SUZUKI

In 1909, Michio Suzuki founded the Suzuki Loom Company in the small seacoast village of Hamamatsu, Japan. Business boomed as Suzuki built weaving looms for Japan's giant silk industry.[3] In 1929, Michio Suzuki invented a new type of weaving machine, which was exported overseas. Suzuki filed as many as 120 patents and utility model rights.[citation needed] The company's first 30 years focused on the development and production of these exceptionally complex machines.[citation needed]

Despite the success of his looms, Suzuki realized his company had to diversify and he began to look at other products. Based on consumer demand, he decided that building a small car would be the most practical new venture. The project began in 1937, and within two years Suzuki had completed several compact prototype cars. These first Suzuki motor vehicles were powered by a then-innovative, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, four-cylinder engine. It featured a cast aluminum crankcase and gearbox and generated 13 horsepower (9.7 kW) from a displacement of less than 800cc.

With the onset of World War II, production plans for Suzuki's new vehicles were halted when the government declared civilian passenger cars a "non-essential commodity." At the conclusion of the war, Suzuki went back to producing looms. Loom production was given a boost when the U.S. government approved the shipping of cotton to Japan. Suzuki's fortunes brightened as orders began to increase from domestic textile manufacturers. But the joy was short-lived as the cotton market collapsed in 1951.

Faced with this colossal challenge, Suzuki's thoughts went back to motor vehicles. After the war, the Japanese had a great need for affordable, reliable personal transportation. A number of firms began offering "clip-on" gas-powered engines that could be attached to the typical bicycle. Suzuki's first two-wheel ingenuity came in the form of a motorized bicycle called, the "Power Free." Designed to be inexpensive and simple to build and maintain, the 1952 Power Free featured a 36 cc, one horsepower, two-stroke engine.[4] An unprecedented feature was the double-sprocket gear system, enabling the rider to either pedal with the engine assisting, pedal without engine assist, or simply disconnect the pedals and run on engine power alone. The system was so ingenious that the patent office of the new democratic government granted Suzuki a financial subsidy to continue research in motorcycle engineering, and so was born Suzuki Motor Corporation.

In 1953, Suzuki scored the first of many racing victories when the tiny 60 cc "Diamond Free" won its class in the Mount Fuji Hill Climb.[4]
1955 Suzulight

By 1954, Suzuki was producing 6,000 motorcycles per month and had officially changed its name to Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. Following the success of its first motorcycles, Suzuki created an even more successful automobile: the 1955 Suzuki Suzulight. Suzuki showcased its penchant for innovation from the beginning. The Suzulight included front-wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension and rack-and-pinion steering—features common on cars half a century later.

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PORSCHE

Porsche SE or Porsche (pronounced /ˈpɔrʃə/) is a German manufacturer of luxury automobiles, which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch families. Porsche SE holds two chief assets, the first of which is Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (which stands for Doktor Ingenieur honoris causa Ferdinand Porsche Aktiengesellschaft), often shortened to Porsche AG, manufacturer of the Porsche automobile line. The second asset is a majority stake in Volkswagen AG, the largest car manufacturer in Europe. The company is headquartered in Zuffenhausen, a city district of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg.

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Chevrolet

Chevrolet (IPA: /ˌʃɛvroʊˈleɪ/ - French origin) (also known as Chevy) is a brand of automobile, produced by General Motors. It is the top selling GM marque, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM. Chevrolet offers 18 vehicles and many different enhanced versions in its home market. The vehicles range from subcompact cars to medium duty commercial trucks. Its number one seller in the United States is the Silverado pickup. Chevrolet continues to be the performance, price, fuel economy, and value leader for General Motors North America.
Source from: www.wikipedia.org

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Aston Martin DB Mark III

The DB Mark III (normally simply called Mark III, even at the time of its introduction) is a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1957 through 1959. It was an evolution of the DB2/4 Mark II model it replaced, using an evolution of that car's W.O. Bentley-designed Lagonda 2.9 L (2922 cc/178 in³) straight-6 engine.

