Developed by Lotus Engineering and licensed to Harman International, Halosonic is also capable of generating flat six, V8 and V12 sounds—but care must be taken to avoid these at all costs. They are freakishly wrong. Better stick with variations of “Futuristic”.

The system itself is rather more complex than a simple Star Trek gimmick. The video depicts only one of four pillars of Halosonic, namely EESS: external electronic sound synthesis. A technical explanation is available at Lotus’s R&D department, complete with decibel charts and a sea of TLA’s. If you’re prepared for an onslaught of EOC, RNC, IESS and EESS, documentation awaits here.

Photo Credit: Pedro Moura Pinheiro/Flickr, Lotus Engineering. Hat tip to Máté Petrány.

So what's Nardelli got to say about life, liberty and the pursuit of less losses for Cerberus? Here's the full transcript of his exclusive interview with CNBC's David Faber:

CNBC EXCLUSIVE: CNBC TRANSCRIPT: CNBC'S DAVID FABER SITS DOWN
WITH ROBERT NARDELLI, CHRYSLER CHAIRMAN & CEO, TODAY ON CNBC'S "WALL
STREET CRISIS: IS YOUR MONEY SAFE?"

WHEN: Today, Thursday, October 16th at 8:40PM ET

WHERE: CNBC's "Wall Street Crisis: Is Your Money Safe?"

Following is the unofficial transcript of a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview
with Robert Nardelli, Chrysler Chairman & CEO.

All references must be sourced to CNBC

———————————————————————————————-

FABER: THANK YOU MARK. YEAH WE ARE HERE ROBERT NARDELLI. MR. NARDELLI
THANKS FOR JOINING US.

NARDELLI: THANK YOU. IT IS GREAT TO BE HERE.

FABER: ON THIS LOVELY EVENING WITH THE CRICKETS WITH THE BACKGROUND. LET
ME START OFF WITH THE HEADLINES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN SEEING, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR MORE THAN A WEEK NOW.
ARE YOU IN TALKS WITH GENERAL MOTORS? IS IT POSSIBLE CHRYSLER WILL GET
PURCHASED BY GM?

NARDELLI: AS YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'T COMMENT ON THOSE RUMORS OR
SPECULATION, DAVID, BUT I THINK IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE GLOBE, TODAY THEY
ANNOUNCED IN CHINA A CONSOLIDATION. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S GOING TO BE
SPECULATIONS.WE'VE BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT LOOKING FOR PARTNERS AND
CREATING ALLIANCES, VERY IMPORTANT FOR US. WE ANNOUNCED THE ONE WITH
NISSAN THAT WOULD GET US INTO A "B" PLATFORM, A SMALLER-SIZED VEHICLE.
IS IT SOMETHING WE CAN'T DO? SURELY NOT. WE HAVE GREAT ENGINEERS, WE'VE
GOT GREAT TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO DO IT, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S A RACE.
IT'S A RACE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN RESPOND TO AN UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE IN
THE INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER DEMAND BY DOWNSIZING. SO BY BEING ABLE TO FORM
THESE ALLIANCES OR CREATE THESE PARTNERSHIPS, WE'RE TRYING TO FILL OUR
PORTFOLIO TO SUPPORT OUR DEALERS TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

FABER: THERE ARE SOME WHO SAY THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF BENEFITS FROM
CONSOLIDATION, FROM A GM AND CHRYSLER, THE SYNERGIES WOULD BE
CONSIDERABLY VERY LARGE. DO YOU AGREE?

NARDELLI: WELL, I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE U.S. INDUSTRY, WE STARTED THE
YEAR AT ABOUT 16.6 MILLION UNITS. WE FINISHED LAST MONTH AT 12.8. THE
PIN NUMBERS TODAY ARE AROUND 12 MILLION UNITS. I THINK IT JUST,
CERTAINLY, CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT FOR CONSOLIDATION, WHERE YOU CAN GET
SYNERGIES OF PRODUCTIVITY THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE,
NOT ONLY HERE IN THE U.S. MARKET, BUT ON A GLOBAL BASIS.

