Tag Archives: Steve

My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep. 83)

Episode 83 of the Autocar podcast My Week In Cars finds our resident automotive hacks Steve Cropley and Matt Prior within the management tower at Bicester Heritage, the place the take a look at monitor has a nook now named after Cropley. The lads additionally speak April Fools, Australian butchers and Ford Mustangs in every single place, together with Ford’s boss racing at Goodwood. Plus, after all, your correspondence.

Make positive you by no means miss an Autocar podcast. Subscribe to our podcasts by way of Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon Podcasts or by way of your most well-liked podcast platform. And for those who subscribe, fee and evaluate the pod, we would actually recognize that too.

The Historical Connection Behind The iPhone’s Most Famous Ringtone

Steve Jobs’ original conception of the iPhone ringtones was to permit customers to create snippets of songs of their iTunes library. But to drag this off, Apple would’ve needed to soar via all types of authorized and copyright hoops. They would’ve needed to strike utilization offers with the most important document labels, the most important mobile firms, and the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA was in the midst of their very own hoop-jumping, determining find out how to legally classify a ringtone with the U.S. Patent and Trademark workplace.

To keep away from this hullabaloo, and maintain the iPhone supply date on observe, Jobs pivoted to a self-contained, extremely curated, in-house development of simply 25 default ringtones. To assist shepherd the iPhone’s aural vocabulary, Jobs enlisted Dr. Gerhard Lengeling, Apple’s Senior Director of Software Engineering of Musical Applications.

In Jobs’ phrases, Dr. Lengeling was desirous about making the typically esoteric strategy of music accessible for “the rest of us,” and he was tantamount to Apple’s very accessible digital audio workstation GarageBand. Because of this deal with the final populace, Dr. Lengeling was the right candidate to find out sounds that break up the distinction between innovation and luxury.

My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep. 71)

Episode 71 of the Autocar podcast My Week In Cars finds our resident automobile hacks Steve Cropley and Matt Prior dazzled by headlights, blissfully having fun with low-cost vehicles till a Bentley turns up, driving the implausible new Toyota GR Yaris, listening to the SMMT and speaking rather more apart from, together with your correspondence.

Make certain you by no means miss an Autocar podcast. Subscribe to our podcasts through Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon Podcasts or through your most popular podcast platform. And if you happen to subscribe and charge and evaluation the pod, we might actually recognize that too.

Tim Cook Vs. Steve Jobs: A Detailed Comparison Of Their Leadership Styles

At the core of Steve Jobs’ management philosophy throughout his tenure at Apple had been two intertwined rules: perfection and ease. Jobs was not only a artistic visionary; he was a perfectionist who believed in crafting merchandise that seamlessly merged cutting-edge know-how with elegant design.

The pursuit of perfection was manifested in each side of Apple’s merchandise. From the {hardware} to the software program, Jobs demanded excellence. He was identified to iterate relentlessly till a product met his exacting requirements. This dedication to perfection was not pushed solely by technical specs but additionally by a deep-seated perception that customers deserved the very best expertise along with viewing Apple’s merchandise as artwork.

Simplicity, in keeping with Jobs, was the final word sophistication. He championed the concept that know-how ought to be accessible to everybody, and complexity was a barrier to that accessibility. Apple merchandise, below Jobs’ management, had been characterised by their intuitive interfaces, minimalist design, and user-friendly performance. The removing of pointless complexity grew to become a trademark of Apple’s strategy, permitting customers to interact with know-how effortlessly.

Jobs’ obsession with simplicity prolonged past the merchandise themselves; it permeated Apple’s advertising and marketing, packaging, and retail expertise. The clear strains of Apple shops, the elegant packaging of its merchandise, and the long-lasting design of commercials — all mirrored Jobs’ dedication to simplicity as a guideline.

These values weren’t nearly aesthetics; they had been about creating an emotional reference to customers. The simplicity of Apple merchandise was meant to reinforce the person expertise, making know-how extra approachable and, in Jobs’ imaginative and prescient, a seamless a part of on a regular basis life. The enduring legacy of perfection and ease continues to form Apple’s design philosophy lengthy after Jobs’ management, underscoring the profound affect of those rules on the tech business as a complete.

Why do not automobile corporations have good slogans anymore?

Whatever occurred to ‘engineered like no other’?

My colleague Steve Cropley final week requested this about Mercedes-Benz’s erstwhile promoting strapline, which was first talked about in promotional copy in 1956 (with ‘…in the world’ on the tip) and which routinely accompanied the corporate’s publicity till 1995.

It was adopted, for those who keep in mind, by ‘the best or nothing’, a extra nothing than greatest phrase that also will get airtime immediately. It’s the title of a web page on Mercedes’ US web site not less than, though it doesn’t spotlight the tip of any new adverts I’ve seen.

Today, on-line, the place most adverts are seen, Mercedes advertisements are principally signed off solely by the three-pointed star and a clickable hyperlink to a related net web page. Sometimes there’s a distinct, model-appropriate slogan just like the additionally forgettable ‘so AMG’.

There isn’t, then, an overarching single Mercedes message – one factor that you need to affiliate with the model each time you see it.

Maybe in a world the place the mannequin vary and the promoting of it have each modified a lot and the place old-school engineering sits behind, say, type or connectivity, Mercedes doesn’t assume lasting consistency issues prefer it as soon as did. It nonetheless shouts about engineering immediately, however principally by means of its Formula 1 workforce. 

The world’s two different best-known automotive practitioners of the slogan artwork aren’t but prepared to present them up. 

