fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Mercedes-Benz Renews Sponsorship Contract with ESL
By: Esportz Network
Tags: College Esports Quicktake, Automotive, Dota 2 Esports, Dota 2 Premiership, ESL

Yesterday, ESL UK announced that Mercedes-Benz renewed its sponsorship contract for ESL Premiership. Mercedes-Benz will sponsor Premiership until December 31, 2020. This partnership makes the German automotive company the official global mobility partner of ESL.

The renewed sponsorship targets the Dota 2 esports scene as it focuses on ESL Premiership. Initially signed in 2017, Mercedes-Benz has ridden with ESL and supported the competitions that took place. During this period, Mercedes-Benz supported multiple ESL Dota 2 esports events like ESL One Birmingham in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, the automotive company gave MVP awards to the best player throughout partnered events.

Mercedes-Benz on ESL Premiership

In a public post, Britta Seeger, Member of the Daimler Board of Management, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales, talked about how excited the company was to receive another opportunity in esports. Britta also spoke about how interacting with youth through competitive gaming is another opportunity for Mercedes-Benz to speak to them.

“We are systematically expanding our involvement in esports.” Britta Seeger said. “As a global brand, we want to open ourselves up to new target groups. esports gets us into a dialogue with young people, especially those with an affinity to technology. We are pleased to be part of the rapidly growing gaming community and support the ESL in further advancing this action-packed and thrilling sport.”

In response, Ralf Reichert, CEO of ESL, expressed delight with the contract extension. He spoke about how much of a positive impact the partnership brought to esports.

“We are delighted that Mercedes-Benz will continue to support us actively as a partner.” Ralf Reichert states. “This partnership is a complete success and we were able to accomplish much already. With the additional promotion of national competitions around the globe, Mercedes-Benz supports our efforts to create an esports platform for everyone following our ‘from zero to hero concept’.”

Despite the extension only being a few months, the opportunity it brings for esports is large. Fans can expect the best with everything approaching. As Dota 2 esports grows with every tournament, so does the industry. Automotive companies like Mercedes-Benz or BMW taking an interest in esports means the success is now widespread.

Written by Jay Hunter
Lightweight in Automotive Components by Forming Technology
By: Sean Zhai
Tags: Lightweight, Vehicles, Science, Innovation, Automotive

Lightweight design is one of the current key drivers to reduce the energy consumption of vehicles. Design methodologies for lightweight components, strategies utilizing materials with favorable specific properties and hybrid materials are used to increase the performance of parts for automotive applications. In this paper, various forming processes to produce light parts are described. Material lightweight design is discussed, covering the manufacturing processes to produce hybrid components like fiber–metal, polymer–metal and metal–metal composites, which can be used in subsequent deep drawing or combined forming processes. Approaches to increasing the specific strength and stiffness with thermomechanical forming processes as well as the in situ control of the microstructure of such components are presented. Structure lightweight design discusses possibilities to plastically form high-strength or high-performance materials like magnesium or titanium in sheet, profile and tube forming operations. To join those materials and/or dissimilar materials, new joining by forming technologies are shown. To economically produce lightweight parts with gears or functional elements, incremental sheet-bulk metal forming is presented. As an important part property, the damage evolution during the forming operations will be discussed to enable even lighter parts through a more reliable design. New methods for predicting and tailoring the mechanical properties like strength and residual stresses will be shown. The possibilities of system lightweight design with forming technologies are presented. A combination of additive manufacturing and forming to produce highly complex parts with integrated functions will be shown. The integration of functions by a hot extrusion process for the manufacturing of shape memory alloys is presented. An in-depth understanding of the newly developed processes, methodologies and effects allows for a more accurate dimensioning of components. This facilitates a reduction in the total mass and an increasing performance of vehicle components.

Authors: Stephan Rosenthal · Fabian Maaß · Mike Kamaliev · Marlon Hahn · Soeren Gies · A. Erman Tekkaya

Keywords: Forming technology · Lightweight design · Energy efficiency · Manufacturing processes

The paper is published in the journal of Automotive Innovation, and you can read the whole paper below.

To contact the editor, email lidong@sae-china.org
The Angry Lotus.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Automotive, Racing, Motorsport, Auto, Cars

As race-cars go, much of the ingredients are there. Taking this recipe to the max, their latest car is called the JP ZERO, and it will race in the GT2-class of the FIA-sanctioned GT Championships. For a bit of background, GT is a racing classification for road-going production cars, and not for specialised or purpose-built racers. Each class allows varying degrees of modifications on their cars, from GT4 at the very bottom for those new teams just starting out, to GT1 at the very top that could only be run by carmakers or operations with deep pockets.

At the peak, racing teams are able to utilise everything in their arsenal, using experimental technologies and exotic materials to outpace everyone else on the grid. GT2 is a bit calmer, where privateers such as gentlemen, or lady racers go head-to-head. The ZERO won’t just cater to that crowd however, as it’s been offered in 3 distinct flavours, each stretching from one end of the insane, to the next. Although different, their bloodline runs deep within one another.

