The original M50 was equipped with a 4.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine that had 200 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. On the other hand, an H1 with the stock 6.6-liter Duramax V8 had 300 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque, making it capable of easily towing an M50.
The Warrior came with a five or six-speed manual transmission, while the H1 had an Allison 5-speed automatic gearbox as standard.
Both vehicles have a ground clearance of approximately 16 inches and impressive approach angles. The M50 has a 70-degree approach angle, while the H1 has a slightly better 72-degree approach angle. When it comes to descending, the Warrior has the upper hand with a departure angle of 45 degrees, compared to the H1’s 37.5 degrees.
In terms of interior features, the Warrior offers a more comfortable experience for the driver and passengers. It includes air conditioning, power windows, and leather seats, which the H1 lacks.
Both vehicles have dual fuel tanks, but the Warrior’s combined capacity is 31.7 gallons, whereas the H1 can carry a total of 52.5 gallons.
Last year, Dongfeng released plans for an electric version of the Warrior. It will be powered by four electric motors, delivering over 1,000 horsepower. GM has also announced upcoming upgrades and new trim levels for the 2024 Hummer EV, which can potentially produce up to 1,000 horsepower with an optional 24-module battery pack. What lies beyond that remains uncertain.
In my opinion, Smart has always been the more approachable side of Mercedes-Benz.
Although I believed that the original small City Coupé two-seater was a better concept in theory than in reality, I still admired the idea and the ingenuity behind it.
If everyone drove lightweight Smarts instead of bulky SUVs, the world would have been grateful and we would have had more fun on the roads.
Above all, I appreciated the friendly atmosphere that Smart exuded. While other Mercedes models were serious and practical, Smart, which was initially a collaboration between Mercedes and Swatch known for its trendy watches, had a funky and accessible appeal. Even when it lost its charm, it remained forward-thinking and transitioned into an all-electric brand in 2019.
Now, there is a possibility that Smart, despite its merger with Mercedes and Geely to become a compact SUV manufacturer, will continue to lead in terms of trends. However, this time it involves a rather concerning trend…
The Smart #1, like most new cars, can receive software updates over-the-air. In the future, early customers may find that their car’s touchscreen can suddenly mirror their phone through a free download.
Subsequently, another update will be released, but Smart UK has not decided on how it will handle it yet.
The #1 model currently has a heated steering wheel, but its functionality has not been activated. When the time comes, it could either be a surprise addition or, more alarmingly, customers might be required to pay for it, either permanently, as a one-off payment, or as a subscription service where you pay for it in winter but not in summer.
Meyers Manx became famous in the 1960s for creating the original fiberglass dune buggy. Now, the company has released its first all-new vehicle in almost 60 years – the Manx 2.0, an electric take on the dune buggy. The Manx 2.0 was developed alongside the Resorter NEV and shares many components with it. The Resorter NEV offers more power than a typical neighborhood vehicle and can handle larger, hillier terrain with its high-torque engine and rugged wheels. It also has quick acceleration and towing capabilities, making it ideal for hotels and shuttle services.
The Resorter NEV features a twin-motor electric drivetrain powered by pouch-cell lithium-ion batteries. It has a four-wheel independent wishbone suspension and an aluminum monocoque chassis. The vehicle is equipped with power steering, regenerative braking, and comes with a detachable roof, foldable windshield, and zip-down window doors. It also has standard heating and A/C, providing comfort in all weather conditions.
The Resorter NEV offers a smart dashboard, advanced LED lighting, and customizable interior materials, front seat designs, and exterior colors. It aims to deliver the same luxury and quality engineering found in the Manx 2.0 buggy, which has a retail price of $74,000. Hinrich J. Woebcken, a Meyers Manx board member, stated, “With the rebirth of this iconic automotive brand, I’m immersed in the process of engineering and industrialization for a quality customer experience.”
An upcoming model of the Sonos Move speaker, dubbed Move 2, is set to bring some improvements while maintaining its exceptional sound quality. According to leaks, the Move 2 will feature dual-angled tweeters, allowing for true stereo playback. It will also include a subwoofer to enhance lower frequencies. However, there is no indication of a major upgrade in this aspect. Additionally, the Move 2 will support Sonos’ Automatic Trueplay feature, which enables users to optimize the speaker’s sound signature for specific environments.
