News

Goodyear tires made of sustainable materials

Goodyear has set a goal to produce a tire made entirely of sustainable materials by the end of the decade. The current prototype is 70 percent made of sustainable materials which is a clear indicator of progress towards the ultimate goal.

The current prototype consists of 13 ingredients in nine different rubber components, including three different types of soot made from methane, carbon dioxide and vegetable oil, thus reducing carbon emissions compared to traditional manufacturing processes. Soot is usually used as a filler to strengthen tires, as well as other rubber products, but also to extend their life.

Soybean oil was used in the production, which allows the tires to remain flexible, as well as various types of silica (from rice husk), which improves tire grip and helps reduce fuel consumption. The company’s intention was to use soybean oil in the production of four types of tires, but the plan was postponed due to the pandemic.

Goodyear chief technologist Chris Helsel said the rubber prototype is an exciting achievement that demonstrates the company’s commitment to using sustainable materials.

Source: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

News

The end for the Passat sedan in Europe

The sad news comes from VW. According to Autocar, VW will no longer produce its popular Passat sedan, and Volkswagen has stopped offering this model on its website.

Although the end of production in North America was announced earlier, it seems that the production of Passat sedan in Europe has come to an end. It all started back in 1973 when Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the first model. Since then, eight generations have been produced and marketed as Dasher, Santana, Quantum, Magotan, Corsar and Carat.

The ninth generation Passat will be built on the MQB platform and will only be offered as a station wagon. The plug-in hybrid will be powered by a combination of a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 150 hp (110 kW) and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm), and a 2.0-liter turbo petrol engine with 187 hp (140 kW) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm) of torque. There will also be diesel engines with a range of 122 to 250 hp (90 – 184 kW).

Source: Autocar

Auctions, News

One of the two 1965 Porsche 912 Coupe Prototype is for sale

Auction house Mecum has announced the sale of an extremely rare one of the two remaining 1965 Porsche 356B / 912 Coupe Prototype. It is one of a total of six ever produced, factory development and research cars used as a presentation vehicle.

The Porsche 912 is powered by a 1.6 liter flat four prototype engine paired with a 4-speed manual transmission equivalent to a six-speed transmission in the 911. It was purchased as a car parts and has a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, seduced. Painted in white, the car has an original engine, which is very important because it is one of the six 4-cylinder prototypes produced.

The interior is done in black leather with light Ivory parts. Wooden steering wheel, leather upholstered seats and dark floors are just some of the details that can be noticed at first glance.

The car was restored to high standards by a marque specialist, and at the 2014 Porsche Parade Competition won 297.4 points out of a maximum of 300. Although in 2019 one of 912 examples was sold for $ 140,000, Mecum estimated this rare model at a whopping $ 500,000 .

Source: Mecum

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