There are some similarities between all 3 of them. For a start, they’re all based on the aforementioned Exige, specifically a later Series 3. In this case, the base of the car is a supremely lightweight and simple aluminium space-frame chassis. The engine will be the same, which is the included Toyota-derived Lotus 3.5-litre V6, although some modifications will be made depending on which variant you choose. Also, there’s only going to be a small batch of 20 for each specification, so there’s not many of them around.
HOW I Reached Over 1,000,000 People On My Facebook Page
By: Bill Kimberlin
Tags: Movies, Automotive

HOW I Reached Over 2,000,000 People On My Facebook Page

Guy Who Lost His Car Collection Story I Posted

My Racecar Movie Page

I sell a DVD of a movie I made on drag racing in the 1970’s. It captured the mayhem occurring just outside the frame of American sports going behind those famous, “SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY”, radio ads exploring the explosive world of theatrical drag racing.

I use Facebook to expose it, YouTube to preview it, and PayPal to sell it.

Today, I reached a viral audience of over two million people. They can rent it for $7.99 or buy it for $24.95.

It is the fastest return on capital in the history of capitalism.

Build a building for $1,000,000 dollars, and it might take you ten years to get your investment back.

Make a movie for $1,000,000 and if successful you can see your money back and be in profit in as little as two months.

Normally, I have about 750,000 fans on Facebook for this movie. But today with the right post I reached an even larger audience. Your image is key.

You can read some of my other posts, for instance how I worked on one of the original “Star Wars” movies, “Return of the Jedi” and what it takes to do that.

Thanks for reading.
Leasing A Car vs. Buying It
By: Forge Financial Freedom
Tags: Money, Life Lessons, Automotive, Finance, Life

Choosing between leasing a car and outright buying one may seem like a tough call to make and for others it’s a no brainer.

On one hand, with buying a car, you pay a higher monthly payment for your loan but you keep what you paid for.

On the other hand with leasing, you have a lower monthly payment but you can’t keep the car in the end.

So is buying a car really the better option?

Or are there real advantages to leasing that you should consider? Let’s find out…

The Advantages Of Buying Your Car

When you buy a car, the car is 100% yours once you’re done paying the loans and nobody can argue with that.

You are also free to sell the car and use the profit to finance a new vehicle.

The downside to owning a car is that you are paying a much higher payment each month, and the interest rate is also a lot higher.

So be very careful about the kind of car you buy and make sure it’s within your range of means.

If you get tricked into buying a car above your means because the dealership “pulled some strings” and approved your for payments, you could end up getting stuck with a high monthly payment that you can’t possibly keep up with.

That or you are paying the car off for years and years only ever really paying off the interest, of course the dealership won’t complain, they’re getting a steady income from you.

The Advantages Of Leasing A Car

When you lease a car you are essentially just renting it from the dealer for an agreed upon amount of time.

The monthly payments are a lot cheaper, but you aren’t building equity for reselling your vehicle and you have to return it at the end of the lending period (Although some places let you buy at the end of the lease).

You also can’t end the agreement early without having to pay some serious penalty fees, to the point where you might just be better off just sticking to the monthly payments.

Another advantage is that you get a new car every couple of years, there’s nothing like driving off the lot in a new car and if you are buying them, you’ll only experience this a handful of times in your life (unless you become a millionaire).

So Which Is Better?

Unlike how renting a home can be very advantageous while also avoiding unnecessary expenses…

The same cannot be said for leasing.

Over the long term, experts say that buying and holding onto a car for a long time will ultimately be a better deal than leasing.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever lease.

You should be leasing if you can’t afford a regular car payment right now, but your career prospects are looking good.

You should lease if you believe you’ll be able to purchase the car at the end of the lease.

And if you are using your vehicle for business purposes, then you can get a big tax advantage by writing off the depreciation and financing costs of the lease.

Related Articles

How Car Dealerships Rip You Off And How To Avoid It

What Is Rent-To-Own And Is It Ever A Good Idea?

Should You Buy A House?
The Legend Of The Red Pig.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Design, Automotive, History, Auto, Cars

Once the chequered flag waved for the last time, the Red Pig handily won its class, and was only second overall. This was quite the achievement when you consider the pedigree, and the immense challenge it had lying ahead. This was no doubt helped by the single-minded and undeterred focus of its two pilots, Clemens Schickentanz and Hans Heyer (pictured above with his son), as they stormed across night and day. The Pig could’ve possibly won first overall, if it hadn’t needed to stop by and pit so often.

