Latest news with #VolkswagenGTI
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Watch The First Ever Multi-Car Pileup Crash Test
If, like me, you're morbidly curious and you like to watch crash test videos in your free time then buckle up because last week PBS published a comprehensive documentary that recreates and investigates a multi-car pileup. Don't worry if you're on the squeamish side, the test is conducted without putting any living beings in danger. Instead of having humans behind the wheel, test engineers rigged up each test vehicle with remote controls that a group of test subjects operated safely from remote simulators. This crash test was meant to simulate a multi-car pileup on a freeway, which in the real world poses a significant challenge for accident investigators to recreate without firsthand knowledge of how the accident actually took place. This experiment offers unique insight into what actually happens in the event of a devastating crash scenario, how real drivers react to a sudden road hazard, and how vehicle safety systems perform in such a complex crash. PBS filmed the test which was staged on a two-mile long stretch of road on a decommissioned Royal Air Force base in Campbeltown, Scotland that was modified to mimic a freeway with a slow lane, middle lane, fast lane, and a shoulder. The film is 1 hour and 40 minutes long and provides a thorough deep dive into the methodology of the test as well as the investigation that follows, so it's perfect for diehard crash test aficionados and normies alike. Read more: These Movies And TV Shows Have The Best Car Casting As the first crash test of its kind, this high-speed pileup scenario required countless hours of preparation to ensure that no lives were harmed, no secrets were revealed, and that the accident occurred as it needed to. All eight passenger vehicles and one semi-truck used in the experiment had to be rigged up to operate as full-scale remote-controlled cars so test participants could best simulate a real-world crash, but only some of the vehicles were driven by unknowing volunteers. Half of the vehicles were piloted by test engineers who knew what to expect from the experiment, but the other half were unaware of the plan to simulate a multi-car pileup. The four unsuspecting drivers were representative of different demographics: one very new female driver who remotely drove a 2002 Porsche Boxster, one mid-twenties male driver who describes himself as a "boy racer" who operated a 2009 Volkswagen GTI, one older woman who operated a 2012 Toyota Prius, and an older man who operated a 2012 Ford F-150. The other vehicles operated by engineers were a 2005 Audi A8, a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan, a 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML, and a 2012 Vauxhall Vivaro cargo van. Each vehicle was selected to represent different vehicle classes, sizes, and engine layouts to provide a real-world representation of a diverse group of random cars. Several Smart ForTwos were converted into simulators for the participants to operate their respective remote-controlled cars from, and a psychologist observed the volunteers as they practiced driving the remote-controlled cars and observed that their bodies were reacting to the situation as though they were actually behind the wheel of the moving vehicle. Dummies were placed into the remote-controlled cars, some wearing their seatbelts and others intentionally left unbuckled, and the stage was set for the test. The accident staged in this test is meant to recreate an icy British motorway with a patch of black ice, as is sometimes the case in real-world high-speed pileups. To simulate a low-traction, icy surface on the airport runway, engineers found that gravel provided a loss of friction that was most similar to an icy roadway, and the test commenced. The team initiated the pileup by driving a remote-controlled semi-truck across the simulated lanes of oncoming traffic, directly in the path of the remote-controlled passenger cars right as the roadway suddenly became slippery. The unsuspecting drivers did their best to avoid the crash but could only do so much given the challenging road conditions. The results are both alarming and fascinating, but I don't mean to spoil the ending, so give it a watch for yourself. On a totally related note, always wear your seatbelt and remain vigilant when you're behind the wheel of a car, as those are your best defenses against a potentially deadly accident like this one. H/T to reader Steven Lance for sending this our way! Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Yahoo
APD investigates separate overnight crashes that leave two dead
Mar. 29—A collision involving two subcompact cars on the West Side and a motorcyclist failing to navigate a roundabout in the Near North Valley led to the deaths of two people around midnight Friday. The Albuquerque Police Department is investigating both crashes, the first of which happened just before midnight at Coors NW near Sequoia. Police said a white Nissan Juke and a white Volkswagen GTI were going south on Coors when they collided, both losing control and crossing the median into the northbound lanes. "The Nissan began to roll, and the driver was ejected from the vehicle," APD said in a news release Saturday morning. The Nissan driver died at the scene, while the other driver had minor injuries, police said. The second crash occurred shortly after midnight at 12th and Menaul NW. Based on the preliminary investigation, police said a Kawasaki motorcycle was going south on 12th when it crashed into the roundabout at Menaul. The motorcyclist had lost control of the bike, which began to slide on the roadway, APD said. "The motorcyclist was ejected from the motorcycle and was pronounced deceased on scene," police said. "At this time, it is unknown whether impairment or speed played a factor in this crash." Police did not identify the people killed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Blimey, You Must Watch This Right Plucky Mini Give A Kraut GTI What For