FABER: TO THE EXTENT — AND I REALIZE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO COMMENT ON THE
TALKS, PER SE, TO THE EXTENT THERE ARE ANY, BUT WHEN THOSE KINDS OF
TALKS OCCUR,THEY CAN ALSO BE DISTRACTING. FOR MANAGEMENT, AND
POTENTIALLY FOR EMPLOYEES. ASSUMING THERE ARE TALKS GOING ON, IS IT
SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD APPROACH AND THEN WANT TO TRY TO GET AN ANSWER
TO IN A FAIRLY RAPID FASHION?

NARDELLI: LET ME JUST SAY, I COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH A TREMENDOUS LEVEL OF ANXIETY. REMEMBER, THEY
FORMED A MERGER OF EQUALS, IF YOU WILL, A WHILE BACK. AND THEN ALL
OPTIONS WERE PUT ON THE TABLE IN SOME TIME, FEBRUARY, MARCH OF LAST
YEAR, AND THEN WE CONSUMMATED THE DEAL, IF YOU WILL, WITH CERBERUS.
AGAIN, I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER WITH CERBERUS AS OUR OWNERS AND STEVE
FEINBERG HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH, THE ENTIRE
ORGANIZATION. SO OUR PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH TREMENDOUS ANXIETY.
THEY'VE SEEN THE PEAKS, THEY'VE SEEN THE VALLEYS. NOT ONLY RECENTLY, BUT
THE HISTORY OF CHRYSLER, DAVID, AS YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN ONE OF A LITTLE
BIT OF A ROLLER COASTER RIDE, WHERE WE'VE ALWAYS MANAGED TO COME OUT
WITH SOME BOLD, INTIMIDATING, COMMANDING DESIGNS. NEW TECHNOLOGIES,
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO WHAT CUSTOMERS ARE LOOKING FOR. SO I THINK OUR
PEOPLE ARE VERY RESILIENT. AND WE JUST KEEP REASSURING THEM THAT OUR
RESPONSIBILITY IS TO RETURN CHRYSLER TO PROFITABILITY. WE FOCUS ON THAT
EVERY DAY. WE DO THAT BY MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOT GREAT PRODUCT
CADENCE. WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING HEAVILY IN QUALITY. THAT OUR
QUALITY TODAY IS BETTER THAN YESTERDAY. NOT AS GOOD AS IT'S GOING TO BE
TOMORROW, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY CHANGE THE IMAGE, THE REPUTATION, THE
RELIABILITY, THE DURABILITY OF OUR VEHICLE, THAT THEN SUPPORTS OUR
DEALER NETWORK. A STRONG DEALER NETWORK, A LOYAL DEALER NETWORK, AND
THEN TRY TO RESPOND TO CONSUMER DEMAND.

FABER: LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. THE
PRICE OF OIL HAS DROPPED PRECIPITOUSLY. ONE WOULD IMAGINE THAT MIGHT BE
GOOD NEWS FOR YOUR INDUSTRY. ONE MIGHT IMAGINE THAT, BUT I CAN ALSO
IMAGINE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE.

NARDELLI: I THINK IN A NORMAL ENVIRONMENT, WE'D BE DOING A DANCE RIGHT
NOW AT UNDER $70, YOU KNOW, AROUND $3 PER GALLON. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN OIL
SPIKED, GASOLINE PRICES WENT UP TO $4. WE THOUGHT THAT WAS GOING TO BE
OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN 2008.IF YOU THINK ABOUT AN ECONOMY THAT'S IN
TURMOIL, IF YOU THINK ABOUT AN INDUSTRY THAT'S SPIRALING DOWNWARD, $4 A
GALLON GAS HAS REALLY BEEN DWARFED BY THIS WHOLE ISSUE NOW OF CREDIT
AVAILABILITY FOR OUR CONSUMERS, CONSUMER CONFIDENCE, CONSUMERS' ABILITY
TO ACTUALLY GET INTO A VEHICLE. YOU'VE SEEN SOME FINANCING ARMs TODAY
ANNOUNCE, UNLESS YOU HAVE A FICA SCORE OF ABOUT 700, YOU WON'T QUALIFY.
A LOT OF NORMAL CUSTOMERS OUT THERE TODAY, DAVID, ARE 650, 670. AND SO
THOSE THAT HAVE ENOUGH INITIATIVE, ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO BUY A VEHICLE
MAY FIND THEMSELVES NOT QUALIFYING FOR A VEHICLE.