Its monstrous engine had quite a thirst for petrol, and the otherworldly power it created was more than enough to shred its rear tyres. From zero to hero, Die Rote Sau went from a literal laughing stock, to a heroic icon that remains widely loved today. However, the end of this story isn’t as legendary. One car became the sole known survivor in a museum, while others were sold to French aerospace company, Matra. There, its speed and heft made it the perfect dummy to test fighter-jet landing gear.

All its victories, accomplishments, and hard work likely disappeared behind a cloud of dust; ruined, wrecked, and mangled beyond recognition. While the body might not have lived to see the light of day, its spirits have survived. Since then, its DNA have underpinned 50 years of crafting some of the world’s maddest, most insane automobiles. Now, anytime an AMG cruises by, you know where it all came from; this big, heavy, but stunningly powerful firetruck that shook the world of racing half-a-century ago.
My Renewed Obsession With A Redhead.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Writing, Lifestyle, Automotive, Auto, Cars

This smooth bodywork incidentally works wonders as a blank canvas for painting your Monza in a host of sublime historic liveries, along with hand-painted Scuderia shields on the side. Stripes, two-tone, and anything else goes. The dimensions aren’t exactly tiny, but chopping off the roof makes the Monza appear much smaller than it actually is. All that carbon-fibre makes itself present too, with a bare carbon front-spoiler, side-skirts, and a large rear-diffuser.

That’s telling of how much work that Ferrari’s aerodynamicists have done to keep all the ugly work of managing airflow underneath the car, out of sight. That said, there’s aerodynamics in play on that stunning bodywork as well. Ferrari calls those vents in front of the driver a ‘virtual-windscreen’, rushing air upwards and creating an air-bubble to keep the weather and those pesky bugs away. Ensuring your hair isn’t too messed up, are those hoops placed behind the seats, which also makes sure your skull doesn’t get crushed in the event you’ll flip your Monza over.

Entering the car is done by opening the tiny, and featherweight scissor doors. The interior is mostly the same as in any other Ferrari, with the familiar buttons, switches, screens, and driver-focused steering-wheel. In the Monza, it’s more bare, with no carpets, and hard carbon-fibre panels everywhere. The seats are carbon-fibre buckets that keep you snug, while four-point racing harnesses hold you tightly in place. If you opt for the SP2, there’s a carbon-fibre bridge that runs along the middle, for added rigidity.

Credits to: Ferrari Monza SP1

Very surprisingly for a very impractical car, there’s a decent luggage space in the back. The boot is accessed by opening that large carbon-fibre clamshell, which is a single-piece included those hoops. It’s the perfect place to store all the stuff that comes along with each one of the 500 Monzas. They include a fitted set of luggage, a tailored set of racing overalls, scarf, leather gloves, Oxford racing shoes, goggles, and a carbon-fibre helmet that’s been finished with leather. Now this, is the sort of fashion I’m into.

You’re certainly getting a lot for your money then, in a sense that Ferrari is actually giving you extra bits, free of charge. Perhaps this isn’t entirely new, since old man Enzo once said that when you buy a Ferrari, you buy an engine, and he throws in the rest for free. Indeed, the Monza has a jewel of a monstrous engine, just underneath that equally massive carbon-fibre clamshell. One of the carryovers from the 812 is its 6.5-litre, naturally-aspirated V12. Alone, it’s one of the most powerful engines to ever come out of a Prancing Horse.
Death By Covid — In Memoriam?, Lexus LC-F (2018–2020).
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Design, Japan, Automotive, Auto, Cars

With all that’s going on in the world, it’s financial unfeasible to continue development, with Toyota and Lexus having allegedly canned all their V8 development projects. In its wake, it will be replaced with smaller, and more efficient turbocharged, or hybridised V6s. But despite all that, I still hold out some hopes that we could still see something out of this. All this has been somewhat speculation so far, so its worth taking many grains of salt.

I doubt that Lexus had gone through all the trouble, without having at least something to show for it. Even if they’d just show it off in their race-cars alone, it’s still worthy of appreciation. Not long ago, they’ve made a refresh of the IS saloon, and there’s been some rumours circling around that they could put a V8 in that, bringing the old IS-F nameplate back from the dead. Plus, a random LFA test-mule was seen thrashing around the Nürburgring, raising more hopes that Lexus might find a suitable replacement, after all.

Questions, rumours, imagination… But no firm answers, just confusion. Maybe the situation around the LC-F will be just like the old Supra, forcing us to wait 20 years before we could finally see something that could truly succeed the LFA. It would be nice to have more out of that V8, just at least one more time for us to say goodbye before it all goes away into retirement, locked away in a museum. I guess only time will tell.
The Bargain Of The Century… Nearly.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Design, Automotive, Auto, News, Cars

It could be hard for the seller to accept that something is now worth a princely sum compared to how much they paid for it, but as a buyer, there are more than a few gems ready to be unearthed on sites like Bring A Trailer. You could buy and sell a diverse array of things here, from broken cars, bare engines, and even boats. It’s a great place to just endless scroll around for interesting finds, and this is where we stumble on our story; this once crown jewel of a car.

