Pimp My 4x4! But Start With The Tyres!
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 is a term used to describe a four-wheeled vehicle with a drive train that allows all four wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously. The term has traditionally been linked to sports utility vehicles, or SUVs, which have been very popular in the United States, and are now becoming popular across Europe. The benefit of a car with four-wheel drive is that it allows for normal two-wheel drive on normal roads and superior four-wheel mode for low traction conditions such as snow, ice, slippery surfaces, mud or loose gravel.
In response to criticism by civic groups against using larger SUVs for daily urban trips, car manufacturers are now trying to position the smaller versions as green vehicles, with levels of CO2 emissions much closer to their conventional car equivalents than larger models. For example, Citroen recently launched the C-Crosser, only available with a particulate filter and frugal diesel engines.
These newer models are likely to be popular in Europe, where smaller SUVs have been more successful than larger models, and are likely to be a bigger driving force for sales of 4WD vehicles in the near future. Other examples include the Nissan Qashqai and the Renault Koleos, both combining four-by-four drive and limited off-road capabilities with the handling of a passenger car.
J.D. Power Automotive Forecasting estimated SUVs comprise 1.5 million out of 18.3 million vehicles, or 8% of the car market, in Europe in 2007. Of this quotient, 0.6% are small SUVs, 2.4% are large ones and 5.3% are medium-sized. By 2010, the SUV segment is estimated to grow to 10.1%, with medium growing to 7% and large slipping to 2.2%. By 2014, the SUV market is expected to increase to 11.2%, with medium-sized cars responsible for 7.6% and large cars for 2%. The total European new car market is then expected to be 21.9 million vehicles.
This is of course good news for car workshops. In recent years, TV shows such as MTVÕs Pimp My Ride, have increased the popularity of overhauling, or, if you will, customising cars with things like game consoles, chrome wheels and faster engines. But before 4x4 owners go off trying to similarly overhaul their own vehicles, it might be best to invest in a new set of 4x4 tyres.
Donald Cheach, editor of Top Gear Malaysia, recently told the Malaysia Star: ÒThe first thing I would recommend is definitely a set of better tyres. There is nothing wrong with go-fast upgrades as long as there is an equal effort to improve the safety aspect of the vehicle. The wheels represent the unsprung weight of the vehicle. Generally, the lighter this is, the more efficient the performance. Suspension should be looked at next, followed by engine upgradesÓ.
Ultimately, those looking to buy a new SUV in order to take advantage of its 4x4 capabilities, yet stay environmentally conscious, will find their needs well-met by upcoming medium and small sized SUVs, should they decide to pimp them or not.
By Andrew Regan.
Visit the Blog about citroen c2 vtsThe Evolution of the Auto Industry
Of course the idea of an automobile can be dated all the way back to when the wheel was first invented; however, I am going to place you back to when major progress was made to the auto industry. The first automobile was built in France by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot in 1769. Not long after came the first automobile patent in the United States which was granted to Oliver Evans in 1789. Evan produced his first self-propelled automobile in 1805. Although self-propelled, this vehicle wasn't anything like how our vehicles work today. Finally, in 1870 an inventor by the name of Seigfried Marcus put an internal liquid fuel engine in a horse carriage which made him the first man to propel a vehicle by means of gasoline. As were finding out today this may have been our biggest mistake as a civilization due to global warming concerns. However, when directly eyeing the auto industry, this was necessary to jump start the idea that has effects each and every one of us everyday.
Karl Benz built his first automobile in 1885, was granted a patent in 1886, and began producing automobiles in 1888. Notice the last names if you are not familiar with the history of the auto industry. In 1889 Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach designed a vehicle from scratch rather than using a horse carriage fitted with an engine. By the 1900s, mass production on vehicles was under way in France and the United States. The first company formed to exclusively build cars was Panhard et Levassor in France. Next came the United States auto industry startup called Duryea Motor Wagon Company founded by brothers Charles and Frank Duryea.
Oldsmobile had a production line up and running in 1902 and would dominate this era of automobile production. By 1903, Cadillac, Winston and Ford were all producing cars in the thousands. A few years later in 1908 the Ford Model T was introduced and became the most widely produced and available car of the era. In 1910 the Mercer Raceabout debuted as the world's first sports car. Slightly over a decade later the Austin debuted and was the most widely copied vehicle ever and served as a template for cars around the world. Later in 1934 the Citroen Traction Avant was the first mass produced vehicle with front wheel drive. Finally, Oldsmobile introduced the first automatic transmission in 1940 and no longer than 10 years all automobile manufactures were offering the same technology. 1950 and 60's was when the auto industry had the ability to really focus on the wants rather than the needs of consumers. The classics we love to see are in prototypes. 1962 hits and the first super car was introduced as the Ferrari 250 GTO. 1964 sets a mark and Ford releases the Mustang that became the best selling and most collected car of its era. In 1977 Honda introduced the Accord and it went on to become the most popular car of 1990s. A huge win for Chrysler, their 1983 release of the minivans were introduced and pushed station wagons out of the market. Many of these vehicles lasted decades and many can still be found today. More recently, Toyota has recently surpassed General Motors in leading worldwide auto sales and now holds the number one selling brand in the world.
As for the future of vehicles, manufactures are moving towards hybrid and hydrogen automobiles. Hybrid automobiles use a mix of technologies such as combustion engines, electric motors, gasoline, and batteries. Normally, the vehicles run on batteries that are found in a pack in the vehicle, and once the battery is dead the gasoline kicks in. Hydrogen automobiles generally use the hydrogen in one of two methods; combustion or fuel-cell conversion. Hydrogen can be obtained through various methods utilizing natural gas or coal. One can almost say history repeats itself, simply with a different goal. As noted at the beginning of this article, a gasoline powered engine was a major jump start to the auto industry. Now we have most everything else we can want and need, and the main focus is finding the best way to power the vehicle again that can both be environmentally safe and cost effective. This is because fossil fuels have been the number one proven cause of global warming, the supply is inevitably going to diminish, and the price is definitely not going down.
By Steven Cancel.
