Sercer – Find news the fast way – server

Posted on 05.21.2012 12:15 by Simona Filed under: Porsche | coupe | Spy Shots and Rendering | Porsche 911 | sports cars | Porsche GT3 | Porsche 991 | Cars | Car News

Just a few hours ago, we released a set of spy shots for the upcoming Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible, but that wasn’t the only model out for a little test spin today. Our spy photographers have hit the jackpot with images of the 911 GT3 completely stripped of all of its cammo!

Compared to the previous prototypes caught testing, this model is still donning the new rear wing and front spoiler. Most of the body’s components will be made out of composites to help reduce the car’s weight by about 180-200 lbs.

The biggest mystery regarding the next GT3 is what’s going to be tucked underneath its hood. It is rumored that the next GT3 will get a new 4.0 liter engine and not the 3.8L naturally-aspirated six cylinder found in the current model. Regardless of the engine choice, Porsche has promised an output of about 480 HP. Porsche CEO Matthias Muller also announced that the new GT3 will not use Porsche’s new 7-speed PDK transmission. It will actually come standard with a six-speed manual transmission, with the technologically-advanced, yet less satisfying, PDK transmission set to be available as an optional extra.

Expect to see the new GT3 launched later in Summer 2012 when we hope this engine mystery will finally be solved.

Spy Shots: Porsche 911 GT3 stripped of camouflage and caught testing originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 21 May 2012 12:15 EST.

read more

Posted on 05.21.2012 12:00 by Brad Anderson Filed under: | Accessories | sports cars | news | technology | Cars | Car News

The dual-clutch transmission has undoubtedly changed the way we shift gears, with the Volkswagen Golf Mk4 R32 being one of the very first mass-produced cars to feature two clutches. In fact, dual-clutch transmissions have been around since the mid-1980’s when Porsche used them in a variety of Le Mans racing cars.

Since then, the demand for these futuristic gearboxes have rapidly increased, and numerous supercars released over the past few years use dual-clutch gearboxes, with the Ferrari 458 Italia being a prime example.

However, there are three big down sides to double-clutch transmissions:

1. They are generally significantly heavier than regular transmissions.

2. They do not come cheap if a replacement is needed.

3. They are also very costly to develop and produce.

As a result, some manufactures are refusing to use them, such as Lamborghini with their new ISR gearbox which operates on a similar principle but weighs a lot less. However, even Lamborghini’s latest gearbox may be short lived as there is a new wave of transmissions heading our way, which are promising zero shift times, as well as being cheaper and most importantly lighter.

One British company, Xtrac is currently developing what they hope will be that new wave of high performance transmissions. Xtrac may ring a bell with the motorsport fans out there as they build transmissions for Formula One, WRC, Dakar Rallying, and even Le Mans racers so there is no arguing their expertise in creating lightweight and quick-shifting ‘boxes.

Their latest creation is the Instantaneous Gearshift System, (IGS), which as its name suggests, promises to provide instantaneous gear changes. After reading how this system works over and over, we must admit, we still do not have a grip on exactly how it works, but here is our best attempt to describe it in layman’s terms.

Each gear has been individually mounted onto its very own ratcheting clutch system and this differs from ordinary transmissions where the gearshaft and the actual gears are connected via a synchromesh system. When operating, each gear is engaged in the selector system and also ratchets on the shaft until a number of sprung pawls click the gear into place. As a result of this advanced system, when changing up gears, the gearbox actually keeps the revs at the same level, so if you shift from 4th at 6,000 rpm up to 5th the revs will stay at 6,000 rpm.

However, this has no way of working as you could not accelerate, so a bit of driveline wind-up does the trick and forces the revs back down in less than a few milliseconds. This system is currently being used in motorsport so a bit of refinement is still needed to make it suitable for everyday use.

Tune in for Part II in the coming days to see how another British company, Zeroshift is aiming to knock the dual-clutch transmission out of the park with its brand new vision.