FABER: SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT DESPITE THIS INCREDIBLE DROP IN OIL, WHICH
ONE WOULD IMAGINE WOULD BE GOOD NEWS FOR YOUR POTENTIAL BUYER, THE
CREDIT PROBLEM IS DWARFING THAT?

NARDELLI: I THINK, NUMBER ONE, IT'S PARAMOUNT IN THE CONSUMER MIND RIGHT
NOW. I THINK IT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE FACING RELATIVE TO
OUR DEALER NETWORK, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO FINANCE THEM ON
THE WHOLESALE BASIS, THAT THEY STILL HAVE GOOD ACCESS TO RETAIL
FINANCING, AND SO WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD RELATIVE TO INCENTIVES TO MAKE
SURE THAT OUR CONSUMERS CAN GET INTO OUR VEHICLES. WE TRIED THAT EARLIER
THIS YEAR WITH REFUELING AMERICA.SO WE HAVE A LASER FOCUS ON OUR DEALERS
AND OUR CONSUMERS, OUR CUSTOMERS TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS,
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS, KIND OF OUT-OF-THE-BOX SOLUTIONS. BECAUSE AS A
PRIVATE EQUITY COMPANY, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THINGS IN SOMEWHAT OF
AN UNTRADITIONAL MANNER.

FABER: HOLD IT THERE. WE'RE GOING TO BE RIGHT THERE. I WANT TO TAKE A
BREAK AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO TALK WITH BOB NARDELLI, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF
CHRYSLER

FABER: WELCOME BACK TO CNBC, I'M DAVID FABER HERE IN KIAWAH ISLAND,
SOUTH CAROLINA, WHERE THE BUSINESS COUNCIL IS TAKING PLACE. I'VE BEEN
SPEAKING TO BOB NARDELLI, THE CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF CHRYSLER. WE'VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT THE CREDIT CRISIS HAS BEEN HAVING ON YOUR
BUYERS, WHO ARE UNABLE TO GET CREDIT TO BUY AUTOMOBILES. YOU MENTIONED
16.6 MILLION AUTO SALES. WHERE ARE WE HEADED? SOME SEE US HEADED AS LOW
AS 13 MILLION. IS THAT REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

NARDELLI: I THINK THAT'S A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY. DAVID, WE STARTED THE
YEAR AT ABOUT 16.6. LAST NOVEMBER, TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A VERY
AGGRESSIVE, CONSERVATIVE PLAN FOR CHRYSLER, WE KIND OF PEGGED IT AT
15.5. SO WE THOUGHT WE WERE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE THROUGH THE FIRST
QUARTER. THEN WE SAW THIS UNPRECEDENTED AND PRECIPITOUS SPIRALING
DOWNWARD. LAST MONTH WE ENDED WITH SEASONALLY ADJUSTED RATE OF ABOUT
12.8. AGAIN, THERE ARE FORECASTS OUT THERE THAT THE YEAR COULD END AT 13
MILLION. RIGHT NOW THE PIN NUMBERS HAVE US JUST SLIGHTLY ABOVE 12
MILLION. SO JUST IMAGINE THE VOLUME CONTRACTION, JUST IN THE U.S.
MARKET.

FABER: THAT'S SHOCKING. THAT'S OVER 4.5 MILLION CARS.