One of the most significant changes in the Move 2 is expected to be its battery life. While the current model boasts a respectable 10-hour battery life, leaks suggest that the Move 2 will offer an impressive 24 hours of continuous audio playback on a single charge. Furthermore, Sonos has opted to equip the second-generation Move with replaceable batteries, thereby increasing the lifespan of the product. The leak also suggests that the Move 2 will consume less power while in idle mode. As for design changes, Sonos is unlikely to introduce major alterations. However, the updated speaker may borrow several controls from the Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 models, such as a dedicated volume slider, which were launched earlier this year.
The first-generation Xbox controller bundled with the original Xbox systems, known as the Duke, will instantly transport any old school Xbox gamer back to the good old days. The Duke was known for its large size and distinctive design.
The Duke controller, originally designed by Denise Chaudhari and her team, featured innovative elements like its offset thumbstick placement. Its bigger size appealed to gamers with larger hands, offering a comfortable grip and ergonomic feel. Despite being bulky, the Duke had excellent build quality and durability, making it a reliable companion for countless gaming sessions.
Even though the Duke controller didn’t have wireless functionality and faced criticism for its size, it remains an iconic symbol of the original Xbox era. Third-party accessory makers like Hyperkin have recognized the nostalgia attached to the Duke and have released accurate replicas for the Xbox One, capturing the essence of the original controller.
The Duke’s influence on future controller designs is undeniable. Its unique features, such as the offset thumbsticks and oversized Xbox button, have influenced subsequent Xbox gamepads and contributed to the brand’s distinct identity. The controller holds sentimental value for those who grew up with the original Xbox, reminding them of the countless hours spent playing their favorite games (and the occasional hand cramps).
The iconic Lotus Elise has been reimagined as a high-speed electric vehicle by its original designer. The new concept will first be released as a road-ready prototype in November of this year, with plans for even sportier versions in the future.
Powered by advanced battery technology from Nyobolt, a British-based tech firm, this eye-catching electric concept may be limited to a production run of 25 cars per year. A decision on production will be made about a year after the proof-of-concept prototype hits the road.
Weighing only 1246kg and boasting 368lb ft and 470bhp, the vehicle will have a power-to-weight ratio of 400bhp-per-tonne, offering sports car performance similar to traditional internal combustion engines (ICE), along with a usable electric range of 155 miles.
The prototype will undergo road testing on British proving grounds in November, although there are no plans for Nürburgring development at this time.
The original designer of the Elise S1, Julian Thomson, who is now working at General Motors, collaborated with Warwick-based Callum Design Agency to bring his 2021 sketches to life. The agency was founded by his former boss and ex-JLR design head, Ian Callum. Thomson is also known for designing various concepts for the Volkswagen Group and the Range Rover LRX concept, which previewed the Evoque.
The concept car is based on the chassis of a Lotus Exige S and serves as a technology demonstrator for Nyobolt, a battery start-up based in Cambridge. The company claims that its tungsten anodes can significantly reduce EV charging times to just a few minutes. Nyobolt believes that its fast-charging technology will unlock the full potential of battery performance, making recharging as convenient as refueling a petrol or diesel car.
Recently, Nyobolt secured £70 million in funding, and its batteries are already being used in industrial applications in the robotics industry.
In 2023, Yamaha will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its original Ténéré motorcycle. The Ténéré line, which began with the 1983 Yamaha XT600Z, has continued to thrive over the decades. This milestone is a significant achievement for everyone involved.
To commemorate this special occasion, Yamaha Europe is organizing a full 40th anniversary Ténéré tour across various locations in Europe during the summer of 2023. Fans and enthusiasts, as well as casual observers, will have the opportunity to see and experience a range of attractions at these stops, including historic Ténéré production machines and classic Dakar race bikes.
Since the Ténéré line is still going strong in 2023, Yamaha Europe will also offer participants the chance to test ride their new bikes at these events. The tour will also feature the first public appearances of the new Ténéré 700 World Rally, which was designed in tribute to the line’s 40th anniversary and pays homage to the legendary Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel.
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The Yamaha Ténéré 40th Anniversary Tour began on June 22, 2023, with its first stop at the Adventure Bike Rider Festival in the UK, the largest annual ADV gathering in the region. It then traveled to Ténéré Spirit Aguilar de Campoo in Spain from June 31 to July 1.