BMW has toyed with just a few completely different phrases however primarily retains the identical ‘Freude am Fahren’ (‘sheer driving pleasure’) line it first utilized in 1965, adjusting it to ‘the ultimate driving machine’ for its two largest English-speaking markets, the US and the UK, in 1972.

My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep. 50)

In the latest episode of the Autocar motoring podcast My Week In Cars, Steve Cropley and Matt Prior, our resident car enthusiasts, pay a visit to Ariel to find out about their upcoming projects. They also engage in a clever experiment to trick a Bentley into thinking there’s a 100mph speed limit. In addition, they explore various car configurators and share their excitement for the Honda E. Of course, they also discuss other topics and address your questions and comments.

To ensure you never miss an episode of the Autocar podcast, remember to subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep. 49)

Episode 49 of the Autocar motoring podcast “My Week In Cars” features our experts Steve Cropley and Matt Prior discussing various topics. They share their excitement about V8 powered MGBs, express their frustration with subscription services for things you’ve already paid for, and talk about what it’s like to have too much power in an under-developed car. They also touch upon the rapid 0-60mph time of a Tesla mentioned in listener correspondence.

If you don’t want to miss any Autocar podcast episodes, make sure to subscribe to our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Toyota Celebrates 200th NHRA Victory

KENT, Wash. (July 26, 2023) – Toyota Gazoo Racing North America has reached a significant milestone in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series competition by securing its 200th event win with Steve Torrence’s victory at Pacific Raceways.

Toyota has been involved in NHRA, the world’s largest auto racing organization, since 2002 when they introduced the first Toyota Celica Funny Car. The first win for Toyota came in March 2004 at the Winternationals at Pomona Dragway, courtesy of Jerry Toliver. Since then, Toyota has achieved numerous victories in NHRA’s Top Fuel and Funny Car categories. The company has been an official partner of NHRA for almost ten years and has held the title of Official Car of the NHRA since 2014.

David Wilson, president of TRD, expressed his gratitude, saying, “We are proud to have reached our 200th victory in NHRA competition. Our NHRA teams consistently perform at a high level for Toyota both on and off the drag strip. Their hard work and dedication have enabled us to achieve this incredible milestone in Toyota Racing’s history. We look forward to celebrating this accomplishment with them and continuing to pursue the season-long championship titles.”

Antron Brown, a longstanding Toyota driver, holds the record for the most Toyota victories with 56. Other notable Toyota drivers include Larry Dixon (19), Shawn Langdon (17), Del Worsham (17), Cruz Pedregon (13), Morgan Lucas (12), Doug Kalitta (11), J.R. Todd (11), and Richie Crampton (10) who have all achieved 10 or more victories under the Toyota banner. In total, Toyota drivers have accumulated 10 championships, including three Top Fuel titles (2012, 2015, 2016) and Top Fuel and Funny Car titles with Del Worsham. The reigning Funny Car titlist is Toyota’s newest driver, Ron Capps.

The current lineup of Toyota drivers, including Justin Ashley, Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Alexis DeJoria, Doug Kalitta, Shawn Langdon, J.R. Todd, and Steve Torrence, have all contributed to Toyota’s victories in NHRA competitions.

Toyota Racing Development Presents the First Global Simulation Summit

The inaugural Toyota Global Simulation Summit, organized by Toyota Racing Development (TRD), took place earlier this year in Salisbury, North Carolina. The event brought together professionals from the motorsports industry and Toyota affiliates to explore the potential of simulation technology. The summit highlighted the role of driver-in-the-loop simulators in improving chassis designs for race cars and discussed how simulation can expedite the development of advanced mobility solutions for production vehicles.

Steve Wickham, TRD’s business development director, played a crucial role in organizing the summit. He recognized the need to connect simulation enthusiasts within Toyota and create a platform for knowledge exchange. Wickham’s efforts paid off as the event was attended by approximately 40 individuals in person and an equal number virtually, representing five countries and various Toyota affiliates.

The three-day summit consisted of presentations, open discussions, hands-on experience with TRD’s simulation capabilities, and a tour of Toyota’s high-tech facilities in North Carolina. The gathering provided an opportunity for attendees to share their challenges and learn from each other’s approaches.

Command Center — Here’s the business end to TRD’s driver-in-loop simulator.

Simulation technology combines hardware and software components to replicate driving experiences and test virtual vehicles. This technology is not only valuable for motorsports teams seeking to enhance race car performance but also holds immense potential for Toyota’s engineers in developing safer and more advanced production vehicles. It can aid in the development of autonomous driving systems and expedite the time from concept to finished product, resulting in cost reductions.

Taking It for a Spin — Vangelis Kokkevis, director of simulation for Woven Planet North America, takes a seat behind the wheel of TRD’s driver-in-loop simulator

Regarding future possibilities, Wickham envisions a significant transformation for Toyota. He believes that reducing reliance on physical prototypes and utilizing simulation technology could lead to substantial savings and faster time-to-market. The success of the inaugural summit has set a strong foundation for future collaborations and follow-up meetings.

My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep. 44)

Episode 44 of the Autocar motoring podcast My Week In Cars features discussions by our experts Steve Cropley and Matt Prior on reviews of the Rolls-Royce Spectre, Lotus Eletre, and Prodrive P25. Cropley also explores hydrogen vehicles with Riversimple and BMW. The podcast includes listener correspondence and much more.

To stay up-to-date with Autocar podcasts, subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.