But what makes four-wheels, an engine, and some bits of metal worth more than $800,000, anyway? Well, we first start with the old Vanquish, Aston Martin’s top-of-the-line grand-tourer to champion the age old concept of cruising long distances in comfort, and briskly so. Alone, it’s already a stunningly beautiful car, as does any Aston has the right to be. But not matter how good something is, you could always make it better.

So, a $300,000 Vanquish is then sent from its home in Gaydon, to undergo an extensive cosmetic surgery by the lovely folk at Zagato, in Milan. It’s hard not to admire their coachbuilt creations, as I’ve written about them passionately more than a few times. The makeover that’s been done to the Vanquish is proof of that, and it left me astonished the first time I saw it. I firmly believed at the time that nothing could ever be more beautiful.
A Leap Of Faith.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Design, Automotive, Auto, News, Cars

I’ll make one thing clear out of the gate, I’m not a big fan of SUVs. You’ll hardly find me mentioning them at all, let alone taking the time to write an entire article about one. Sure, there’s been some exciting ones recently, like the refresh of Bentley’s Bentayga, which I think is somehow a bit uglier than the old one. Then, there’s the new Ineos Grenadier, which aims to be the Defender that Land Rover couldn’t build. Most of all, Ford’s new Bronco is such a runaway hit, that their website crashed every time I tried to get a peek.

I don’t feel like my life necessitates an SUV, nor do I feel like they’re aspirational enough. You might think that having a Sports Utility Vehicle sounds like a perfect all-rounder, but it’s not always so easy. Often times, they’re not at all sporty, as the inherent nature of their proportions mean that handling and performance aren’t up to par with say, a station wagon. Then, they’re not always so utilitarian either, with less room and it’ll likely get stuck in the first mud pit, unlike a proper off-roader.

So, you’re actually making a lot of compromises by getting an SUV, with few noteworthy advantages, at least that’s based on my needs. Clearly, I’m in the minority, because absolutely everyone on Earth is scrambling to the nearest dealership for one. I’d likely never get in line, but there’s one particular SUV that could convince me otherwise. It struck my soul when I first saw it a while ago, and for a company that’s never built or even experimented with an SUV before, I think they have themselves a homerun.
Sing To Me, O’ Sweet Death.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Automotive, Audio, Ferrari, Auto, Cars

In the far, far away future, there could be a time when we stand back in amazement to gaze at the horizon, as tidal waves taller than skyscrapers come barrelling towards us, and huge meteors rain from the sky. Some panic and run about with hands in the air, pondering exasperatedly over what they should do next, while others stand quietly offering prayers and meditations. By now, nothing can be done.

Others are probably sitting comfortably in their bunkers, waiting for apocalypse to simply pass on, before emerging once more to rebuild society. This then, is a general idea of how movies, books, and video games depict how the world might end; a feeling of utter chaos and hopelessness. Imagine the crushing roar of asteroids punching through the atmosphere, the howling winds, and thunderous hailstorms.

The distant bellow of tornados sends a chill down your spine, as cracking embers of forests and buildings on fire tells you that there’s no place to hide from what’s coming at you. If I could somehow summarise it into one particular sound, I think this 13-minute long video of a rare Ferrari F50 GT being hammered around the Yas Marina Circuit should give you a good idea of what to listen for, when life as know it, comes to an end.

A Black Sheep?
What happens if Tesla unveils a vehicle prototype around 20K$?
Tags: Transportation, Electric Vehicles, Automotive, Automotive Industry, Electric Car

The cheapest Tesla is the Model 3 with rear-wheel drive. It is called Model 3 standard range plus. Including potential savings, it is around 40,000 US dollars in the US.

This starting price of the Model 3 is approximately the starting price of the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series.

Mercedes C-Class or BMW 3 Series are not entry-level cars.

You can buy a good car for half of this price.

So, the question is what can happen if Tesla unveils a vehicle prototype around 20 k$?

This will probably happen in the next years.

If that happens, the game may be over sooner than expected for the legacy automakers.

Actually, what makes a car expensive?

The material used to make its body?

The airbags used to protect the occupants?

The glass windows? The seats?

The electric axles in an EV that drive the vehicle?

Steering system? Braking system? Suspension system?

Research and development and all other types of hours spent in the OEM and suppliers?

What makes an S-Class Mercedes more expensive than an E-Class? Which one has a bigger margin?

More or less all contributions to the selling price are very clear.

You can use similar parts, chassis systems, and powertrain elements to save costs. Many automotive manufacturers call these “platforms” and “sharing parts”.

EV’s are very suitable to build on platforms.

There is one big group of things that is extremely important and will empower Tesla’s future.

It is the Full Self Driving (FSD) hardware and software.

