Category: General Motoring News

All-new Pentastar V-6 Engine from Chrysler Group LLC Improves Powertrain Flexibility and Fuel Efficiency

• The all-new flex-fuel Pentastar V-6 engine is the most advanced six-cylinder engine in the history of Chrysler Group Powertrain
• Future applications of Pentastar V-6 will incorporate Multiair, direct-injection and turbo charging
• 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee is the first vehicle to offer Pentastar



Chrysler Group LLC introduces the most advanced V-6 engine in the company’s history—the Pentastar V-6. This new line of V-6 engines will contribute to an overall fuel-efficiency improvement across the Chrysler, Ram Truck, Jeep and Dodge product line-up. More refined and fuel-efficient, the Pentastar engine will ultimately replace seven current Chrysler Group V-6 engines and utilise advanced technologies from the Fiat alliance such as Multiair, direct-injection and turbo charging.

First offered in the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, launching this year in the United States, our all-new Pentastar V-6 engine allows increased flexibility to apply new technologies and enables significant cost savings for the company by substituting previous generation V-6 engines, said Paolo Ferrero, Senior Vice President—Powertrain, Chrysler Group LLC. By 2014, the new V-6 will account for more than a third of our total engine output and contribute to an overall fuel economy improvement of more than 25 percent.

In the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the all-new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine will deliver 216 kW at 6350 rpm and 353 N•m of torque at 4,300 rpm—an increase of 38 percent in horsepower and 11 percent in torque over its predecessor—while providing an 11 percent fuel economy improvement.
Customers Benefit: Fuel Efficiency, Refinement, Quality, Low Cost of Ownership

Chrysler Group Powertrain engineers benchmarked the industry’s leading engines to set functional targets. The result is an all-new engine with an ideal integration of select technologies that deliver exceptional refinement, fuel efficiency and performance.
Chrysler Group’s all-new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine offers double-overhead camshafts (DOHC) and a high-pressure die-cast aluminium cylinder block in a 60-degree configuration. Additional features include a narrow-included valve angle, cylinder head and high-flow intake and exhaust ports. This design, combined with dual-independent-cam phasing, allows optimum volumetric and combustion efficiency over the full speed and load range, resulting in an exceptionally flat torque curve along with high specific power—the engine’s torque exceeds 90 percent of its peak value from 1,800 to 6,350 rpm, providing customers with outstanding driveability and responsiveness, without the need for premium fuel.

Our engineers synthesized the best combination of design features and technologies to create a V-6 engine that will exceed customer needs,said Bob Lee, Vice President—Engine and Electrified Propulsion Systems Engineering, Chrysler Group LLC. The elegantly simple design maximises functionality and provides class-leading levels of refinement, fuel-efficiency, performance and cost of ownership.

The advanced oil-filter system eliminates oil spills and contains an incinerable filter element for more efficient disposal than typical oil filters. The use of long-life spark plugs and a high-energy coil-on-plug ignition system also helps to reduce maintenance costs.

The Pentastar V-6 is designed to run on regular petrol, offering a 10 percent reduction in fuel cost compared with premium fuelled engines. The engine also is flex-fuel capable, offering consumers the choice of regular petrol or E85 fuel.

Chrysler 3.6-liter, DOHC, 24-valve Pentastar V-6 Technical Specifications

Displacement: 3.6 litres
Bore x stroke: 96 x 83 mm
Valve train system: Double-overhead cam with roller finger followers and hydraulic lash adjusters. Dual independent cam-torque actuated phasers
Fuel injection: Multi-point port fuel injection
Construction: High-pressure die-cast aluminium cylinder block and semi-permanent mould aluminium cylinder head
Maximum engine speed: 7200 rpm
Fuel requirement: E85 (Ethanol) or unleaded regular, 87 octane (R+M)/2
Emission capability: PZEV

Making your visit to Fraser Island safe

Driving on Fraser Island can challenge even experienced drivers. Research has shown that tourists, especially young tourists driving four-wheel drive hire vehicles, have a high crash risk.

