TTAC News Roundup: BMW Hunts a Tinderbox, Mercedes-Benz Wants to Stop Possibly Microwaving Cats, Toyota Taps Texans, and Hondas Are on a Roll
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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- Varezhka Of all the countries to complain about WTO rules violation, especially that related to battery business…
- Carson D At 1:24 AM, the voyage data recorder (VDR) stopped recording the vessel’s system data, but it was able to continue taping audio. At 1:26 AM, the VDR resumed recording vessel system data. Three minutes later, the Dali collided with the bridge. Nothing suspicious at all. Let's go get some booster shots!
- Darren Mertz Where's the heater control? Where's the Radio control? Where the bloody speedometer?? In a menu I suppose. How safe is that??? Volvo....
- Lorenzo Are they calling it a K4? That's a mountain in the Himalayas! Stick with names!
- MaintenanceCosts It's going to have to go downmarket a bit not to step on the Land Cruiser's toes.
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Like drive by wire throttles, electrically operated parking brakes can enable other features. For instance the one on my Golf R optionally sets itself on park, while also providing anti-roll, anti-creep and hill-hold capabilities. These all work really well in actual use. On the minus side the parking brake works by incorporating an electric motor, toothed belt drive, gear reduction system and a screw jack into each rear brake caliper. Replacing the rear brake pads requires cycling the powered parking brake system using an electronic diagnostic tool. Should a new rear caliper ever be required it would be brutally expensive. The system is totally enclosed within the rear caliper housing, so with a bit of luck it should last.
Hmmm, weren't people freaking out about electromagnetic fields from CRTs and overhead power lines and hair dryers not too long ago? MB wireless charging, just ducky..