Overview

Changes included a grille like that on the DB3S, a new instrument panel, and available Girling disc brakes. A hydraulic clutch was new as well, and optional Laycock-de Normanville overdrive or automatic transmission were available. Worm-and-sector steering and a live axle rear end were carry overs. At the rear, the DB2/4 Mark II's tailfins were altered to use the rear lights from the Humber Hawk.

The standard DBA engine model with twin SU carburettors produced 162 hp (121 kW), though an optional dual-exhaust system raised this to 178 hp (133 kW). Thus equipped, the car could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 9.3 seconds and hit 120 mph (193 km/h). An optional high-output DBB engine with twin three-choke Weber carburettors, special camshafts, and the dual-exhaust system boasted 195 hp (145 kW), though this was rarer than a mid-level DBD option with triple SU carbs and 180 hp (134 kW).
The DB Mark III featured a hatchback body first seen on the DB2-4.

The useful hatch's struts and springs are visible from inside

Girling disc brakes were fitted as standard to the front wheels of all MkIII Astons, after the first 100 had been made. Many cars were upgraded later. Only five automatic cars were made from a total of 551.

A 1959 review by Road & Track magazine praised the car for everything but its $7,450 price. "A car for connaisseurs," they called it. "The Aston has many virtues and few faults." Among the faults was too-heavy steering effort, high door sills, and a stiff ride. Interestingly, R&T failed to comment at all on the car's innovative hatchback body style, complete with fold-down rear seats, although this had been first introduced in the 2/4 MkI in 1953.

[edit] Coupés

Two Coupe variants of the Mark III were also produced. A Drophead Coupé convertible, while not common, still outnumbered the Fixed Head Coupé — 84 of the former were produced, while just five of the latter were built. All five Fixed Head Coupés feature the high-spec DBB engine, however. Both featured conventional hinged boot lids rather than the innovative hatch back.

[edit] James Bond

James Bond drives an Aston Martin DB Mark III in the novel version of Goldfinger, though it is referred to as a "DB III" in the book – indeed, the chapter in which he drives to his famous golf-course encounter with the villain is entitled 'Thoughts in a DB III'. It is the only Bond car in the Ian Fleming novels to have gadgets installed. For the film adaptation, which came out a half-decade later, the car was updated to the newer Aston Martin DB5 model and the array of gadgetry was much expanded. It was to became one of the most iconic of classic cars as a result.

[edit] The Hardy Boys

The Hardy Boys drive a red one borrowed from their friend, Warren Avis (named after the writer) in the new Casefile novel, Murder In Paradise. It is blown up in a car bomb, suppositely killing Andrea.
source from: www.wikipedia.org

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Aston Martin DBS V12

This article is about the new Aston Martin DBS V12. For the classic, 1967 to 1972 GT car, see Aston Martin DBS.

The modern Aston Martin DBS is a high performance sports car from the UK manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston has used the DBS name once before on their 1967-72 grand tourer coupe. The modern car replaces the Vanquish S as the flagship of the marque.
The DBS V12 and James Bond

The DBS was first seen in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale. It was officially unveiled at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance sporting a brand new exterior colour, a graphite grey with a blue tint which has been dubbed 'Casino Ice'. The two seater coupé (as opposed to the 2+2 DB9 which the car is based on) has a bonded aluminium chassis and is made of lightweight magnesium alloy, carbon fibre composite and aluminium. It is the first production Aston Martin to make extensive use of carbon-fibre body panels.

Although Ford sold over 90% of Aston Martin Lagonda Limited in 2007, the DBS returns for the pre-credits car chase around Lake Garda in the 2008 Bond film Quantum of Solace.[1]

[edit] Performance

Power comes from the heavily revised handmade 6.0 litre V12 engine from the DBR9 racing car, tuned to deliver 510 bhp (380 kW; 517 PS) at 6500 rpm and 420 lb·ft (569 N·m) of torque at 5750 rpm. The V12 power plant features a new by-pass air intake port that opens above 5500 rpm to boost engine breathing as well as re-profiled air inlet ports that further improve airflow into the combustion chamber. A curb weight of 3737 pounds (1690 kg), combined with the 510 bhp (380 kW; 517 PS) V12 help the DBS accelerate 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds and reach a top speed of around 191 mph (307 km/h).[2]

The DBS is fitted with new vented carbon ceramic brakes discs – a first for a road-going Aston Martin, it reduces unsprung weight by 12.5 kg (28 lb). The front wheels are fitted with 398 mm (15.7 in) diameter carbon ceramic brakes with six-piston calipers. The rear wheels have 360 mm (14.2 in) diameter brakes with four-piston calipers. The double wishbone alloy [suspension] features an adaptive damper controlled suspension which uses two separate valves to set the dampers to five different positions, allowing instant adjustment of the car’s ride and handling characteristics.