NARDELLI: IT IS. SO JUST TO PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT, THAT'S AS BIG AS ONE
OF THREE MANUFACTURERS IN DETROIT IS TODAY. SO WE'VE HAD TO,
UNFORTUNATELY, TAKE OUT ABOUT 1.1 MILLION EQUIVALENT UNITS OF CAPACITY.
WE'VE HAD TO AFFECT WELL OVER 25,000 FAMILIES AS A RESULT OF HAVING TO
RESIZE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN BE COMPETITIVE THROUGH THIS TROUGH AND
COME OUT THE OTHER BIGGER, STRONGER, AND MORE FORMIDABLE. ONE OF THE
MOST GUT WRENCHING PARTS OF THIS JOB RIGHT NOW IS TO AFFECT PEOPLES
LIVES. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ASPIRE TO HOMES AND COLLEGE EDUCATIONS AND
SO FORTH. SO IT'S REALLY ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGES PARTS THAT I'VE HAD
TO GET MY ARMS AROUND IN THE LAST YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH —

FABER: MANY CONSUMERS HAVE WATCHED THE STOCK MARKET DIVE OVER THESE LAST
THREE WEEKS, OCTOBER HAS BEEN WORSE THAN SEPTEMBER. I'VE BEEN SPEAKING
TO PEOPLE VERY CLOSE TO CONSUMER-RUN COMPANIES AND THEY SAY THEY'VE SEEN
A PRECIPITOUS DECLINE SINCE THE END OF SEPTEMBER. ARE YOU SEEING SIMILAR
KINDS OF THINGS?

NARDELLI: I THINK CERTAINLY IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF OCTOBER.
WHAT I PROVED, DAVID, NO ONE IS IMMUNE FROM THIS ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT
WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. I SAW YOU AND JOHN THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW, ON YOUR
SEGMENT, AND I THINK HE FRAMED IT VERY APPROPRIATELY. I THINK YOU ASKED
HIM IF WE WERE HEADED FOR A RECESSION. HE SAID, I THINK WE'RE IN ONE.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE SEEING, AGAIN, AN UNBELIEVABLE CONTRACTION. AND
OBVIOUSLY THE SPECULATION AND THE RUMORS AROUND THAT IS KIND OF DUE
COURSE. IT'S NORMAL ANY TIME YOU HAVE THIS KIND OF ECONOMIC PRESSURE,
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE CONSOLIDATIONS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE PARTNERSHIPS,
ALLIANCES TO TRY AND OPTIMIZE AND GET PRODUCTIVITY AND SYNERGIES OF
TECHNOLOGY.

FABER: BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO OPTIMIZE YOUR COSTS ARE
WHEN YOUR IN DEMAND IS VARYING SO MUCH. IT MUST BE VERY DIFFICULT.

NARDELLI: IT'S VERY CHALLENGING, PARTICULARLY IN THIS INDUSTRY BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT A MATTER OF JUST CANCELING AN ORDER. YOU
KNOW, TO STOCK A SHELF AS IN RETAIL. WE'VE MADE HUGE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS
IN EXCESS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR A LOT OF THESE PLATFORMS. AND SO
WHEN YOU HAVE TO DOWNSIZE, OBVIOUSLY YOUR AMORTIZATION ON THE PHYSICAL
CAPITAL IN OUR FACILITIES, WORKING WITH THE SUPPLIER NETWORK IS
EXTREMELY CHALLENGING, DAVID.YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DID THE DUE DILIGENCE ON
CHRYSLER, WHAT WE SAW THERE'S ABOUT 1 MILLION PEOPLE DEPENDING ON OUR
SUCCESS.

FABER: IN TERMS OF ALL OF THE SUPPLIERS.

NARDELLI: YOU LOOK AT NOT ONLY OUR DIRECT EMPLOYEES. YOU LOOK AT THE
DEALER NETWORK, 3,600 DEALERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, THE SUPPLIERS, THE
LOGISTICS, THE TRANSPORTATION, IT'S A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY. AND I HOPE
THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC, I HOPE THAT OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON
UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE PRESSURE THAT THE INDUSTRY IS UNDER
RIGHT NOW. AND CERTAINLY IT'S GONE FROM HOUSING TO BANKING AND I THINK,
UNFORTUNATELY, TRANSPORTATION IS FEELING THE BLUNT OF BOTH OF THOSE
SECTORS.

