I suggest we ban all Republican men from legislating on anything to do with women's health

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Unless something goes catastrophically wrong, odds are that either an +Audi International R18 or a +TOYOTA TS030 will be first across the finish line on Sunday afternoon at Le Mans. The Audis and Toyotas occupy the first six slots in the starting order with the 7th place Strakka Racing Honda more than 3 seconds back.  

The electro-mechanical flywheel hybrid system has been proven to be reliable in the Porsche 911 GT3R hybrid http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/alternative-fuel/hybrids/porsche-911-gt3r-hybrid-flywheel
over the past two years and with Audi's experience and expert preparation, I wouldn't expect them to fall short mechanically. Accidents of course are another situation but they can't be foreseen.

The big question mark is the Toyotas. Over the previous five years, the Peugeot 908 diesels consistently had more outright speed than the Audis but they only managed to win once at Le Mans, often falling victim to some mechanical or electrical malady. Toyota had similar issues during their last Le Mans effort in the 1990s. Only 48 hours left until we find out if they have turned things around. 

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McLaren as a long history of creative engineering solutions and this is an interesting way of keeping the tires at their optimal temperature

Report: McLaren using brakes to heat tyres

Thursday 14th June 2012, 18:08 by Ryan Wood
? Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
McLaren are reportedly able to adjust the temperature of their tyres through an adjustable opening on the wheel hub.
Such a system would be useful this season given the difference a degree or two can make to the operational window of the sensitive Pirelli tyres.
The clever yet simple system allows a mechanic, through a hole on the sidepod, to adjust a clamp on the brake hub during qualifying and the race to allow a controlled amount of hot air from the brakes to heat the tyres.
If the track temperature drops, the mechanics, one either side, would open the slot wider to allow more hot air to pas …

http://thef1times.com/news/display/06235

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Report: McLaren using brakes to heat tyres
Formula One News, Reviews, Articles, and Bio's. Everything you need to know about F1.

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There are big changes coming to the Le Mans rule book for 2014! The organizing body, the ACO typically announces any rule changes two years in advance during the 24 Hour race week and today was the day. 

For decades now most big time racing series have imposed restrictions on engine displacement and cylinder count.  In addition many series use air inlet restrictors to balance the power output of various engines. 

Starting in 2014, the top class LMP1 cars can run whatever size engine they want with however many cylinders they choose and hybrid systems will also be freed up. Instead, each car will be given an energy allocation for the race that will amount to about a 30% fossil fuel reduction compared to current machines. The weight and width (and thus the aerodynamic drag) will also be reduced.

This could make for some very interesting racing and hopefully some advances in road car technology that can trickle down. 

CAR has more on the news http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/Industry-News/Le-Mans-regulations-for-2014-announced/

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Auto News – 24 Heures du Mans 2012 – New LMP1 Technical Regulations for 2014 unveiled – LeMans.org
All news about 24 Hours of Le Mans on www.lemans.org

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Reshared post from +Sam Abuelsamid

That +General Motors would replace the 1.4-liter inline-four cylinder engine in the +Chevrolet Volt sooner rather than later is a given. The replacement almost certainly will not be a 2.0-liter turbocharged four as used in numerous GM vehicles including the Buick Regal GS and Verano T.

When the GM board gave the production go-ahead for the Volt in mid-2007, the engineering team only had three years to get the car off the assembly line. The original concept was specified with a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder. While such an engine existed on the design screens at GM powertrain, it was nowhere near ready for production in the Volt timeframe.

The best option available was the 1.4-liter since it was already in use and ready to go. It wasn't an optimal solution but given that GM was already well on the slide toward bankruptcy by the end of 2007, and there was so much other work to do, the engineers made the smart decision to work with what they had. 

Even before the Volt was approved, R&D boss Larry Burns talked about the possibility of other engines including HCCI http://green.autoblog.com/2007/05/15/chevy-volt-could-end-up-with-radically-different-engine/
and as job 1 approached other options were being considered for the Gen2 Volt http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/26/next-gen-chevrolet-could-use-diesel-two-cylinder-or-rotary-rang/

http://rechargingthecar.abuelsamid.com/

The team wants a smaller, lighter and more efficient powerplant in order to better compete with the likes of the +Nissan Leaf and the upcoming +Ford Motor Company Fusion Energi. A 200+ hp turbo 2.0-liter makes absolutely no sense when you only have 161 hp of electrical power. The 2.0-liter is larger, heavier and thirstier than the 1.4 and makes way more power than can be used by the electric drive system. 

The 2.0T would only make sense as part of a parallel plug-in hybrid drivetrain in some other vehicle. My guess (and I have no inside information on this, pure educated speculation) would be that they would opt for the new small engine family being co-developed with SAIC http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/17/general-motors-and-saic-to-jointly-develop-small-engine-and-dual/ which starts at 1.0-liter. Those engines could be in production by next year and would be a much better fit. 

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Insider: 1.4L Engine Discontinued in 2014 Chevrolet Volt
All we had known for sure about the future of the Chevrolet Volt was that it will be undergoing a powertrain upgrade in about a year's time. That is until now. A source inside the company (who did…

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Actually for me, these new plans that I was anxiously awaiting are significantly worse than what I have now.  I have 4 smartphones with unlimited data on a 1,400 minute plan with texting plus the at home phone service for a 5th line. The data rates that VZW is charging are simply too exorbitant for what you get compared to current individual plans.

Extra lines (after the initial 2 in the family plan) currently cost $9.99 a month including that 5th at home line. Under this new plan that home line would jump to $30 even though it's essentially a dumb phone that can't text or use data. $70 for 4GB of data is simply obscene.  

No way around this, Verizon is screwing us big time.

Reshared post from +Dan Seifert

There has been a lot of talk about how Verizon's new Shared Everything Plans are a bit expensive. But in actuality, they are better than what is currently offered.

Aside from the fact that Verizon is never known for not being expensive, in an apples to apples comparison, the new plans are actually quite favorable.

For example, under the current plans, unlimited voice for three lines costs $150 per month. Add unlimited text for $30 per month, and then three smartphone plans for $90 per month and you are at $270 per month.

The new plans will offer the same amount of service for $200 per month ($40 for each smartphone, $80 for 6GB of data shared between all three). Additionally, the new plans offer more flexibility with how the data is used, and I imagine that many customers will be able to save even more money and get away with the 4GB plan (saves $10 per month). The savings is at least $70 per month, not something to ignore.

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If HBO maintains its obstinance on going cable/satellite only, we may well end up seeing the content creators start to simply bypass HBO. HBO doesn't have a monopoly on great ocntent. They passed on Matthew Weiner's pitch for Mad Men and there are many other great shows out there including Breaking Bad, Spartacus, Nurse Jackie, Dexter and Shameless.

The success of the Kickstarter model could provide a means for producers to crowdfund projects before they get produced. The a la carte model will utlimately win out and leave the traditionalists in the dust.

Reshared post from +MG Siegler

This debate will end eventually I swear. In 5 years, when everyone is on our side of it.

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8 Months Vs. 22 Seconds by MG Siegler
Nick Bilton weighs in on the “HBO is a slave to cable” debate. I'm actually getting sick of talking about this. There are those of us in the camp that believe HBO is foolish, and there are those …

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