Facelifted Honda Stream RSZ launched

Source by: Anthony Lim @ http://star-motoring.com/blog/permalink.asp?id=825

Honda Malaysia has unveiled its facelifted Stream RSZ, and the sporty seven-seater MPV has been given a dollop of items to make it an even sportier proposition.
No changes to the 1.8l i-VTEC engine or the five-speed automatic transmission, but there's now Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), and the suspension has been retuned to offer a firmer ride. Additionally, the exhaust also gets reworked, to offer a sportier note.

Primarily, the changes happen with the exterior - there's a new honeycomb front grille (with chrome floating garnish), new foglamps, a newly designed front bumper and side skirts as well as a new rear bumper/diffuser and a tailgate spoiler.


The tail lamp design has also been remodelled, with black garnish added to improve its visibility to the tailing motorist. A new 17-inch alloy wheel design completes the new list for the exterior.

Inside, refinements include a leather gear knob and steering wheel, which now has integrated audio controls, as well as sporty alloy pedals. The leather gear knob and steering wheel come with red stitching, and additional red cues can be found across the entire instrument panel, cup holders, and upholstery in the interior.
The facelifted Stream RSZ is available in four colour options, these being Premium White Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Polished Metal Metallic and New Passion Red Pearl. It is priced at RM158,980, on-the-road with insurance.

BMW E92 M3 GTS

Source by:https://www.m-power.com/_open/b/home.jsp?lang=en
BMW M3 GTS Overview Video

So the BMW M3 GTS concept vehicle puts the scales up to around 1490 kilograms - causing the engineer to give an appreciative nod.

The drivetrain? The heart of the BMW M3 GTS?
The car is fitted with a 7-speed M dual clutch transmission with adapted shift characteristics. But an absolute highlight is to be found under the bonnet. Exclusively for the BMW M3 GTS, the engine builders of BMW M - recent winners of the Engine of the Year Award once again - have developed a power unit based on the M high-performance engine of the current BMW M3: with a capacity of 4.4 litres and an output of some 450 bhp, it will catapult the light BMW M3 GTS into a whole new sphere. After all, the aim is to clearly beat the lap time of the legendary M3 CSL on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. And test runs certainly give grounds for optimism.

Even when you see it from a distance, you are instantly electrified. As a BMW M enthusiast, every step you take towards the orange painted concept vehicle of the BMW M3 GTS with its numerous matt black applications raises your adrenaline level a little more.
The new titanium rear silencer not only looks great and contributes to the thrilling sound of the BMW M3 GTS, it is also much lighter than its serial production counterpart.

The wheels almost fill out the wheel arches, but if you look closely you discover the next highlight. Yellow springs with a small M logo provide the crucial clue: a threaded suspension, adjustable in compression and rebound. “The rear axle support is bolted in place,” adds the responsible engineer.

“The serial production BMW M3 is already weight-optimised with a whole range of measures reserved for the BMW M3 CSL in the last model - the striking carbon lightweight roof
The expert will also spot the adjustable front splitter and rear wing. One thing is clear: this car is serious stuff. Not only can a high level of downforce be generated but it also precisely adjustable at front and rear. Fast bends can look forward to welcoming the BMW M3 GTS - but they won’t get to see it for long.
Indispensable for safety reasons: the lightweight construction body has been prepared for installation of the 6-point seatbelt included for use on the race track. There are also mounts for the roll-over protective structure bolted on from the B column. A fire extinguisher and a battery master switch/emergency shut-off preparation do not make the car lighter either - but safer.
All this is certainly nice looking and sensible, but what you glimpse through the spokes of the aluminium wheel rims is even more exciting: a generously sized fixed caliper brake system with six pistons at the front and four at the rear.
A cluster of lightweight construction measures such as optimisation of the insulation, the use of lightweight parts in the interior, the use of Macrolon for the car's windows in the back, the lack of air conditioning, navigation and radio and the entire rear seat also gets the scales the down.
Exclusive 19-inch wheels with ample 255/35 tyres at the front and 285/30 at the rear catch your eye


For more information, Kindly visit m-power.com @ https://www.m-power.com/_open/b/home.jsp?lang=en

Information on Blow off valves, Dump valves and Screamer pipes

Blow off valves and dump valves

When the throttle is closed (when you lift off the accelerator) in a turbo driven engine there is a build up of pressure as forced air is still coming from the turbo. Lifting off the throttle is a lot like putting a plug in the sink - the flow through is stopped and water would just build up and overflow the sink. In a car as the engine is not burning fuel it is not using oxygen either so the whole turbo system would be under pressure and cause either split pipes or cause damage to the turbo itself as air tries to rush backwards through the turbo making a clattering noise known as compressor surge, sometimes causing the turbine to spin in reverse and this is a massive strain on the bearings. A release valve is needed and this helps prolong the life of your turbo and allows a faster response.





Caution: You will sound like a jet taking off - old ladies will jump children will cry and you will not make any friends!!

Blow Off Valve



Nearly all turbo cars are fitted with some kind of simple relief valve to avoid these problems. The standard valve usually releases the pressure into the intake before the turbo which is not pressurised and if the throttle is reapplied the partially pressurised air is efficiently sucked back in. The BOV or blow off valve also referred to as a dump valve or vent valve quite simply vents the excess pressure into the atmosphere with a pfsssst sound, a whistle, a clatter or similar noise. A wide variety of BOV types are available from leading car part suppliers, ask aound in our forum to see which ones perform the best on your particular vehicle.



Some ECU's in a closed loop engine system fitted with a mass air flow sensor are confused by this sudden missing pressure which has vanished and the engine can briefly run rich causing hesitancy, juddering or stalling. The more boost you are running the more problematic this effect can be.



A screamer pipe is fitted to the wastegate and only comes on when the turbo is at full boost, not when you back off the throttle (a screamer pipe is fitted to the Ferrari F40 which looks like a third exhaust pipe in the back). Screamer pipes are extremely noisy and should technically be looped into the exhaust pipe system just before the cat. With some clever design these can keep the turbo spinning a little longer and allow for a faster back on the throttle response helping to eliminate turbo lag. Screamer pipes which vent into the atmosphere are extremely loud sounding like a jet engine and due to the excessive noise they are banned from most tracks with noise restrictions and as they bypass the cat the car effectively fails any emissions test.



Example: Ferrari F360 with SCREAMING pipes