I am not sure how Tesla calculates the price of this product group for a single customer. But the value of this group is enormous high, and it can be copied and manufactured cheaply, and as much as needed.

I don’t think that the sensors or the FSD motherboard are expensive in particular, and the Self Driving Software is a software.

I listened today to Tesla Q2 2020 Earnings Call on Youtube.

Elon emphasized the importance of

- Full-self driving and AI,

- Manufacturing, and simplifications of manufacturing processes,

Other important topics of the call were,

- battery cell production,

- Tesla insurance,

- Tesla’s energy branch with solar systems and battery storage systems for grid support.

He told:

“We will not succeed in our mission if we do not make cars affordable.”

and added what they are trying to achieve:

We want to be slightly profitable while maximizing our growth and make the cars as affordable as possible.

A very clear message that will shape the next years of Tesla.

Do you think that Tesla will get problems in demand?

I think the answer is no.

Even now, without an affordable model, Tesla’s plan for growth and profitability seems very strong.

If they are able to launch affordable vehicles somewhere down the timeline, then:

Way to go, Tesla!

@_pacific_labs_ , july 24, 2020
Importance of UI/UX in Automotive now
Tags: Transportation, UX Design, Automotive, UI Design, Autonomous Cars

The automotive industry has gone through an enormous transformation from last few decades, from analog gauges, hand shifters, manual steering to digital displays, Electronic transmission shifters, power steering and many more features inside the car. When initially the car was built the main intention was to transport people from point A to point B. . Once this was achieved then the intention was to mass produce for many people and with the help of large industrialization and manufacturing it was achieved. The UI/UX design principles focus was only to make the car easier to start.

Many companies got into the automotive manufacturing industry there was competition on pricing to sell the vehicles to the customer. Once there were many vehicles seen on the road, then there were issues of safety to the driver, passengers and the road users. This resulted in mandating the automotive manufacturers to implement safety features to the vehicle. So that the vehicle and road users are safe, while the vehicle is used for moving from point A to point B. Has the automotive manufacturers added the safety features, this became a differentiating factor to sell to the customer. The UI/UX design principle focus are to make the car usable for most of the users.
An Ode To Joy.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Design, Automotive, Auto, News, Cars

I often times keep using the term, “swansong”, when trying to chronicle cars, as we all keep thinking that this will be the last of the V12s, or the last of the manuals. We hear it all the time, and being typically old-school, it will no doubt be a heartfelt and teary moment for me should we come to that point of having to say goodbye. Yet, we can’t always be entirely certain as to when the penultimate chapter of internal-combustion will close for good.

Just when we think that it’s going to be the end, someone boldly steps in to save the day, saving a storied tradition for another day to live on, even as the world around them changes. This time, it’s the brainchild of a man who I would consider to be the grandmaster of the automotive industry, with a cultural impact that remains awe-inspiring as ever. Gordon Murray’s goals have always aligned the same way; to tickle the heart of every enthusiast on the planet.

To do this, he would create the most pure, unadulterated, wholesome, and focused driver’s cars of all time. His latest act would follow in the footsteps of his previous such creation, the legendary McLaren F1; a car so monstrously powerful, yet it delivers horsepower with grace. Just like Jesus on Christmas, the T.50 marks the 50th anniversary of the Gordon Murray’s illustrious career in the automotive industry, and it’s a gift from the prophet, to every car-lover on the planet.
The 2021 Ford Bronco
By: Jordan Munson
Tags: Vehicles, Automotive, Tech, Future, Cars

Where do I even start, I absolutely love this new Bronco.

2021 2- seater base model Ford Bronco

The 2021 Ford Bronco is the 5th gen continuation of the historic Ford Bronco. With a base model starting at $28,500

From its 35-inch sasquatch tires to its 18-inch tablet console this SUV excels in every way the Jeep wrangler doesn’t.

2021 Ford Bronco Base model Engine

The engine-

The Base Bronco comes with 2 engine options.

The 2.3L I-4 EcoBoost

The 2.7L V-6 EcoBoost

The transmission can either be a 7-speed manual or a 10 speed automatic for both the 2 doors or the 4 doors.

Technology

The base model has:

A 4x4 all-wheel-drive system

A turbocharged induction system

Traction assist

keyless entry

pre-collision assist/braking assist

Touch Screen console

Back-up camera

Apple car play/Bluetooth etc …

and all kinds of other stuff you wouldn't know existed.

2021 Ford Bronco Wildtrack

Ford Bronco variations

Big Bend-$33,385

Black Diamond-$36,050

Outer Banks-$38,955

Badlands-$42,095

Wildtrak-$48,875

First Edition-$59,305

2021 Ford Bronco Sport Base

The Bronco Sport

The Bronco sport is actually a cheaper price than the original starting at 26,660$.

The Bronco Sport is a 4 door 5 seater that puts out 190 lb. ft. of torque.

