Toyota announced Toyota Aqua compact hybrid car

Toyota Motor Corporation announced launch of Toyota Aqua hybrid car which is gasoline electric compact car with comfortable, roomy interior, stylish body and exciting acceleration and agility.

The Toyota Aqua hybrid car is powered with state of the art, small, light and efficient 1.5-liter Toyota Hybrid System II with reduction gear. The car is accelerated from 0 - 100 km/h in 10.7 seconds and also at mid-range speeds such as from 40 km/h to 70 km/h in 3.6 seconds.

The Toyota Aqua hybrid car exterior has bold and modern design with powerful and refined front mask and rear silhouette that evokes imagery of brisk yet stable driving performance. The car comes in ten vibrant and stylish body colors including new Citrus Orange Mica Metallic and Lime White Pearl Crystal Shine.

The Toyota Aqua hybrid car interior instrument panel has great sense of space with modern and geometric layout with color coded, switch operated areas reflects pursuit of enjoyment and user friendliness. The car has bright interior and is available in four patterns Earth Brown, Fresh Green, Cool Blue, and Natural Gray. The car has front and rear seats with ample head clearance and legroom provide excellent comfort.

The Toyota Aqua hybrid car features automatic air conditioning, seat heaters, exhaust heat recirculation system draws heat from engine directly into cooling water, enhancing heating performance and fuel efficiency in winter. The car safety features ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, vehicle stability control, traction control and hill start assist control.

The Toyota Aqua hybrid car incorporates 17 years of Toyota expertise and technology in development of mass produced hybrid cars. The starting price of the Toyota Aqua hybrid car is 1.69 million yen.

10,000 pieces of scrap metal + 3 German Friends = Amazing Scrap Metal Mercedes 300SLR Art Car

Mercedes 300 SLK Scrap Metal Art Car - Art Car Central

Three German friends set out to pay homage to the classic 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR ‘Uhlenhaut Coupe’ by recreating it entirely out of 10,000 pieces of SCRAP METAL. Armin Ciesielski, Peter Brakel and Walter Willer who work for a German company called Giganten aus Stahl (Giants of Steel) decided one day to recreate one of the greatest cars ever made and set out to make a life size mercedes art car. The three sculptors went through thousands of pieces of scrap metal for their recycled art car masterpiece and spent several months cutting and putting about 2200lbs of it all together. Although Ciesielski claims he could rebuild any car out of crap metal, he admits this particular project was more difficult due to the car's detailed intricacy and the work that went into making the car’s engine identical to the original. If any one is interested this Scrap Metal Mercedes Art Car, its for sale for about $90,000 and proudly featured here on Art Car Central.
via Offbeat Earth
 

Mercedes 300 SLK Scrap Metal Art Car - Art Car Central

Mercedes 300 SLK Scrap Metal Art Car - Art Car Central

Mercedes 300 SLK Scrap Metal Art Car - Art Car Central

Mercedes 300 SLK Scrap Metal Art Car - Art Car Central

Mercedes 300 SLK Scrap Metal Art Car - Art Car Central

Mercedes 300 SLK Scrap Metal Art Car - Art Car Central

Original Mercedes 300 SLR

Photos via

What is an Oil Pump?

We all know what a cooling fan is. It is a fan that cools. We also now what a fuel pump is. It's a pump that pumps fuel. So, guess what an oil pump does? It is a pump that pumps Oil.  Woah, the answer to that question was more surprising than the end of a M. Night Shyamalan movie.  Ok, so the oil pump sounds like a pretty basic part, but it plays a vital role in the operation of your vehicle.

The oil pump inside of an internal combustion engine is used to lubricate the engine and reduce friction.  The pump powers oil through bearings, sliding pistons, camshafts, and other small parts. The decrease in friction also means the cooling of pistons, bearings, and shafts. Failure to properly lubricate an engine will result in engine failure.  Now you see how important that cleverly named oil pump is.

The oil pump needs to be generating approximately 10 psi per every 1000 revolutions per minute in order to properly lubricate the system.  If your oil pump is working well but you are still having a low pressure issue, it may be caused by a clogged oil pickup screen, too much wear on a high mileage engine, or you just need to add more oil to your car.  Each car has different oil requirements.  Higher performance vehicles put more stress on the system and they need more lubricating. 

There are basically three types of pumps, a twin gear pump, a Gerotor Pump, and an internal pump.  A twin gear pump has one gear connected to a shaft that is driven by the camshaft or distributor.  A twin gear pump turns at half the speed of the engine and is located inside the oil pan.  A Gerotor Pump has one small gear rotating inside a larger one.  While an internal pump is a Gerotor style pump, an internal pump turns at the same speed of the engine so it creates a stronger flow. An internal pump design is used on overhead cam engines.