Beach driving is more dangerous than driving a vehicle on a road and requires high levels of concentration and skill.

Among the most dangerous aspects of beach driving are dealing with the washouts caused by tides, which can result in deep ridges in the sand, as well as the need to avoid incoming waves.

Driving a rented and unfamiliar four-wheel drive on a beach makes it easy to get into trouble. Speeding or driving with a vehicle full of passengers and with a heavy load on the roof can cause a rollover, resulting in serious injury or death.



New laws
A number of new road safety measures are being introduced on Fraser Island to make your visit safer. You need to know and follow these laws to avoid a fine. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

• Speed limit signs have been erected on the beach (80km per hour) and in townships and on inland tracks (30km per hour).
• Signs listing new hire vehicle requirements will be in place at all barge drop-off and pick-up points from April 2010.
• Police patrols will increase to enforce the new speed limits.
• Random inspections of four-wheel drive vehicles are being carried out by government officials on Fraser Island and on the mainland near the entry points to the island. These are to check that vehicles comply with the new laws and are not overloaded.

From 1 April 2010, all hire four-wheel drive vehicles must:
• not carry more than eight occupants (including the driver)
• safely secure luggage inside the vehicle (no loads are allowed on the roof).

Heavy loads on the roof can affect vehicle stability and increase the chance of rolling the vehicle, particularly when driving on sand. Although these laws do not apply to private (non-hired) vehicles, it is recommended that all drivers consider passenger numbers and the weight of loads on the vehicle roof while driving on Fraser Island.

Fines
A driver breaking these laws risks a $300 fine and (for Australians) 3 demerit points. These laws apply only to hire vehicles. Private vehicles are exempt.

From 31 December 2010, all hire four-wheel drive vehicles used on Fraser Island must:
• have no side-facing seats
• have a maximum of eight seats
• be fitted with seatbelts which meet Australian Design Rules.

This means that four-wheel drive hire operators will need to modify or replace troop carriers that do not comply with these laws. Enforcement activities will be increased to ensure that all four-wheel drive hire vehicles meet these new laws.

Category: General Motoring News

DETROIT -- General Motors Co. will wind down its Hummer brand after a proposed sale to Chinas Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. Ltd. fell through.



Tengzhong was unable to complete the acquisition, GM said today in a statement. The Chinese company failed to win government approval of the sale, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

GM will honor warranties, provide spare parts and will support service for Hummers worldwide, the automaker said. GM has 153 U.S. Hummer dealers, spokeswoman Ryndee Carney said in an email.

The failed deal likely seals the fate of the last of GMs four unwanted U.S. brands. GM is winding down Saturn after its sale fell through in September. Pontiac is also being phased out. GM yesterday completed the sale of Saab to Dutch niche carmaker Spyker Cars NV.

GM is open to receiving other bids for Hummer as it winds down the brand, the source said. The sale of Saab arose out of a similar situation: Spyker entered a bid after a proposed sale of Saab to Swedens Koenigsegg Group AB fell through in November. The chances of resurrecting Hummer are viewed as slimmer than they were at Saab, the source said.

GM put Hummer up for sale in 2008, before the global financial crisis that dragged the automaker into bankruptcy.

In June of last year, GM said it expected to sell Hummer to the Chinese heavy machinery maker, which has no experience in the auto industry. Hummer's 67 percent sales decline last year was the steepest of any volume brand in the United States.

GM bought the brand in December 1999 from AM General, which has also continued to make versions for the armed forces.

Hummer entered the civilian market in 1992. Non government Hummer sales were averaging between 800 and 1000 units annually when GM bought the brand.

Hummers U.S. sales peaked at 71,524 in 2006, before demand was choked by gasoline prices that soared above $4 per gallon in 2008. Sales last year dwindled to 9,046.

From www.autonews.com

Category: General 4WD News

The Amatoya may be just a concept Warthog-inspired reconnaissance and fire-suppression vehicle, but with Apache-like seating and robotic water cannons it makes us want to see it douse some fires.