The Bronco Sport has multiple variations just like the regular model Bronco.

Models Include:

Sport Big Bend- $28,160

Sport Outer Banks-$32,160

Sport Badlands-$32,660

Sport First Edition-$38,500

All in all, I would say the 2021 Ford Bronco will most definitely be a game-changer. As a current Jeep fan, I look forward to comparing the 2 outdoor suv’s. With those removable doors and big ol’ tires, it would look so sexy on a Texas beach. If you're an off-roading type of person this car was built for rugged mountains and jagged terrain. I think everyone could enjoy this new Bronco and Its cheap price is affordable to almost all levels of income. I can’t wait till the day I can pick one of these bad boys up!
The Flight Of The Griffin — Italian Craft, American Horsepower.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Design, Automotive, Illustration, Auto, Cars

The world might’ve reached a standstill with the recent plague outbreak engulfing every aspect of our daily lives, but clearly no one told the coachbuilders at Zagato. Then again, the Italians do have a way of going about their day, enjoying life’s bounties and pleasures, even when the world has turned upside down. This same spirit keeps driving Zagato to continue its fairly busy year, designing and handcrafting what can be considered as the crème de la crème of the automotive world.

You can have a car stamped by robots on a production line, or you could have one hand-assembled by humans. Alternatively, you could have a car shaped and conceived to your specific whims, while meticulously gone over by master craftsmen in aprons, pouring over every little detail to make sure it’s as special as machinery can be. It’s all about theatre and emotions, just like going to a Savile Row tailor and getting a bespoke suit measured on your body, inches at a time.

That’s the art of coachbuilding. I’ve written about their exploits not too long ago, after having worked closely on a special family of Aston Martins. Now, they’re at it again, which is surprising to me, given how long it usually takes to bring a car to market, from blueprints to bare-metal. It’s only a teaser for now, but it’s enough for us to salivate over. I dare say this is even more special than those Astons, as Zagato aims to revive a name that we haven’t heard of in a very, very long time — Iso Rivolta.
The Genius Marketing Campain Behind FIAT 500
By: Evgeni Asenov
Tags: PPC Marketing, Automotive, Marketing, Content Marketing, Advertising

Fiat Knew That They Had to Cater to the Right Audiences and Do It Properly

If the “Fix it again, Tony!” company is excellent at one thing, it’s understanding how their potential clients think.

When the Torino-based automobile manufacturer decided to enter the U.S. market with a tiny red car, they knew people first had to learn about who the hell they were.

Most of the people that would buy the FIAT 500 were born after the company seized its operation in North America.

While other car brands don’t necessarily see search as a viable way to market a car, FIAT noticed something. Running ads on top of the Google results page is a great way to increase brand awareness, even if the user doesn’t click on it.

So, they did a study. Would people start associating small cars with FIAT? They found that there was an increase of nearly 130% in unaided brand recalls when the Torino company appeared on the top of search results.

But that wasn’t all. Indirectly, FIAT positioned the 500 Cinquecento as a better alternative to other small cars on the market. They increased brand perception and positioned their vehicle as a quality small vehicle.

Once the results were clear, FIAT doubled down on the campaign.

They bid on retention and branded queries like “FIAT”, “Abarth”, and “FIAT 500.” They also focused on the more generic, broader searches like “city car” or “compact car.”

That would capture the full circle of buyers they were targeting with their tiny automobile.
Introducing, The Ferrari 360 ‘Long Boi’.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Australia, Automotive, Funny, Auto, Cars

Oh no, this isn’t some Photoshop gone wrong. Upon first seeing this while scrolling through the depths of the internet, I just had to ask myself one question, “Why in God’s name would anyone want to turn a Ferrari into a stretched limo?”. I then promptly reminded myself that there’s plenty of madmen in our world, and for better or worse, the damage has already been done to this poor machine. Your opinions might differ, but I absolutely would never let something like this to be done.

The car in question is an early 2000s Ferrari 360 ‘Modena’, which remains highly sought after and treasured even till this day. It was gorgeously penned by famed design house, Pininfarina, and had a sonorous 3.6-litre mid-mounted V8. If you wanted to know how angels sound like when they sing to you in your dreams, then stick your ears close to the exhaust of a 360, and have a listen. Not too close however, as its V8 howl and bark might just burst your eardrums.

Even better, the 360 was one of the last Ferraris to be sold with the gated manual transmission, with a tactile feedback that oozes with sensory overload. For those looking at buying a classic Ferrari that’s neither too old, too slow, nor too expensive, this one is a great choice on the classifieds. Or, you could spring towards a 360 Challenge Stradale, the road-going version of Ferrari’s Challenge race-cars; just as brutal on a Tesco parking lot, as it is around Fiorano Circuit.
Shot, Chaser. | Maserati Alfieri ‘Shooting-Brake’ Concept.
By: Zack Norman
Tags: Design, Automotive, Art, Auto, Cars

Nowadays however, there’s more substance and practicality to be had with an SUV or crossover, though I’d argue that it generally hasn’t accomplished the same seductive athleticism of a proper shooting-brake. Porsche’s Panamera could be considered one, but the best modern example of how a shooting-brake should look and feel like is the Ferrari GTC4Lusso. To an extent, if you’re willing to stretch your budget even more, there’s also the stunningly gorgeous Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting-Brake.