Future events include Germany’s MaxlRide Motofestival from August 25 to 27 and France’s Alpes Aventure Motofestival from September 8 to 10. Yamaha may add more events to its calendar throughout the year, so it’s best to check with your local Yamaha dealer for the latest information.
The MaxlRide Motofestival will be held in the Bavarian Alps and offers camping, glamping, and hotel options for participants. The Alpes Aventure Motofestival will take place in Barcelonette, France, at the Parc de la Sapinière. For more information on these festivals, you can visit their official websites.
The original Austrian Pinzgauer served for almost four decades as a highly regarded Light Utility Vehicle (LUV). However, due to declining sales, it was discontinued in 2008. In search of a worthy replacement, the Pinzgauer II was introduced. This new generation vehicle offers enhanced features such as a larger size, increased capacity, better mobility, higher payload, and improved overall performance.
A notable improvement in the Pinzgauer II is its six-wheel, 6×6 configuration, compared to the original’s four-wheel design. This enables it to carry heavier loads effortlessly, thanks to an impressive engine power increase from 87 to 194 horsepower. With a cargo capacity of 3.8 tons, the Pinzgauer II can accommodate 14 troops along with their equipment and is capable of towing trailers or artillery if required. Its elevated cab design allows it to ford waters up to a depth of 1.5 meters, and it boasts a range of 1,000 kilometers. Furthermore, the range can be doubled with an additional fuel tank, making it one of the most versatile LUVs on this list.
Despite its larger size, the Pinzgauer II can still be transported using Hercules aircraft or Chinook directly to combat zones. It serves various roles in these zones, including ambulance services, reconnaissance missions, tactical operations, and communications tasks. While it can be configured with heavy armor, the primary focus of the Pinzgauer II is utility rather than carrying defensive armaments. Nonetheless, it performs exceptionally well in terms of performance, practicality, and aesthetic appeal.
[Featured image by New Zealand Defence Force from Wellington, New Zealand via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]
A brand-new original docuseries coming to HBO titled Downey’s Dream Cars will follow award-winning actor and producer Robert Downey Jr. as he chooses six cars from his impressive car collection and transforms them into eco-friendly vehicles. Robert Downey Jr. has enlisted the help of inventors, visionaries, and futurists to help guide the process of converting classic and unique cars into the future of conservation by reducing the carbon footprint each of them will inevitably leave on the planet.
The HBO Original is set to premiere Thursday, June 22 on Max, HBO’s streaming service (formerly known as HBOMAX). Downey’s Dream Cars is set to premiere on Discovery+ in the UK on Thursday, June 22 as well. The six-episode docuseries will show every subsequent Thursday after the premiere on June 22nd, meaning all episodes will be available for viewing on and after July 6th.
Aside from the trailer, which features a mid-1960s Corvette Stingray Convertible, 5th-Generation El Camino, Buick Riviera GS, and a classic Volkswagen Bus, little is known about which cars RDJ will choose to modernize, though it is no secret that he has quite the car collection, so whichever cars he decides to feature will likely be unique in some way.
Among the previously mentioned cars featured in the trailer, including a Corvette Stingray convertible, Buick Riviera, Chevrolet El Camino, and Volkswagen Bus, Robert Downey Jr. has upwards of nine other vehicles in his personal collection alone, and some fans and insiders believe there to be more.
Those confirmed to be in RDJ’s collection include a 1974 BMW 3.0 CS coupe modified by SpeedKore, a Ferrari California T Drop Top, and his rumored favorite, the 2009 Audi R8 Spyder. It’s reported that the Audi R8 Spyder is the same one Robert Downey drove in the 2008 Iron Man film.
Cars Included In Robert Downey Jr.’s Collection:
1970 Mustang Fastback
Nissan GT-R
Bentley Continental
1974 BMW 3.0 CS Coupe
Ferrari California T
2009 Audi R8 Spyder
Audi
A front 3/4 shot of a 2008 Audi R8
It’s not hard to see why the 2009 Audi R8 Spyder is RDJ’s favorite, it is a stunning car inside and out, and that’s before mentioning the punch it packs under the hood. The 2009 R8 Spyder starts at around $131,950, a hefty price tag for most casual car enthusiasts, but not for Iron Man. Featuring a 32-valve 4.2-liter DOHC V-8, the six-speed manual R8 Spyder makes 420 horsepower and can accelerate to 60 MPH in only 4.3 seconds. The EPA reports 15 combined MPG, with the 2009 Audi R8 Spyder getting 13 city and 20 highway MPG.