Designed by Liam Ferguson, the system is similar to an MRAP and is designed to fill in as a quick response vehicle smaller than currently used commercial trucks. We're not sure there's a large enough market to justify the creation of such a vehicle, but we dig the look and the ethos of reducing human vulnerability. Just swap out the water cannons for real ones and you've got a great assault vehicle.




Here's what the designer had to say,

Currently the role of site reconnaissance is predominantly carried out by light tankers or QAVs (Quick Attack Vehicles), typically these are modified single cabin commercial utility vehicles such as the Toyota Landcruiser. While the off road performance and maneuverability of such a vehicle is sufficient, its ability to actively suppress a fire threat is severely limited by the considerably small water supply (500lt) and distinct lack of survival engineering, fundamentally making it inadequate for its role.

CREW LAYOUT

Typically medium and heavy tankers require 5-6 crew members to be operated effectively. AMATOYA requires only 2. More military in its approach, reducing crew numbers per appliance will allow for greater dispersion of resources during a fire response.

Principal concerns when developing a vehicle of any nature are driver position, ingress/egress and vision angles. These elements become even more crucial in a vehicle purpose built for reconnaissance. A central, forward and high driver and ROSCO operator position akin to the Apache assault helicopter with generous down vision will assure functionality.

Access is via two gull wing doors, an optimal solution to accommodate the unconventional bodyside form. The distinct lack of a traditional b-pillar will provide uninterrupted views for the ROSCO operator situated above and behind the driver.

SURVIVABILITY

Cabin temperature and vehicle survivability are central to the AMATOYA concept. Existing approaches in survival engineering on fire tankers consistently appears as augmentation rather than integration. Methods are passive, typically reactive and often incapacitate the appliance when in use. A key example is the use of curtain heat shields, while effective, when employed render the appliance out of operation.

To create a homogenous directive towards survivability AMATOYA incorporates state of the art clear aerogel laminated insulation in the windows and bodywork, a dedicated auxiliary water supply to operate a highly efficient, intelligent temperature controlled spray down system, military grade sacrificial thermo ceramic intumescent paints, and a mechanically injected large displacement diesel engine specifically engineered for the unique conditions experienced on the fire ground.

These measures will assure that even in the case of an extremely prolonged and high intensity burnover the vehicle will not only maintain cabin integrity, but opposed to existing appliances AMATOYA will remain fully operational.

SUPPRESSION ABILITY

A Remotely Operated Suppression Cannon Outfit (ROSCO) coupled with a generous 1800lt + 400lt auxiliary water supply, offers a unique dynamic to vehicle operation. Current suppression techniques require large crew numbers (at least 5 per appliance) to perform through intermittent periods of strenuous labour to have any form of impact on a fire. The ROSCO system utilizing IFEX3000 impulse technology is not only a hugely efficient means of fire suppression, but vitally will eliminate crew members being subjected to the elements and stresses of extended high intensity work on the fire ground, while constantly maintaining vehicle mobility. A highly rated thermal imaging camera along with directional spot lights will assist in hotspot location to determine the most effective direction of attack.

OFF ROAD PERFORMANCE

AMATOYA represents the pinnacle of specialized performance in the fire appliance design field. Off road capabilities reflect enthusiast 4WD methods, including generous approach, departure and over ramp angles, suspension travel, ground clearance and minimized turn circle.

Central tire inflation (CTI) and run flat tire (RFT) technology coupled with beadlock tires will allow an extensive band of dynamic pressure control to aid in traversing the complex terrain often encountered on the fire ground.



MANUFACTURING

The vehicle adopts many conventional fabrication techniques associated with low production run specialized vehicles. The point of difference which separates this concept from existing appliances is the proposed monocoque steel body, comparable to military MRAP vehicles. A conventional fire tanker is built body-on-frame from a standard cab chassis truck base. While this approach is successful, the lack of integration results in certain performance issues. Body roll due to the on board water supply is an notable problem, however by creating a fully integrated solution, water reservoirs can be strategically located central and low in the vehicle to dramatically improve the centre of gravity.



from Jalopnik.com