I only wonder then, as to what the world today might look like if more cars were made into shooting-brake styles. In the higher-end of the car industry, this design only makes sense on a grand-tourer, and there’s another quintessential GT that few people talk about. It is, the aptly-named Maserati GranTurismo. For better or worse, I’d just remembered that after 12 long years of mostly minor updates, the GranTurismo — and its topless sibling, the GranCabrio — was canned last year.

A successor is in the works, supposedly with the Trident’s new all-electric powertrain, due sometime around next year if all goes well. So what if this successor tries something new and exciting by abandoning the tried-and-true Coupé styling; exchanging that smooth taper for a square? Sure, it might not charm as many ordinary people, and some others might confuse it for carrying a casket in the back.
Tesla is now the Most Popular Car Rental Choice
By: Kushlesh Kumar
Tags: Car Rental, Automotive, Data Science, Tesla, Data Visualization

3. Cheapest cities for car rentals: Richmond, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Indianapolis.

The same figure as above shows these results.

4. Most popular Car models are: Model 3, Mustang, Model S, Wrangler and Model X

Only top 50 models are shown below as number of models were too many.

One caveat: Because the data was scraped from a particular peer-to-peer car rental website, the dataset is likely skewed towards ‘tech’ workers or millennials who are more likely to use such platforms. But as most of the people in USA are now comfortable using such technology platforms, I think the skew should be tolerable. Moreover, as you — the Medium readers — are likely to fall in that demographic, the skew actually should not really matter.

The Dataset and Tools:

I built this data-set by web-scraping using Python. An actual discussion of the same is being left our here for the sake of brevity and time. If you are interested, then do let me know in the comments below.

After scraping the data, I used Jupyter Notebook to do some data wrangling and cleaning. The plots and visualizations themselves have been made using Seaborn and Matplotlib libraries. If you are interested in looking at the code and can wade through some messy details, then have a look at my Github repo.
Why The Hatchback Accord Never Made Sense
By: Emmett Boudreau
Tags: Automotive, Honda, Cars, Accord, Mechanics

The Civic

So Honda does in fact make another car, and you might have heard of it. It is the best selling car of all time, and seems to be a pretty average daily driver for most people. I am of course talking about the

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is Honda’s compact-sedan and coupe that was debuted long before the inception of the Accord. The Accord was introduced as a larger addition to the Honda family, and was made primarily for the American market where many consumers held a preference towards larger cars, where the Civic simply wouldn’t cut it. In addition to being a hatchback, it also released with Honda’s first ever sedan, or “ saloon” as they called it.

So if we’re tracking the data here: Honda has a car called the Honda Civic, but needs to have a larger option as well for buyers who desire a little more room. As a result they create a new car, the Honda Accord, which is meant to be a larger Civic. So with their new design, they decide that they should make it a hatchback as well?

The Accord is the only car at the time that Honda was selling in both the 3-door and 4-door variants. It was also the only car they sold with variations in the body in terms of doors or hatches and trunks. The problem is, as for their hatchback Accord, although it was a lot bigger than the Civic, it still wasn’t considerably large in any shape or form. So with that in mind, the hatchback Accord was a strange, quirky fill-in for a range between a mid-sized sedan and a compact sedan. As a result, the car doesn’t really even have a classification of its own, it is just kind-of there.

This is strange not only because it was like they had made 3 separate cars, but it also couldn’t have been very cost-effective to manufacture two different rear-ends for the same vehicle. Regardless, Honda certainly did it, and some of their coolest cars in my opinion fall into this category. However, if we move ourselves up to 1989 and look at Honda’s line-up, a hatchback Accord makes even less sense. In 1989, Honda was making the Civic, Prelude, Accord, and of course — the CRX. The prelude was a two-door coupe and was typically loaded with Honda’s best options and considered to be the gem of the line-up, whereas at this period in time Honda was making the classic Honda hatchbacks.

This meant that both the Civic and the CRX were hatchbacks. The Civic was relatively big, as well, and likely was even bigger than the Honda Accord hatchback. So with that in mind, the year before its discontinuation it made even more sense than originally to make the hatchback Accord.

