General Motor’s Performance Parts division has been busy at work on its latest creation the eco-conscious E-ROD concept, which is based on a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air coupe.

With emissions regulations getting stricter over in the States even hot rodders are looking to get with the programme and the E-Rod concept is designed to be fully-compliant with emissions standards set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). To achieve this the E-Rod has a specially modified LS3 V8 crate engine that uses modified exhaust manifolds, a special engine control module and a variety of eco-minded sensors. Power output is a very healthy 321kW (430hp) but the E-Rod can get a fuel economy figure of around 10.2 litres per 100km and produce emissions that are the same as a brand new Chevy Camaro SS.

Product integration manager for GM Performance Parts Jamie Meyer said this about the project, “The world of hot rodding is changing, and GMPP is leading the way with engine systems and supporting components that enable enthusiasts to build a car that complies with the law, satisfies their desire for a cleaner hot rod and doesn’t sacrifice the performance they want.” (more…)

Holden’s next-generation VF Commodore series is set for a 2014 launch and with such a long wait between model generations it’s expected to pack in some neat technology. Expect significant savings in fuel economy, improved aerodynamics, new electric power steering and it will be the first Aussie-built car to use mass produced aluminium panels in its construction. The next-gen Commodore is set to trim fat, in an attempt to remain competitive with vehicles like the locally-made Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Fuel savings will be in the region of 7% off the current figures for the VE Commodore range (pictured). This will drag the 9.1lt/100 km combined rating of the 3.0 L V6 SIDI down to a more acceptable 8.4 lt/100 km. The older 3.6 L Alloytec V6 will drop to 9.1 lt /100 km (26 mpg) down from its current 9.8 lt/100 km. The fuel saving measures are partly funded by the Australian federal government, which has used AU$39.8 million from the discontinued Green Car Innovation Fund.

The entire VF model’s development will apparently cost just AU$189 million which is a significant decrease on the rumoured one billion that was spent on the VE Commodore. (more…)

What everyone seems to be talking about at the moment is fuel economy. With the cost of fuel skyrocketing and notreplacing air filter elements regularly, keeping tyres in good condition and properly inflated to specifications, ensuring shock absorbers are in good operating condition, and having an annual wheel alignment all contribute to improved fuel economy.

When vehicles have air conditioning it is advisable not to run the air conditioning too cold. Those with vehicles that have automatic climate air conditioning should ensure they run the air conditioning on automatic setting. Your air conditioning will impact on your fuel economy if not operated correctly. Check how often the air con system needs servicing, and follow that schedule to ensure it’s working as efficiently as possible.

Among the many overlooked items in today’s modern motor vehicles are spark plugs, which are commonly not replaced often enough. Manufacturers have very long replacement intervals for spark plugs to reduce costs. We have found a marked improvement with engine performance when fitting new spark plugs while carrying out full custom mapped dyno tunes, and recommend regular spark plug replacement with scheduled servicing, especially for performance-enhanced vehicles. Having your vehicle custom mapped and tuned on a dyno is the only way to obtain the best engine tune results, resulting in reduced fuel consumption, especially for highway cruising.

This is borne out by the experiences of two recent customers. One, from Hastings with a 2006 Ford F6 Typhoon six-speed auto, had one of our 380kW performance packages fitted and that vehicle dynoed up at 385kW. This customer has recently completed a trip to Auckland and back and has reduced his fuel consumption dramatically, achieving an average of 9.4 litres per 100km over the complete trip at a highway cruising speed of 100kmh, and using his cruise control where he could. A great result for a performance vehicle.

Another customer, who recently brought his Ford 2003 BA XR8 sedan five-speed manual into us for a full custom mapped dyno tune, has reduced his average fuel consumption from a previous 14.5 litres per 100km to 12.5 litres per 100km on a trip from Taupo to Palmerston North and back ” pretty good for a 320kW V8.

These are just two examples among the many satisfied customers of ours who are experiencing improved fuel economy by having fully mapped custom tunes. They also have the added advantage of increased torque, throttle response and overall power.

The fuel economy figures we are seeing after a professional custom mapped dyno tune make a mockery out of the old saying that all big cars are gas guzzlers; that’s not the case at all. All of the above are contributing factors to obtaining the best fuel economy. It’s the old story: sometimes you have to spend a bit of money to save money.

Paul Isaac

With the Vatican’s new set of sins, actions that have a negative environmental impact puts you in the bad books with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost – obviously they prefer to travel in hybrids.

But is this new? There’s always been gluttony as a sin – surely at the extreme you could argue that 6mpg is a tad ‘gluttonous’? Regardless, polluting the environment is now as bad as abortion and genetic modification.

The Vatican was the first country to offset its carbon emissions, and ultimately the argument is sound – we should all be doing what we can for the environment – but taken to the nth degree we would all have to drive a Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion, currently the most economical car on the New Zealand market. Or bike.