Car Views and Pictures

A drop in the supply of parts from Japan has forced Honda to halve production levels at its UK plant in Swindon.

A statement said that although the vast majority of parts were sourced from Europe, there are a number of crucial components that continue to be supplied from Japan.

The plant’s 3,000 workers will still be paid at their standard rate during the period of lower productivity, which is hoped won’t last beyond the end of next month. Honda’s decision is a reflection of the fears expressed by manufacturers to Autoblog last week.

“It is an ongoing assessment, we are looking at being back up to 100 percent at the end of May, but hopefully sooner if possible,” said a company spokeswoman.

The company’s flexitime working policy will allow them to ‘bank’ hours with the workers and then make up the lost time when production returns to full capacity.

Ken Keir, executive vice president, Honda Motor Europe said: “We’ve taken the decision to reduce our production volumes at Honda UK as it enables us to continue with our manufacturing activities, thus minimising the impact on Honda customers, dealers and Associates. We appreciate everyone’s understanding, customers and dealers, during these challenging times.”

Swindon’s plant turned out 139,085 cars in the year from March 2010 to last month, and it is currently responsible for making the Honda CRV, Civic and Jazz.

Source: http://uk.autoblog.com/2011/04/06/japan-quake-forces-honda-to-cut-production-in-uk/

So here’s ’s first diesel offering in the U.S. in almost a quarter-century. But as you survey the tempting array of

cars, you may be asking, “So what? Why should I care about this oil burner?”

It’s not because you’re gonna save a bundle on fuel. Check our statistical sidebar. Yes, the 335d has better

—23 city, 36 highway, 27 combined—than either of the 3-series gasoline burners. A 328i automatic is expected to achieve 18/28/22, and the 335i is rated at 17/26/20. But at this writing, ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel (now the nationwide standard) costs about 15 percent more per gallon than premium gasoline.

Factor in the higher cost of the car—with a base price of $44,725, the 335d is the most expensive non-M member of the 3-series—and the math gets worse. The feds will give you a $900 tax credit on this

, but even so, you’re looking at a $1575 disparity between a 335d and a 335i automatic.

So the answer isn’t savings. The answer lies in what you value as a driver.

If it’s high revs, peak ponies, and zero to 60 in under five seconds, you probably need a

.

Automatically Diesel Unlike other 3-series BMWs, the 335d’s only gearbox is a six-speed automatic. Attention letter writers: We’re aware that our test car’s options don’t match those of the photo car.

But if you value torque—and who among us does not?—the 335d generates enough to affect the rotation of the earth: 425 pound-feet at 1750 rpm. That’s 125 pound-feet more than the 335i’s gasoline turbo six. More perspective: The

’s 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 churns up just 407 pound-feet. The Ram, you’ll recall, is a

. Torque and trucks go together like pizza and beer.

But what the hell is torque? Here’s a definition from

: “a measure of the tendency of a force to cause rotation, equal to the force multiplied by the perpendicular distance between the line of action of the force and the center of rotation.”

Did that help? No? How about this: Torque is the low-end muscle that gets you out of the blocks when the light turns green. It’s the thrust that squashes you into the seat when you hammer the gas. Torque is the power commodity you tap into every day, especially in urban commuting. Torque is good. Torque is your friend.

And torque is what gives the 335d its own unique place in the 3-series lineup.

The 335d’s torque generator is a turbocharged and intercooled, DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter all-aluminum inline-six. We’ve seen this engine in the Euro-spec 330d [

]. That version of the engine, still in the BMW inventory, got its boost from a variable-geometry Garrett turbo, churning up 228 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Not bad, and thriftier, too: 44 mpg on the Euro combined cycle, 38 mpg in our test. (Our 335d logged 28 mpg.)

Nevertheless, when you’re dissecting traffic in a 3800-pound sedan (diesels are invariably heavier than their gasoline counterparts), you want as many pound-feet as you can muster. The 335 version of the engine gets its extra thrust via a BorgWarner sequential twin-turbo arrangement. The word twin is misleading because the two turbos are different sizes. The smaller one begins delivering boost almost off idle but maxes quickly, at about 2000 rpm, whereupon its bigger companion is spooled up.

The system’s maximum boost is 26.8 psi, compared with 22.6 for the variable-

geometry version, and of course the output is significantly higher: 425 pound-feet max, over a curve that’s as flat as Mount Clemens, Michigan (which is exactly as mountainous as a billiard table)—80 percent of the engine’s prodigious production of pound-feet twisting away anywhere from 1100 rpm to 4200 rpm.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/09q2/2009_bmw_335d-road_test

The difference between this new 2007 Altima and its 2001-2006 forebear is subtle, a mild injection of aggression into an already attractive car. Major change in the Altima wasn’t necessary, as the previous-generation Altima was Nissan’s best-selling car, named North American Car of the Year in 2002, and it rose to fourth best-selling car in the United States.

Dimensionally, the car is only minutely changed, shrinking in length and wheelbase by 2.5 and 0.9 inches respectively. Width grows by 0.3 inch and height remains unchanged. The new Altima only outweighs the previous generation by about 100 pounds.

One of the most obvious visual cues that this is not the previous generation car is Nissan’s new family identifier "T-grille," which cuts a small section out of the top of the bumper and drops the center of the grille a few inches in the middle. New Buck Rogers-style taillights, a sharper body-side crease, and more aggressive fender flares finish the tweaks to the old look.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/06q4/2007_nissan_altima-first_drive_review