FABER: I WANT TO END ON THAT. AND LET ME QUICKLY ASK YOU, IN 1979,
CHRYSLER GOT BAILED OUT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. $1.5 BILLION, A VERY
SMALL SUM IN CURRENT TERMS. IS IT POSSIBLE YOU'RE GOING TO NEED THE HELP
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGAIN?

NARDELLI: WELL, I THINK THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING
WE KNOW HOW TO DO. WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY LINE ITEM WHILE AT THE SAME
TIME TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE A VERY STRONG PRODUCT CADENCE.
WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COMPLIANT WITH THE CAFE
STANDARDS THAT HAVE PUT A TREMENDOUS FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THE AUTO
INDUSTRY. WE FULLY SUPPORT, DAVID, ENERGY INDEPENDENCE. WE SUPPORT THE
NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS, WE'RE DRIVING HARD ON INNOVATION
AND TECHNOLOGY TO MEET BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL,
THOUGH, HOWEVER, AS WE TRY TO GAIN INDEPENDENCE ON OIL. WE'VE GOT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T BECOME DEPENDENT ON BATTERIES. OUR ENVY PROGRAM
WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SUPPORTING
FINANCIALLY, WORKING WITH THE ENTREPRENEURS TO CREATE THE BATTERY
TECHNOLOGIES HERE IN THE U.S. THAT ALLOWS US TO BE SELF-SUSTAINING.

FABER: WE HAVE TO END IT THERE. OKAY. BOB, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NARDELLI: THANK YOU.

While this rumor on timing is new to us, we'd also heard certain divisions on the white-collar side may be taking an across-the-board 15% pay cut. Hit the jump for the full tip, including a rumor that TRW Automotive plans to make a 10% reduction the day before.

Ford PDC/Engineering just rescheduled a meeting as all employees have to be in the building next Friday (27JN). The rumor is that it's a Black Friday, layoffs to happen.

I can confirm the rumor that TRW Automotive, at least Occupant Restraints North America division, is having a Black Thursday -and- likely a Black Friday. ~10% headcount reduction.

F, of course, is force. It is the result of one car hurtling into another. It's what acts on the human attached to the inside of the car by way of seatbelt. When cars crash into each other there are an incredible number of variables, not the least of which are angles, bumper heights, braking forces etc., but the ones that can be controlled are the ones which have the biggest impact in that equation.

When crashing, you want to minimize the amount of speed involved; slamming on the brakes is a great way to do that. Minimizing mass is going to be a tougher one, considering your car is pretty heavy to start out, and you both won't have a lot of time to jettison stuff while yelling "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." But what about that time thing? What if you could stretch out the amount of time it takes from the start of the accident to the end? This is what crumple zones do.

The cars in the above gallery are designed to survive an accident, not to protect their occupants. In some of the scenarios, the car looks not too much worse for the wear, but the drivers likely suffered significant injuries that would have been avoided in a modern car. The cars that turned into mangled messes probably did the same to their drivers. No car can ever be completely safe; even though the new ones don't look tough, you're way better off in 'em.

Engineers design crash zones to fail along a predictable path using varying materials and construction techniques. As a result, predictable bending, breaking, and stretching occurs. These failure events act like a giant shock absorber sitting in front of your dash, "soaking up" force. If you play around with the above equation, you can see that stretching out the time, even by fractions of seconds, has a remarkable effect on the forces transmitted to the passengers. Of course, this is an extremely simplified look at why cars turn into play-doh during an accident these days. But at least it gives you a fighting chance of explaining why the next time your folks crank up the "back in my day" speech.

