer, but we will try to discuss some particular essentials in this review in lay man’s terms. Essentials, that particularly stood out and attracted our attention.

Mazda halts manufacture of sports car

August 25th, 2011

Automover News: Mazda has stopped the production of its RX-8 rotary engine sports car, citing falling sales and stringent global emissions standards. Production in Hiroshima, Japan, ended in early July and global sales of the car will conclude later this year. The RX-8 and the three generations of the RX-7 that preceded it have long been the foundation the brand’s fun-to-drive aura. The car’s high-revving 1.3-liter, twin-rotor rotary engine produces 232 hp at 8,500 rpm  a big punch in a relatively small package.

But Mazda sold just 1,134 RX-8s last year, a 49 percent decline from 2009. Sales through July of 2011 were down another 21 percent. The RX-8, which has a base price of $27,590, including shipping, peaked at 23,690 sales in 2004. But the first-generation RX-7 surpassed 50,000 units throughout the early 1980s. Mazda’s U.S. dealers had 300 units in stock as of Aug. 1 for a 118-day supply, according to the Automotive News Data Center.

Mazda pulled the RX-8 from the European market last year after the car failed to meet local emissions standards. Without volume from Europe, Mazda couldn’t justify selling the RX-8. Exporting vehicles from Japan also has become more difficult. This isn’t the first time that Mazda has dropped its rotary engine sports car from the U.S. lineup. The RX-7 was pulled after the 1995 model year. A rotary-powered car didn’t return to American showrooms until the 2003 introduction of the RX-8.

And the RX-8′s demise may not be the end of the rotary engine at Mazda. A source says engineers in Hiroshima are still working on the next generation, 1.6-liter rotary engine, code-named 16X, that is said to have lower emissions, better fuel economy and more power. When unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, the 16X had an enlarged elliptical shape for the combustion chamber and an enlarged eccentric center stroke in the rotor. Mazda also planned direct-injection fuel delivery in a rotary engine for the first time.

Greece public transport employees strike

September 8th, 2010

Greece rail transport and public transport employees walk off on strike over planned economic development program of debt ridden state transport system of the country.

The 5hr walk off from 11AM-4PM by transport employees stopped trains all over the country and left Athens without any type of public transport. The unions oppose centre left governments policy to reorganize the loss making state railways and capitals bus, metro, urban rail transport and tram systems.

Greece hardly evaded insolvency in May using billions of euros in crisis loans from European Union and International Monetary Fund. The government cuts the expenses including wages and retirement fund of employees and increased taxes of customers to protect the loan funds.