Finally, Nissan fans-- a reveal. In video four of Nissan's Juke-R video build series, RML is shown placing the V6 GT-R engine into a space where a 1.6 liter engine previously resided. The engine will be putting out as much power as the first year GT-R did.
Below I have included the build video and the reveal. If you haven't been keeping up with the progress of this build, check out this article! It should have enough information to keep you happy ;)
http://lexilaron.blogspot.com/2011/10/nissan-juke-r.html
Enjoy!
VIDEO FOUR of the build series videos.
The car in the picture that you're looking at is called a Mugen Civic RR, a rare collectors item and factory-made performance car that only a select few posses. Given this car's beauty and awe factor, I figure'd I'd give you an introduction to spice up the read a little bit...
Enjoy ;)
Over the years, Honda has done some pretty amazing things. For one, they entered the American market as a total underdog, flaunting dependability and reliability over power and luxury. With form and function in mind, Honda (and Toyota) rose to the top as the best selling automotive manufacturers in the U.S. And in their home countries, their legacy is no less impressive.
Honda's reputation for dependability and reliability in the Japanese auto market is not lower than it is here in the states. However, with a high turnover for used cars and a booming economy, I assume that Japan is the perfect place to experiment with high-power, factory performance cars which are otherwise unattainable in countries like the U.S. (where a car's quality is judged by the amount of miles it can go before falling apart).
Here's a picture of a Japanese auto auction. Car's in Japan are kept in immaculate condition and are sold, used, with low mileage at cheap prices.
The Mugen RR, pronounced "double 'R'" is a perfect example of this culture separation between the states and Japan. Yes, it's a Civic, yes, it's front-wheel drive, and yes it gets really good gas mileage! P.S. it's probably reliable too.
But it's different. Starting from the outside, it has a newer body kit which starts from the ground up, beginning with carbon-fiber reinforced plastic bumpers and side-skirts and an aluminum bonnet with some nifty fins.
For shoes, Mugen strapped on a set of wheels that can only be found on these cars. In fact, if you damage one of these wheels, the parts are so rare that you have to first PROVE that you own a RR!
The car comes with upgraded brakes (including braided brake lines), 5-way adjustable dampers which FURTHER increase ride rigidity from the Type-R model, new bucket seats, and some pretty sweet new emblems to go along with the whole package.
Improvements from the four door Type-R model also include a larger cool-air box and an air-ram intake, valvetrain improvements such as stiffer valve springs and larger intake and exhaust camshafts, a 4-2-1 racing header, and a less restricted catalyst exhaust system, raising this car's horsepower from a Type-R-ish 222 horsepower to a Mugen-ish 237 horsepower.
Are all of these upgrades not equal to much of a difference? Check out the video from this site.
Only 300 of the cars were made in Japan, and all 300 were scooped up in just ten minutes. Perhaps this says more about the car than we who do not own one can actually hear. Perhaps these numbers are just statistics, or perhaps they mean something more.
Whatever this means, we all hope that maybe someday a Type-R will come to the states. Rumor is the RR badge is going to be competition for Nissan's GTR Name plate. Will we ever know? That, my friends...is a mystery.
Thanks and have a great day.
--Dillon Brennan
Ever dreamed of what it'd be like to have the body of a mama and the innards of an athlete-- the exterior of a slug and the interior of a ferrari? Well, dream no more, for your dreams have been realized. This, my friends is the Nissan Juke-R.
"The Juke-R, very simply, is a combination of a Nissan Juke and a Nissan GT-R. We're a very innovative company, and we just like doing really crazy stuff like this. You look at our history, there is many examples of Nissan engineers really driving forward the business." Says Darren Cox, General Manager of Crossover and Sports for Nissan Europe.
With the goal of creating a super car-crossover, there's no doubt that Nissan is living up to that reputation. The company's goal was to build two concepts within 22 weeks. And no, this is no regular Nissan concept, because it isn't even being built by Nissan!
The Juke-R will be built by a company called RML Motorsport, a group which has been around for 25 years. With a strong background in racing, RML Motorsports delivers a punch to the pack, engineering automotive solutions for various auto manufacturers, engines, and electrical systems. They also hold a strong presence in the British Touring Car Championship, winning it in 1998 and 1999.
So, you ask, "If Nissan has the manufacturers and materials to make this car, what is so difficult or intriguing about this build?" Well, I'll tell you. Truth is, it's not easy to fit a big engine into a sports crossover-- much less said big engine's six speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive trans-axel drivetrain. In fact, this build isn't just hard, it'd be straight impossible for any company with a lesser reputation than RML.
The Juke will have a modified interior with a completely new floor panel to accommodate the new all-wheel drive drivetrain. Because the GT-R's 520 bhp engine is bigger, the dash will have to be moved back. And, remember, the GT-R has an advanced computer system which reads off g-forces, tire pressure, and other valuable information to the driver through a large dash-mounted LCD screen (which the Juke will also have to make room for).
If you're curious at ALL-- and I don't blame you if you are-- about the build of this special car, I suggest you check out the videos below.