Also included is a new hand finished interior with black lacquer, brushed alloy, semi-aniline leather and Alcantara as some of the materials. The Aston Martin DBS also features an optional Bang & Olufsen sound system with 13 active loudspeakers including 2 tweeters with ALT (Acoustic Lens Technology)[3]. The car comes with a six speed manual transmission standard and retails for approximately $265,000 USD for the base model. [4]

On 22 January 2008, spy photos of a convertible DBS otherwise known as the DBS Volante appeared on the internet.[5]
source from: www.wikipedia.org

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ASTON MARTIN DBR9

The Aston Martin DBR9 is a racing car by Aston Martin Racing, first built in 2005. The name DBR9 is derived from the original 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning DBR1 car, named for then-owner David Brown, which not only won the 24 Hour race in 1959 but also the World Sportscar title.

Development

Based on the Aston Martin DB9 road car, the DBR9 retains the chassis, and the cylinder block and heads of the road car's V12 engine. The rest of the car is re-engineered for high performance competition use. The DBR9's bodywork is a blend of optimum aerodynamic performance and the styling of the DB9 road car. All the body panels are constructed from carbon fibre composite (except the roof) to minimize the weight of the car. To complete the aerodynamic body, the bottom of the car is flat all the way from the front to the rear diffuser. To optimise rear downforce a carbon fibre wing has been added. The car goes from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds.

For the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Prodrive made modifications to the DBR9 design in order to not only improve performance, but also to increase driver comfort in the cockpit. Due to new regulations put into place by Le Mans organizers, the DBR9 required the installation of an air conditioning unit in order to prevent overstressing drivers. Prodrive went further by putting a heat-resistant white roof on all new cars to assist in keeping cockpit temperatures down. Performance modifications included the removal of two cooling vents from the bonnet of the car due to no longer being necessary.

[edit] Racing history
A DBR9 running in the 2005 Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
The 2008 Le Mans GT1 class winner at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The DBR9 won the Sebring 12 Hours for its LMGT1 category in 2005, but came third in Le Mans 24 Hour behind arch-rivals Corvette Racing due to fuel problems. In 2006, the DBR9 was unable to repeat its success at Sebring, finishing second behind a Corvette. A similar situation occurred at Le Mans as well. Despite not winning Sebring and Le Mans, Aston Martin Racing regularly challenged Corvette Racing for victory in the rest of the American Le Mans Series schedule, with victories at Lime Rock Park, Miller Motorsports Park, Mosport, Petit Le Mans, and Laguna Seca. Aston Martin capped their 2006 ALMS season by finishing second in the GT1 Manufacturer's Championship, earning the factory team an automatic entry to the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In the Le Mans Endurance Series, the Larbre Compétition took the Team's Championship, with victories at the 1000 Kilometres of Istanbul and 1000 Kilometres of the Nurburgring, a second place finish at the 1000 Kilometres of Jarama, and a fifth place finish at the 1000 Kilometres of Donington.

The DBR9 came into the 2006 FIA GT Championship being title contender favourites, but the season was somewhat lacklustre with only two victories at Mugello and Dubai. The Phoenix Racing Aston Martin DBR9 narrowly missed out on victory at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. BMS Scuderia Italia cited a problem with finding the right tyre compound with their Pirellis as the factor for their lack of success.

For 2007, Aston Martin was finally able to overcome their woes at Le Mans, securing the GT1 class victory for the #009 Aston Martin Racing DBR9. Larbre's DBR9 would also manage third place in class. The teams running DBR9s managed to finish every car entered.