There is no greater tribute to the British Royal Crown than the incredible Mini. Though small it may be, it packs a tremendous punch, just like the flag it hails. When push comes to shove, even the tiny engine and lower horsepower number of a 1275cc Mini can fight tooth and nail against the bigger and faster Volkswagen GTI, given the right setup and driver. And make no mistake, the GTI is a pure and true embodiment of German ingenuity and methodological prowess. This six-minute back-and-forth battle between Messrs. Morris and Swift is among the most invigorating I've seen in quite some time, and warrants a watch. This is good old-fashioned high-quality racing on a fun little track with fun little cars. This proper race track scrap took place during last year's Goodwood Members' Meeting, as the fight for the lead of the Gordon Spice Trophy heat went down to the line. There isn't much separating the Mini's lap time from the GTI's, but they make their speed in different ways. Obviously the larger and more powerful engine in the Volkswagen gives the car more straight-line speed and off-corner acceleration, but the Mini's lighter weight and simplicity means it'll make up pace in braking and keeping mid-corner speed. It also helps that the little Brit can tuck right into the aero gap created by the boxy German and draft down what straights the Goodwood circuit does have. This is about as close as two cars can get without being ideologically identical. Read more: Red Bull Was Ready To Fire Christian Horner, But He Threatened Legal Action To Keep His Job: Report I don't want to spoil the end of the race for you, but the fact that the race victory was secured by less than three hundredths of a second is pretty impressive. Both drivers were really spurring their cars to leave everything on the track. Any little mistake could have changed the result of the race. Heck, if they'd crossed the line just a handful of seconds later, the penultimate lap would have been the final, and the result would have been reversed. Racing really is the best sport humanity has ever created. Go ahead, give the video a click and make sure you push it to full screen. You deserve a few minutes of motorsport enthusiasm all to yourself in the middle of a stressful hump day. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
3 dead in El Paso rollover, electrical pole and pedestrian hit-and-run crashes
A deadly weekend on El Paso's streets claimed the lives of three men in separate traffic crashes, including a pedestrian killed in an unsolved hit-and-run in the Lower Valley. The deaths over the weekend raise the total number of traffic fatalities to 15 in El Paso this year compared with 13 in the same period last year, stated a police news release on Monday, March 24. A driver was killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, March 23, on the northbound Loop 375 by Montana Avenue, El Paso police said. Christopher Adrian Martinez, 31, of Northeast El Paso was driving a 2014 Kia Soul when he lost control, spun off the highway and hit a metal fence pole, causing the Kia to roll and land on its passenger side, police said in a news release. Martinez, who investigators said was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene. An investigation by the Special Traffic Investigations Unit suspects alcohol was a factor in the crash. A 19-year-old man died when his car burst into flames after crashing into electrical poles about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, March 22, in a Northwest El Paso neighborhood, police said. Traffic deaths: 'Heavy hearts': Motorcyclist dies after truck collision at West El Paso intersection The driver was speeding in a 2019 Volkswagen GTI heading east on Enchanted Springs Drive when he veered off the street near Northwestern Drive, a police news release stated. The driver crashed into a large rock and electrical poles, causing the car to roll and catch fire. The man died at the scene; his name has not been released by the police Special Traffic Investigations Unit pending formal identification. Jesus Fernando Perez, 52, of El Paso, was identified as the pedestrian killed in a hit-and-run collision on North Loop Drive next to the El Paso Community College Valle Verde campus. At 8:40 p.m. on Friday, March 21, Perez was walking to a bus stop while crossing North Loop Drive at La Promesa Drive when he was struck by an unknown vehicle heading east on North Loop, El Paso police officials said. The vehicle left the scene. More local news: Allsup's convenience store with famous burritos opens near Texas-New Mexico stateline Perez died from his injuries at the University Medical Center of El Paso. An investigation by the STI Unit continues. Anyone with information on the hit-and-run may call the police nonemergency line at 915-832-4400 or anonymously call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-8477 (TIPS). Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@ and @BorundaDaniel on X. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: 3 dead in separate El Paso traffic crashes