Photo credit to Complete All

ORD AND NHRA TEAM UP ON SAFETY; BLUE BOXES TO DEBUT IN ALL NHRA NITRO CARS AT START OF 2008 SEASON

* NHRA will mandate Ford Blue Box crash sensors on all Funny Car and Top Fuel race cars in 2008
* Ford's safety efforts in NHRA are the latest in the company's efforts to make auto racing safer for all competitors

# # # [Source: Ford]

The Golden Gate bridge, for the deaf, blind and comatose people who haven't noticed, is an icon recognized for its beauty; a symbol of all that is good and wonderful about the Golden State. And it's also most-definitely an engineering triumph. So let's face it, if one's despondent and wants to end it all, why wouldn't one choose to meet one's final fate in view one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous vistas on the planet, using one of one of man's great engineering feats as a springboard? For years, however, authorities have gone back and forth on how best to prevent folks from using the bridge as the embarkation point for a quick journey to their own personal terminus. Frankly, we say, if they've got the guts to get out there and do it instead of just dumping a bottle of reds into their bellies at home, let 'em go. If barriers must be installed, do not let them ugly up the bridge. Also, all jumpers who clog traffic deciding whether to do so or not should be pushed. Everybody hurts sometimes, but that doesn't mean you have to screw it up for everyone else. – Davey G. Johnson

Suicide barrier wind test [SFGate]

Related:
The Mighty Bay Bridge [Internal]

When the Bangled 7-series dropped just a few short years ago (2002), one of its high-tech highlights was the world's first 6-speed automatic by transmission maker to the stars, ZF. Shortly after the Bimmer dropped, Jaguar, Audi, Bentley, Land Rover and Ford (in their Australia only RWD Falcon) adopted the smooth and torque hungry slushbox. But then Mercedes-Benz came out with a 7-speed auto. Worse, Lexus scooped everyone with an 8-speed. For all those fancy marquees a 6-speed automatic ain't going to cut it. And it won't have to, as ZF just announced their new 8-speed autobox. Aside from the two-extra cogs, ZF is claiming about 6% better mileage compared to the old 6-speed. The new transmission will also send more engine power to the wheels, which we salute. Additionally, the 8-speed has been designed with AWD and hybrid applications in mind. As for the bigger question, will we see a 10-speed auto in 2011? Oh yes, we hope so. Unless DSGs replace conventional autos in high end cars. – Jonny Lieberman

ZF develops new 8-speed auto [motorauthority.com]

Related:
Eight! With Coming ZF Box, BMW Will Match Lexus [Internal]

"Toyota sent about 100-150 over to Subaru and vice versa...that exchange started a couple months after the agreement was reached for Toyota to invest in 8.7% of our parent (Fuji)...so there's some intermingling going on right now, and in a year or two I think you'll see that bear fruit for both companies."

Toyota, Subaru Swap Engineers [WardsAuto.com]

Related:
Toyota and Subaru Form Alliance; Toyota, Subaru to Collaborate on Hybrids. [internal]

The great cog war of the 2010s may involve cars with as many gears as our first Schwinn. But let's not get ahead of ourselves — we're still on eight. Last year, Toyota broke the seven-speed threshold with an eight box for its Lexus models. Now, BMW will soon be offering a new eight-speed automatic transmission — developed by tranny powerhouse ZF — in its 7-Series as early as 2009. Benefits of the additional gears include more closely matching engine speed with gearing, faster shift speed and better mileage. Boy, we can't wait for those 21-speed "mountain" cars of the future. – Mike Spinelli

ZF developing new 8-speed auto for BMW [Motor Authority]

Related:
Detroit Auto Show: Lexus IS-F Hits Early; New Lexus Flagship Hybrid Unveiled; Carmakers Push Toward Eight-Speed Transmissions [internal]

We're plumb tuckered with Egad/Edag wordplay, so this one comes to you from our serious place. German design and engineering house Edag plans to show off a new concept truck at the Geneva show, dubbed LUV. But this concept is no Isuzu-built compact Chevrolet pickup from the 1970s; it's a maritime-themed hauler with a teak-covered loading platform. Maritime? According to the company, LUV means "luff" in German. Right, we had to look it up too — it's the act of sailing a ship nearer the wind, so that the sail flaps. Regardless, the company says it's considering custom shop partners to build the LUV as a limited series model. Egad! – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

Maritime flair for the road
Launch of "LUV", EDAG's new concept car, at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show

Fulda/Geneva On 7th March, 2007, the cry of "Cast off!" will go up in Geneva for the "EDAG LUV", the latest concept car of EDAG Engineering + Design AG.
Conceived as a niche vehicle, the LUV presents a maritime appearance from its bows to its stern, and is targeted at customers who are not looking for just an ordinary car, and who appreciate something more distinctive.