Later in 2007, Aston Martin launched the limited edition (300 units expected) DBS road car which has many styling cues taken from the DBR9 in conjunction with the James Bond film Casino Royale. Aston Martin Racing's DBR9s raced 2006 and 2007 under the numbers 007 and 009, in honor of James Bond.

In 2008, while Larbre and Scuderia Italia moved on from Aston Martin, Prodrive continued to field a two-car factory team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The #009 numbered car, with the new Gulf Oil sponsored paint scheme, driven by Darren Turner, Antonio Garcia and David Brabham, won its class.

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ASTON MARTIN DB5

The 1963 Aston Martin DB5 was an improved DB4. The DB series was named after David Brown (the head of Aston Martin from 1947–1972).

The DB5 is famous for being the first and most recognised James Bond car. It has been featured in several films, most notably Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Casino Royale.

The principal differences between the DB4 and DB5 are:

1. The engine was enlarged from 3.7 L to 4.0 L,
2. A new five-speed transmission
3. Three SU carburettors, producing 282 bhp (210 kW), propelling the car to 141 mph (227 km/h).

Standard equipment on the DB5 included reclining seats, pile carpets, electric windows and a fire extinguisher. All models had 4 seats and 2 doors. The UK recommended list price of the sports saloon (coupe) in December 1963 was £4,248 including Purchase Tax, the convertible was £4,562.
Specifications

Standard coupe:[1]

* Engine: 3,995 cc (243.8 cu in) Inline-6
* Power: 282 bhp (210 kW) at 5500 rpm
* Torque: 288 lb·ft (390 N·m) at 3850 rpm
* Weight: 1,502 kg (3,310 lb)
* Top Speed: 141 mph (227 km/h)
* 0–60 mph (97 km/h) Acceleration: 8.1 s

[edit] Variants

[edit] DB5 Vantage

The high-performance DB5 Vantage was introduced in 1964 and featured three Weber carburettors. This engine produced 314 bhp (234 kW). Only 65 DB5 Vantage coupes were built.

[edit] DB5 convertible
1965 DB5 Vantage convertible

Just 123 convertible DB5s were produced, though they never used the typical "Volante" name. The convertible was offered from 1963 through to 1965. Only 19 of the 123 DB5 Convertibles made were left-hand drive.


[edit] DB5 shooting brake

A very unusual DB5 was the shooting brake estate car. The prototype was custom produced by the factory for David Brown, and twelve more coupes were custom modified for Aston Martin by independent coachbuilder, Harold Radford.[2] A design flaw with the station wagon was that there was no change to the rear suspension. Drivers of the shooting brake would find this out when the load in the rear shifted at high speed in a corner with a resultant loss of control.

[edit] James Bond's DB5

The Aston Martin DB5 is the most famous Aston Martin car due to its use by James Bond in Goldfinger (1964). Although Ian Fleming had placed Bond in a DB Mark III in the novel, the DB5 was the company's newest model when the film was being made. The car used in the film was the original DB5 prototype, with another standard car used for stunts. Two more modified cars were built for publicity tours after the film's release. In January 2006, one of those cars was auctioned in Arizona for US $2,090,000. The same car was originally bought in 1970 for £5,000 from the owner, Sir Anthony Bamford, by a Tennessee museum owner. [3] The other car is located in the Netherlands in the Louwman Collection Museum, and this car was mainly used for promoting the movie.

Within the universe of James Bond, the same car was used again in the following film, Thunderball (registration BMT 216A). A different Aston Martin DB5 (registration BMT 214A) was used in the 1995 Bond film, GoldenEye in which three different DB5s were used for filming. The BMT 214A also returned in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and was set to make a cameo at Castle Thane in The World Is Not Enough (1999), but the scene was cut. Yet another DB5 appeared in Casino Royale (2006), this one with the steering wheel on the left side versus the previous British versions.

The first DB5 prototype used in Goldfinger with the chassis number DP/216/1 was later stripped of its weaponry and gadgetry by Aston Martin and then resold. It was then retrofitted by subsequent owners with nonoriginal weaponry. The Chassis DP/216/1 DB5 was stolen in 1997 from its last owner in Florida and is currently still missing.[4]

A highly detailed 1:24 scale die-cast model with many working features was produced as a limited edition by the Danbury Mint.[5]

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