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Car Companies May Love DCTs, But Dual-Clutch Transmissions Have Disadvantages Too
Dual-clutch automatic transmissions have exploded in popularity over the last two decades. They're used in performance cars of all types, from the Volkswagen GTI and Hyundai Elantra N to the BMW M2 and McLaren 720s. But dual-clutch transmissions have also found homes in normal cars. Hyundai and Kia are big users of dual-clutch transmissions in models like the Kia Seltos crossover and the N-Line versions of the Hyundai Sonata and Elantra. Automakers use dual-clutch transmissions for good reasons. Compared to a normal automatic a dual-clutch has more than a few benefits, mainly increased acceleration, quicker gear changes and better fuel economy. It took automakers a while to warm up to the idea of the dual-clutch, though. The dual-clutch transmission was invented over 80 years ago by French engineer Adolphe Kegresse, and it wouldn't be until the early 2000s that the dual-clutch would start to get traction with automakers. Volkswagen was one of the first automakers to bring a dual-clutch transmission to market with the Mark 4 Golf R32. This was followed by other performance models in the late '00s like the R35 Nissan GT-R, Bugatti Veyron and Mitsubishi Evolution X. Despite this use in high-performance vehicles and the obvious performance advantages, dual-clutch transmissions have a few disadvantages as well. Read more: GM Hopes A Clutch Pedal Is Enough To Make Enthusiasts Buy EVs You can tell how complicated dual-clutch transmissions are just from the name. In a conventional manual transmission, a driver operates the clutch pedal to change gears. When pressed, the clutch pedal disconnects the engine from the gearbox, causing a brief power interruption while the driver selects the next gear with the shifter. When this happens, a toothed collar moves from one gear wheel to the next gear wheel, which is a different size. To prevent the gears from grinding, synchronizers match the gears up. Once the clutch pedal is released and the gear change is completed, the engine is reconnected to the driver shaft and the engine's power is sent to the wheels. A dual-clutch transmission basically does all that automatically without a clutch pedal, but it's way more complicated. As the name suggest, there are two clutches: one clutch controls the odd gears while the other controls the even numbered ones. Assisted by a bunch of electronics and hydraulics, the gears are able to change like an automatic transmission but without the interruption of power that happens in a normal manual transmission. Things get more complicated when you factor in things like wet dual-clutch transmissions, which cover parts of the transmission's inner workings in lubricating fluid to reduce heat and friction. So there's more to go wrong, and more money out of your pocket if something needs to be fixed or replaced. Ford owners know this first-hand thanks to the nightmare that was the PowerShift transmission — some owners reported getting repair bills of a couple thousand bucks just to replace the clutch. DCTs aren't usually stand-alone options by themselves, save for a few exceptions. The F87 BMW M2 offered buyers the choice of either a standard six-speed manual or an optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It wasn't cheap, though, costing $2,900. Other automakers just factor in the price of the transmission with the overall cost of the car, but it'll still be a bit more than cars that don't come with the transmission. Take the Hyundai Elantra N-Line, for instance. This Honda Civic Si competitor comes with a 201-horsepower turbocharged engine and a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. Despite being positioned as one rung down from the top-of-the-line Elantra Limited, the Elantra N-Line is the most expensive trim in the lineup. There's a $2,200 difference in price between the N-Line and Limited; that difference grows to $3,150 if you compare the N-Line with the Elantra SEL Convenience. One of the biggest drawbacks of a DCT is the smoothness of the gearshifts. You can have lightning fast shifts to your heart's content all day long, especially if you're really into the car's performance envelope. Once things tone down and get back to normal, it can feel like you're getting kicked in the back by shifts. Some people may even think something is wrong with their car. Others may experience more jerkiness when the car is cold. There's no need to worry, though, because this is just a normal part of DCT operation and a downside of those fast shifts. At higher speeds, the computer can anticipate that you're going to need that next gear ASAP, but low speeds can trip the computer up, causing a delay and jerkiness because it can't anticipate what gear you're needing next. Even with these drawbacks, DCTs are still fantastic transmissions. And unless you're driving something that the manufacturer just didn't get right out of the gate, none of this should scare you away from owning one. Just like any other component of a vehicle, treat it right and service it regularly and you shouldn't encounter any problems. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