Oiled teak on the bonnet, inside as the floor covering , and again on the elegant loading plat-form, gives a nautical flair.
The dimensions of the "EDAG LUV" are also imposing. Taking as their basis a high end SUV, the EDAG Engineering + Design AG designers and engineers have constructed an LUV with an impressive overall length of 5.70 metres. Over 2 metres wide and 1.80 metres high, the "EDAG LUV" is a real eye-catcher.
Behind the two rows of seats with ample space for 5 passengers, there is a teak-covered loading platform. This, in keeping with the maritime look of the concept car, has the distinct air of a quarter deck. Retractable clamps mounted in the teak flooring provide the owner of the "EDAG LUV" with the same kind of practical means of securing loads found on ships and boats.

"LUV", the name of the concept car, is also a German nautical term, meaning "luff": Apart from this, however, the term also defines a new vehicle segment, namely the Luxury Utility Vehicle.
The harmonious lines of the body's design enable the loading platform and passenger cell to be joined together so elegantly that the utility vehicle character frequently manifest in pick-up models is no longer evident.
"LUV": A new vehicle type which, with its originality, size and elegance, has clearly been developed by EDAG as a niche vehicle for a target group who prefer vehicle concepts which diverge to one side or the other of the mainstream.

The entire project, from the concept defining stage, through the design process and development, culminating in the ready-to-drive prototype, took just three months to complete, and is ready for conversion into a premium edition. With the EDAG LUV, the world's largest, independent engineering partner has once again demonstrated its abilities as an all-round developer - from concept to production readiness.
The "EDAG LUV" is an example of how, with an economically acceptable outlay, it is possible to transform a model for volume pro-duction into an independent niche vehicle.

EDAG is currently in close contact with prestigious vehicle customising companies, looking into the possibility of a potential "launch" of the "EDAG LUV".

Related:
Egad!... Edag Brings "The Heat" for Auto Show [internal]

I guess we're not the only ones with a sick sense of engine-building humor. Thomas Johansson, an engineering graduate student at Sweden's Lule university of technology, created the engine some of the Jalops proposed last week in conversation — a W9. Why, we asked, couldn't someone create an engine with three rows of three cylinders — like a triple helping of the Bl riot XI aircraft's Anzani W3. We're not sure what Johansson plans to do with his creation, or whether it was just a because-I-can exercise, but we'd like to see it in an old rally Saab, or powering some manner of Eastern European flatbed (either one). [Thanks to David for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

W-9 Engine [Atom Racing]

Related:
Cold-War Era Russian Boat for Sale on eBay [internal]

You've walked on it. You've most likely skinned your knees on it while playing kickball or four-square. We're willing to bet you've hooned on it. Yes friends, it's the reason we're not all driving Land Rovers today: it's tarmac! An evolution of John Loudon McAdam's road-building system, which involved breaking rocks in the hot sun, tarmac — introduced by E. Purnell Hooley as a way to cut down on dust produced by the vacuum created by fast-moving vehicles — used a crushed-stone aggregate bound with tar.

However, what we refer to as tarmac today is asphalt. Rather than a process, asphalt is correctly the binding substance of the aggregate; the term for the road-surface material itself is "asphalt concrete." There you go. The tarmac your Yokohamas love is most likely actually asphalt concrete. Who knew that we'd been lied to all along?

Asphalt Concrete [Wikipedia]

Related:
Jalopnik Road Trip Report: Sevening on the Tail of the Dragon [Internal]

The new-Camaro watchers at Camaro5 procured some leaked shots of the next-generation Camaro, all blueprinted up and color coded for easy reference (ascertaining what the colors refer to is above our pay grade). Engineering geeks, however, have a wealth of information at hand. Click on with your pocket-protected selves.

New Camaro Blueprints Leaked [Camaro5]

Related:
More on the Chevrolet Camaro [internal]