Nik J Miles

Posts Tagged ‘drive’

Lessons in chrome.

In America, when we want to make something better, we usually make it bigger and flashier. Take anything Donald Trump has ever done. “Sure, that’s a good looking building. But it could really use some gold. And my name in 100-foot lettering on the side.” Rarely do the golden, bejeweled skyscrapers look better or more impressive then their understated counterparts.

This is what happened with the 2011 Acura TL: it was Trumped. Underneath, the 2011 TL was a spectacular car. But Acura stepped outside its norm and fitted a chrome snout that put Rick Ross to shame. Subsequently, they didn’t sell many. So Acura quickly ran back to the drawing board and toned the nose down a bit for 2012. Read the rest of this entry »

“smart fortwo electric drive: Advanced technology for urban mobility”

The smart car arrived on our shores after what seemed like an eternity since its inception in Europe, with more than 770,000 first generation (1998-2006) smart cars having been sold in 36 countries globally. smart is a division of Daimler AG. The U.S. represents the 37^th country where smart is sold, and the U.S. version was designed specifically for two occupants, and designated smart fortwo. The diminutive vehicle is made in France and is of Lilliputian proportions. It is only 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet high, with an equal measurement in width. It tips the scales at 1,958 pounds in the heaviest model – the electric drive.

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