To be clear, I love the Accord hatchbacks. The reason I think Honda kept them around for a little over 10 years is because of their eye-catching style — and maybe that was the intention with these cars. So although the car might not make sense from a business perspective, I am certainly glad we got it!
V8 engine, Why do we love it so much?
By: Bernardo Escobedo
Tags: Automotive, Broncos, Tradition, Cars, Technology

With every new vehicle that is being released it’s almost a given that at least a certain percentage of people will comment this, “They should’ve put a 8 cylinder engine in it.” We are in a new era of ICE engines (internal combustion engines) where the 6 cylinder engine will put out just as much power as an 8 cylinder.

The modern 6 cylinder engines will most definitely put out more power than a much older V8. engine. So why are people so hung up on an 8 cylinder engine? Theoretically the bigger engine is much more less efficient than the smaller one. the V8 is heavier, uses more fuel, bigger, and more expensive when it comes to maintenance. Well if you haven’t driven an 8 cylinder sports car then it will be really difficult to understand. The feeling the driver gets when you press on the pedal of a V8 is not something you can compare to a 6 cylinder. The moment you press on the pedal you will feel power that the engine produces almost running through your veins. Suddenly everything around slows down and the only two things working together at that moment is just you and that car.

The pedal opens the throttle, the throttle lets air into the manifold, the air travels into the cylinders through the valves where the cylinders move in perfect harmony to create the optimal power. The cylinders will open and close valves making a fusion of air, fuel, and spark. This will make an explosion that will create the necessary power to crank the drive train. All this power will get transferred to the wheels eventually. You as the driver can almost feel all this through the body when you press that foot down. You will hear the sound of the engine roar in the cabin and out the back of the car. This is the reason why people love 8 cylinder engines so much. Companies are not allowing us to experience the same feeling with a 6 cylinder. There is a lag from the moment you press the pedal to when the car responds.

We know that 6 cylinder engines are capable of so much more. The cars from the fastest motorsport in the world, F1 Racing, are equipped with V6 engines. Currently the engines used in an F1 racing car is a turbocharged 1.6 liter V6. Also if you didn’t know the engine Ford used in the 24-hour race of Le Mans in 2016 was a 3.5 Liter turbocharged V6. So yes these V6 have the power necessary to defeat a V8 engine, we’ve seen it time and time again with imports as well. Unfortunately, I believe that the future of V8 is a sad one. Just like the headphone jack, or house phones we must evolve and let go of inefficient things. I can probably bet that the V8 will phase out before then of this decade. Manufactures will move to highly powerful V6 engines or fully electric vehicles, the latter being more likely. At this moment the only company that we can count on to continue to give us that adrenaline is Dodge Chrysler Jeep. They are the only company that continues to develop more powerful V8 engines every couple of years. If there’s any hope left for a V8 powered future then FCA is that silver lining. Thank you, stay buzzed.
How would you like an electric car for free?
By: Enrique Dans
Tags: Transportation, Electric Vehicles, Automotive, Electric Car, Europe

The increase in state subsidies to buy electric vehicles in some European countries has reached the point in that in Germany you can go to a dealer, sign a two-year lease contract and drive away in an electric Renault Zoe for free, with the cost of the deposit and the €125 euro monthly payment covered by the subsidy, which was recently doubled. You will have to insure it separately, and pay a little more if you want to keep it after two years, but yes, your eyes aren’t deceiving you, and there’s no catch, in Germany misleading advertising is subject to heavy fines: it’s an electric car, for free.

Unsurprisingly, the company that has launched the offer (pdf), König, has been avalanched with thousands of requests for information and with more than three hundred contracts already signed (due to lack of personnel), says it cannot meet demand in the short-term. Other electric models, such as the Mini Cooper SE, are being offered by some distributors for about €26 euros a month, with a BMW i3 going for €115. The tiny Smart EQ at another German dealer, CarFellows, costs €9.90 euros per month (pdf).

Other European countries have also increased subsidies for electric cars: in Croatia, €11,800; in Romania, €11,100; in Germany and Poland, €9,900; in France, €7,700. What is Spain doing in the meantime? Continuing to subsidize diesel and petrol vehicles, making it a dumping ground for cars other countries can’t sell. At this rate, when a vehicle’s emission levels are too high, they will all be sent to Spain.

For car makers, putting electric vehicles on the road is essential to anticipate the change in emission standards next year, when the EU will place a limit 96 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer in new vehicles, or impose heavy fines. In the Netherlands, where Amsterdam has banned the circulation of non-electric cars from 2030, the €10 million fund set up to finance the purchase of electric vehicles ran out in just eight days.

Although it’s not happening as quickly as it should, the decarbonization of transportation is advancing, and diesel and petrol vehicles will soon be museum pieces, seen by most people as retrograde, which is only right, given that they are essentially mobile air poisoners. In a very few years, from about the middle of this decade, electric vehicles will be significantly cheaper to buy and run than fossil fuel vehicles (in many cases, if we take into account the cost of electricity versus diesel or gasoline and maintenance costs, they already are). From there, of course, the market will take off, even without government subsidies.

If you doubted the future of the automotive market, wake up and smell the fresh air.