Will new gearbox technology replace the dual-clutch transmission? Part I originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 21 May 2012 12:00 EST.

read more

German employers are finally agreeing to workers’ demands for higher pay after more than a decade of only modest increases.

Despite the initial demands for pay raise by more than 6 percent, the settlements average in the 3-4 percent range this year. This is, according to economists, considerably higher compared to 2010 and 2011, yet not high enough to set off a wage-driven inflation.

Wage increase gives workers a greater share of Germany’s economic revival. The country’s gross domestic product has grown 3 percent or more the past two years. It expanded at a 2.1 perecnt annualized rate last quarter, significantly outpacing the rest of the euro zone members. Germany’s 5.6 percent unemployment rate is about half the euro zone average.

Wage increases in Germany are beneficial for the entire euro zone because, coupled with wage cuts in countries such as Spain, this would make Europe’s troubled economies more competitive. At the same time, German households would have extra money to boost domestic demand and spending abroad, providing a market for suffering economies in Southern Europe.

However, Germany should keep a lid on its wages. The country must maintain its competitive edge with other global economies such as the US and China. Also, since its population is one of the oldest in Europe, wage-driven inflation could potential eat retirees’ fixed incomes.

Source: Wall Street Journal

In the court-ordered talks that begin Monday, the two sides are playing by different rules

Choi and Cook. Photos: AP and Reuters

FORTUNE -- The federal judge overseeing the Northern California front of the global smartphone patent war has the power to bring the CEOs of Apple (AAPL) and Samsung -- Tim Cook and Choi Gee-sung -- to a mediation session, but even he can't force a settlement.

The differences between the kinds of patents the two companies are bringing to the table may simply be too great.

Steve Jobs set the terms of the dispute in 2007 when he unveiled the touchscreen smartphone that is now Apple's No. 1 source of revenue.

"We've been innovating like crazy for the last few years on this," he said. "We filed for over 200 patents for all the inventions in iPhone, and we intend to protect them."

According to Walter Isaacson, Jobs was as angry as his biographer had ever seen him about the way Google (GOOG) and the Android phone manufacturers had "slavishly" copied the iPhone's design, threatening to go "thermonuclear" on them -- a term with special resonance in the Far East.

Samsung may have an equally powerful arsenal of patents at its disposal -- including many covering the fundamental technologies of cellular telephony that Apple relies upon -- but those patents are not so easily deployed in a court of law.

Many of Samsung's telecommunications patents were submitted to the technical committees in charge of setting international standards under so-called FRAND terms, whereby a company is permitted to collect royalties for use of its proprietary technology, but must negotiate those royalties for rates that are "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory."

Samsung has tried to use those standards-essential patents against Apple, accusing the company in countersuits of exploiting them without permission, something Apple may well be doing.

But as a legal strategy this carries risks, because as long as Apple is willing to pay for the use of Samsung's patents, Samsung is required to negotiate terms that are fair and reasonable and don't try to unduly punish Apple.

Apple is under no such obligation with regard to its patents. If it doesn't want a competitor to use its proprietary technologies, it doesn't have to license them under any terms.

It's in this context that we must consider the remarks Steve Jobs' successor made during the most recent earning call:

"I've always hated litigation and I continue to hate it," Cook told analysts in April. "We just want people to invent their own stuff. So if we could get to some arrangement where we could be assured that's the case and a fair settlement on the stuff that's occurred, I would highly prefer to settle than to battle. But it -- the key thing is that it's very important that Apple not become the developer for the world. We need people to invent their own stuff." (transcript)

Many commentators interpreted that statement as an olive branch extended in advance of this week's Samsung talks.

But it's just as likely that Cook was signaling something quite different. Apple is willing to settle those things that Samsung is required to negotiate. But when it comes to protecting Apple's inventions, the Cook's heels seem to be as deeply dug in as his predecessor's were.