Hello! And welcome to another addition of Lexi.Laron. Today you will be learning about carbon fiber, that is why it is such a good material for usage in motorsports and how it is made.
So, let's begin with a little bit of chemistry, shall we?
There many different types of carbon, including graphite, diamond, and amorphous carbon. Graphite is a soft form of carbon. It's structure is composed of hexagonal planes that are aligned parallel to one another. When pressure is applied to it, the hexagonal planes rub onto the adjacent surface which supplies the pressure-- this is how your pencil works.
Diamond, amorphous carbon, buckey balls, and more all have their own structure, but when referring to the carbon fiber on your hood or in your wheels, we're talking about special molecules, or groups of atoms, which are mainly composed of carbon.
The particular structure of carbon is what makes it so good for usage in motorsports. It is strong when layered in sheets, but it is also extremely light.
The molecule in question here is formed of small repetitive units known as monomers called acrylonitrile.
Acrylonitrile has three carbon atoms, three hydrogen atoms, and one nitrogen atoms. The nitrogen you normally hear about is the type that is present in our atmosphere as a gaseous molecule, or N2.
Be patient, I promise it gets simpler from here on out.
Think of a bicycle chain. As small links are put together, you get one whole chain. The same concept applies to chemistry. Monomers form polymers and polymers can form plastics.
These little chain links known as "acrylonitrile" can combine and form a larger unit or whole chain known as polyacrylonitrile (many acrylonitriles). All plastic is made in a similar manner with little carbon-containing chain links which combine to form larger chains.
In the case of carbon fiber, the polyacrylonitrile, or big thing composed of smaller units (as described above), has to be heated to increase its strength. This is the stage at which you will start to see the black strands that form the carbon fiber mesh pattern that you all know so well.
These strands are then wound onto spools which are shipped to plants which weave the carbon fibers into fabric.
Manufacturers weave the carbon fiber strands into fabric using heavy-duty machinery containing large spools which align the strands next to each other while spinning. The aligned strands are then fed through machines which further align their positions in preparation for weaving. The fibers are then wound, layered with several types of epoxies and fed into molds which press them into the shape of hoods, roofs, dashboards, doors, and more.
The molded products are then heat-treated for hardness and shipped to their final destination.
Check out the vid if you haven't already! Thanks :)
The rumors that we hear from blogs and other internet sources such as forums can be pretty ridiculous. They get our hopes up, they stir up fear in our hearts, and rarely do stereotypical internet rumors make their way to reality. Take for example the rumors about Facebook making its users pay to use the site-- insane, no?
Anyway, if you like the tabloid-esque rumors of the world-wide web and you're a car fan, then you'll certainly enjoy this new one.
It is rumored that Honda will be producing a CR-Z Type-R with a total of 200 horsepower being produced from a 1.5 liter 150 horsepower gasoline engine and an upgraded 50 horsepower electric motor. According to TopSpeed.com's article (http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/honda-cr-z-type-r-coming-in-2011-ar85219.html) the car will be capable of 0-60 in an amazingly fast six seconds!!! Impressive for a little hybrid, no?
The car is being produced by Mugen Euro, so whether or not the hybrid beast will reach the states is a mystery to me. Atleast the car will be unveiled soon at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2011 reaching production in 2012, expectedly. (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/17/rumormill-honda-cr-z-type-r-in-the-works/)
You're probably wondering what that thing is...
WELL, readers, it's actually a screenshot of a working radar detector application that you can download for FREE for your android phone!
That's right, if you like to drive illegally fast, then this app is perfect for you.
By detecting strong radio signals, your phone can mimic the operation of a simple radar detector. It features two readings: one tells you your speed by means of GPS location and the other reading tells you the intensity of the recorded radio signal. If your GPS is on, you're set.
Reviews are mixed and not all of them are good, however for a novelty radio device that you can use on your cell phone-- it's worth a shot.
P.S. I work at a power plant and it goes off like crazy whenever I pass the police barracks near the station ;) so check it out.
Welcome to Lexi.Laron's official relaunch!
The site has been out of comission for a while due to personal problems and the starting of my cooperative learning job as a part of Drexel University's Curriculum!
Anyway, now I have a job, and I'll be able to buy the project car of my dreams any day now-- the Acura RSX Type-S. I was looking at a bunch of cars to start a project with, but I ended up deciding on a Honda since my family has been into them since I was a wee lad. Anyway, check out some of the site's new features!
Upon entering the webpage, you will be greeted by Blogger's Magazine Layout. The header has a large picture of the newest story, and below it is the body. You can check that out for yourself...
The site also has some other layouts that you can choose from for your convenience! One of them is a collage of pictures which all contain their respective stories...
Sorry for the shitty screen capture! I did it with paint because I was using someone elses computer ;)
Anyway, long story short, ANYONE can comment now. I'll be keeping track of and moderating new comments until the site gets more viewers. You can easily tweet or post to facebook. It's awesome. Check it out!
Stay tuned for a new feature on my smartphone's radar detector or an Acura RSX Type-S, Sayonara!