Though Robert Downey Jr. is a self-proclaimed “gearhead”, he is an internationally recognized and awarded actor, known most famously for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the superhero Iron Man, whose real name is Tony Stark in the movie. In reality, RDJ’s real-life story isn’t far off from the fictional hero he portrays on-screen, minus the iron suit.
The son of an actor famous in his own era, Robert Downey Jr.’s early acting career was met with critical and commercial success, no doubt attributed to his upbringing in Hollywood. With prestigious awards under his belt including the BAFTA award for his role as the title character in “Chaplin”, for which he also received an Academy Award nomination, and a Golden Globe for his role in the popular 90’s sitcom “Ally McBeal”, Robert Downey Jr. made an impact on popular culture at a young age.
He began to face numerous highly publicized personal problems, and inevitably took a much-needed break from the limelight, during which period RDJ had time to reflect on his choices, as well as his future. Robert Downey Jr. had a resurgence in popularity in 2008 when he starred in the first Iron Man film, which became a box office success, skyrocketing not only Robert Downey Jr.’s career but the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well, as RDJ has starred in ten MCU films including the Iron Man Collection and The Avengers films.
That same year, Robert Downey Jr. earned a spot among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, and from 2013-2015 Robert was named the highest-paid actor in Hollywood by Forbes Magazine. Around that time, he won his second Golden Globe for his role as the title character in Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes”.
Robert soon began a non-profit organization called The Footprint Coalition, which aims to reduce carbon footprints around the world using advanced technology. This organization promotes technologies that protect the environment, such as a French insect farming startup called “Ynsect”, a bio-based alternative to plastics manufacturer RWDC, and bamboo toilet paper manufacturers Cloud Paper.
More recently, RDJ has teamed up with Sec. Jennifer M. Granholm and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as an official member of The Clean Energy Corps, an initiative by the Department of Energy to reduce America’s carbon dependency. The Clean Energy Corps will help deploy the DOE’s transformative $62-billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to meet the nation’s goal of a carbon-free power sector by 2035, and a decarbonized society by 2050.
Robert Downey Jr.’s conservation efforts have not gone unnoticed, as his induction into the Clean Energy Corps is only the most recent of his efforts to combat a carbon-dependent future, as his investments in clean-energy initiatives, as well as future technologies that positively impact the planet reach far across the globe. With his new docuseries coming to MAX, he plans on showcasing some young talented futurists on his journey to bring classic cars into the future, while preserving the past.
This goes hand-in-hand with the person RDJ has become, it’s not about forgetting the past in exchange for a bright and shiny future, it’s about respecting the past and acknowledging the ever-present reminders that we can do better as a society without sacrificing everything we know. It’s about the redeeming qualities, not only of a man but of a car as well. If one can update themselves and adapt to the fluctuations of time, why can’t a classic car?
This has to be one of the points that has car fans, as well as Robert Downey Jr. fans most excited about Downey’s Dream Cars. In that same vein, car fans are beginning to speculate on which of RDJ’s unique cars will receive the eco-upgrades, with many die-hard classic car fans frowning at the idea of converting a classic Buick Riviera or Corvette Stingray into a hybrid. No matter what side of the debate you find yourself on, there’s no doubt we’ll all find ourselves tuning in on Thursday, June 22 to catch the premiere of Downey’s Dream Cars.
The original Volkswagen Golf was first introduced in 1974. However, it wasn’t until 1985, during the Mk2 era, that the first all-wheel-drive version, known as the Golf Syncro, was made available. In 1989, a more adventurous variant called the Golf Country was introduced with a raised suspension and other rugged features. Only 7,735 Golf Country cars were produced by Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria. Now, a new custom-built Golf R based on the current model aims to revive the spirit of the Golf Country.
Off-road specialist Delta4x4 has previewed this unique Golf R, which aims to explore new territories that no other Golf R has ventured into before. This lifted hot hatch comes with an 80 millimeter (3.14 inch) lift kit, adding to its off-road capabilities. It is equipped with custom 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires. The aftermarket package also includes a roof rack for increased practicality, as well as five additional PIAA lights mounted on the hood.
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