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Volvo releases R-Design Package
Styling enhancements give the C30, S40 and V50 extra attitude
Volvo R-Design package
When designer, Peter Horbury, first came to Volvo in the early 1990s, he gave the brand a much-needed facelift. Boxy sedans and wagons gave way to elegant cars that combined Volvo’s humanism with Horbury’s post-modern panache.
It’s kismet that Volvo introduces its R-style kit for the C30, S40 and V50, just as Horbury prepares for his return to the mother ship. “R” is Volvo’s designation for performance-tuning. In this case, R connotes styling enhancements that also boost performance.
Customers can choose from ten exterior colors. On the outside, the R-Design package includes front and rear spoilers, ground effects, a larger exhaust pipe, seventeen-inch Serapis alloy wheels, special door and mirror trim.
Interior upgrades include special upholstery with R-Design inserts, R-Design center stack and panel inlays, special gauges, aluminum sport pedals, leather sport steering wheel, and a leather and aluminum shift lever.
For more information on Volvo’s current model line-up, visit the consumer web site.
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A Thousand Miles on a Single Tank of Gas
Ford driving team will see if the Fusion Hybrid can go the distance
Ford Fusion Hybrid
This weekend, a team of Ford drivers is attempting a thousand-mile trek in the Fusion Hybrid to raise awareness about eco-driving techniques and raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In order to go the distance on a single tank of gas, the mid-sized sedan needs to average 57 miles-per-gallon. In tests, the Fusion has achieved 70 mile-per-gallon fuel economy.
The driving team consists of hypermiling champ, Wayne Gerdes, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, Sherif Marakby and Gil Portalatin- both from the Fusion development team, and two of Ford’s hybrid experts, Tom Rolewicz and Steve Burke.
The 1000-Mile Challenge begins Saturday morning in Mount Vernon, Virginia, and ends Monday in Washinton, DC. The drivers will do stints of two-to-three hours apiece, for a total driving time of 43 consecutive hours. The Fusion Hybrid they are driving is a factory model with no modifications, which runs on regular 87 octane gasoline.
The Fusion team wants to share the following eco-driving tips with consumers:
Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure;
Gradual acceleration and braking;
Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to conserve fuel;
Minimizing heater and air conditioner use to reduce engine load;
Using the vehicle’s kinetic forward motion to climb hills and downhill momentum to build speed;
Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum; and
Maintaining a safe following distance, and anticipating traffic conditions.For more information on this weekend’s thousand-mile challenge, visit the Ford web site.