sport car modification

Computer renderings of concept bikes are two-a-penny these days, but this one deserves more attention than most. Metalback comes from a leading automotive designer called Jordan Meadows, and it’s an attempt to marry the ethos of the traditional café racer with contemporary green credentials. “The concept is powered by a v4 engine running on bio diesel,” says Meadows. “Its frame and skin are crafted from recycled aluminum. This has the advantage of saving weight to enhance performance, while reclaiming pre-used material. In the manufacturing process, the alloy is treated to patina and age naturally without expensive and harmful paint applications. The net effect is a raw natural surface which suits the classic cafe racer, and recalls the romance and power of vintage WW2 fighter planes.” It’s an interesting approach and Meadows has the history to back it up: until last year he was Design Manager at Mazda’s North American Design Center, and his CV includes stints Volkwagen, Chrysler/Jeep and Ford. The big question is whether a mainstream motorcycle manufacturer would be prepared to go down this road—and is the public prepared to buy into it? [Image © Jordan Meadows Design.]

My folks live in England, and—like most people in Western Europe—they’ve spent the past few weeks buried under snow and ice in the most vicious winter for decades. Which led me to thinking about all the motorcycles locked up in garages and sheds, waiting for the roads to clear and tires to find grip. So when I happened across this extraordinary machine from TGS in Germany, I had to feature it. The bike was built by TGS’ owner Tobias Guckel for Sepp Schmidt, hence the name ‘Seppster’. And those huge Avon Cobra tires each have 120 spikes for maximum purchase on ice … Of course, it’s not an entirely practical bike, unlike the hugely popular ice speedway racers of Europe, but it’s a very interesting alternative to the usual ‘Hot Wheels’ style choppers. Power comes from a turbocharged S&S 93-ci motor, but virtually every other part of this machine was built in-house by TGS, from the radical single-sided front fork to the rigid frame and wheels. This bike came third at the 2008 World Championship of Bike Building; like Hot Dock’s StG Nautilus, it was overshadowed by Roger Goldammer’s paradigm-shifting ‘Goldmember’. In any other year, Ice Racer would have grabbed the spotlight, and rightly so.

Indian was the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world during the early part of the 20th century, and the "Indian" brand was America's oldest motorcycle company, until its demise in 2003.

The company built its first production motorcycle in 1904, the diamond framed "Indian Single." The engine for the Indian Single was built by Aurora in Illinois. The Indian Single's deep red color became a signature of the brand. The single-cylinder motor was modeled after the de Dion-Bouton vélocipède engine, which produced 1.75-horsepower. The Indian Single could reach a top speed of 25 miles per hour.

Indian built its first V-twin engine in 1907. In 1916, Indian added the so-called "Powerplus" 1000 cc engine, which was a side-valve, 42 degree v-twin that was capable of a 60 mph top speed.

The two-seater is the star of the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, thanks to fuel economy of 189mpg and CO2 emissions of only 38g/km. Its 800cc two-cylinder TDI diesel engine produces up to 29bhp, but thanks to a kerbweight of only 380kg, the narrow commuter vehicle can still accelerate from 0-60mph in 14.3 seconds.
How has Volkswagen achieved such stunning figures? Well, the L1 features a hi-tech carbon fibre chassis that is both incredibly strong and light. The car’s streamlined teardrop shape has also been honed in the wind tunnel, resulting in an incredibly low drag co-efficient of 0.19Cd. As a result, its tiny 10-litre fuel tank provides a range of 416 miles between refills.
Neat touches include an iPod-inspired touch-sensitive control to open its jet-fighter style canopy, while rear-view cameras are used in place of traditional door mirrors.

VOLKSWAGEN AUSTRALIA has announced a new addition to the Australian Golf line-up, in the form of the entry-level diesel-powered 77TDI – the most affordable diesel Golf available.
Powered by a 1.6 litre TDI diesel engine, the five-speed manual 77TDI boasts a claimed fuel economy of just 4.9 l/100km (4.3 l/100km for highway driving), making it one of the most efficient cars available in Australia and giving it a potential range of over 1100km on one tank.
Sharing the same technology as the larger 2.0 litre 103TDI, the entry-level 77TDI produces 77kW at 4400rpm and 250Nm of torque between 1500 and 2500rpm.
The 2009 Volkswagen Golf 77TDI is available with either a five-speed manual transmission or Volkswagen’s seven-speed DSG transmission.
The Golf 77TDI starts at $28,690 for the five-speed manual, and $31,190 for the seven-speed DSG variant.