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| No charge? |
An American company has come up with a device that will stop even the most scatterbrained of drivers from leaving their headlamps on and draining the battery.
Smart Energy Solutions has devised the Battery Brain, which connects to any conventional lead-acid cell and immediately switches off the battery if it detects that the energy is ebbing away. Some models also offer an anti-theft feature that disconnects the battery when the car is left standing. |
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| Poor sense of direction |
After suddenly veering off a busy road and stranding his Audi on a railway line, a German motorist had to admit to police that he had taken a sudden sharp left turn because the 'friendly voice' of his sat-nav system had told him to. A dozen trams were held up until a tow lorry arrived to clear the car off the track. |
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| Battered cod |
Scientists at Stanford University in California have discovered that male fish, like humans, use a sophisticated form of logical reasoning to assess potential rivals. By watching how other males perform in battles over territory, tiny African fish called cichlids decide which opponent they should take on and are likely to defeat to improve their social standing.
The type of reasoning, known as transitive inference, is learnt by young children and has also been shown as part of the behaviour of primates and rats, but has never before been demonstrated in fish. |
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| Wwwacky website |
Don't those business meetings just drag on? Well, here's a simple way to amuse yourself while the conference room fills with hot air.
Just go to www.bullshitbingo.net and print out (or why not download to your PDA?) one copy of the gamecard for each player. On each card is a list of 'out of the box', 'blue sky thinking' style of business gobbledegook. All you have to do is cross off the phrases as they are uttered. The first person to mark off five words, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, is the winner and must stand up and shout 'bulls**t' as loudly as possible. (Please note, players participate at their own risk and Fleettorque takes no responsibility for any possible loss of privileges, demotions or terminations of employment that may occur as a result of playing bulls**t bingo.)
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Volume 12.02
February 2007 |
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Hello Welcome to the February issue of Fleettorque, brought to you by Fleetcare!
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Chevrolet Corvette |
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 Although General Motors can't build a right-hand-drive version of the Chevrolet Corvette, a small workshop in Queensland can, so finally we have an Aussie version of this iconic American car.
Billed as Detroit's answer to the Porsche 911, and claimed to zoom from 0 to 100kmh in less than 4 seconds, this high-powered Z06 version of the Corvette is bred for endurance sports car racing rather than a trip to the local shop. It's the fastest and most powerful car General Motors has ever built - it's so quick it even has a digital G-force meter to measure lateral forces in tight corners.
In the United States it sells for a fraction of the cost of European thoroughbreds such as Porsche and Ferrari and yet it is quicker than its more exotic peers. However, in Australia, this Corvette doesn't come cheap. In the US it sells for $75,000 but here it costs $240,000, although included in the price is the conversion, which takes three weeks, and the cost of getting the car to meet local compliance regulations. |
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Black is the new black |
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 Black is back, if new research by car paint manufacturer BASF is to be believed. Silver has been the preferred colour for several years, but a BASF survey revealed that 30 per cent of buyers would choose a black car next, with the new high-tech textured white finish as third choice. |
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Saab 9-3 TiD |
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 Saab's 9-3 TiD Convertible is now on sale here - and it's the first diesel convertible ever to reach our shores. In fact, the 9-3 TiD Convertible and its Sport Sedan and SportCombi diesel stable mates, are the three most efficient vehicles in their segments, with official combined fuel consumption of 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres.
All three new diesel models come with a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission as well as all of Saab's trademark luxury features - including leather upholstery, heated seats, automatic climate and cruise control, alloy wheels and MP3 compatibility - as standard. Six-speed automatic transmission with Saab Sentronic gear selection is optional. The range is priced from $47,400 for the 9-3 Linear 1.9TiD. |
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Wash warning |
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 Heavy-duty pressure washers could wreck car tyres in under five seconds, drivers are being warned. Research conducted by German motoring watch-dog DEKRA found that aiming the spray directly at the sidewall can cause tiny, barely detectable holes to appear on the rubber.
The group also warns against using strong detergents, which, when combined with a high-pressure blast of water, can remove important protective chemicals from the tyre compound and have the effect of reducing durability and grip.
Car owners who use pressure washers are advised to keep the washer nozzle at least 20cm from the surface of the tyre when cleaning, and not to aim the jet directly at the join between the tyre and the rim. |
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Rush hour in Beijing |
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 The number of new vehicles registered in Beijing hit a new record in the first days of 2007. More than 22,000 vehicles were registered in the first three weeks and an estimated three million will be on the roads by May, according to China's official news agency.
Beijing already has more than two million privately owned vehicles and 4.24 million people, of the capital's 15 million population, have a driving licence. On one day early this year, 2,400 new driving licences were issued.
Traffic congestion in the capital has proved to be a headache for organisers of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, despite the government investing $50.7bn to expand the antiquated subway system and build new roads. The government is trying to encourage more people to use public transport.
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