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Is the skill of rev matching being lost to computers?

If the ability to drive a vehicle equipped with a manual gearbox is becoming a lost art, then the skill of being able to match revs on downshifts is the stuff they would teach at the automotive equivalent of the Shaolin Temple. The usefulness of rev matching in street driving is limited most of the time – aside from sounding cool and impressing your friends. But out on a race track or the occasional fast, windy road, its benefits are abundantly clear. While in motion, the engine speed and wheel speed of a vehicle with a manual transmission are kept in sync when the clutch is engaged (i.e. when the clutch pedal is not being pressed down). However, when changing gear, that mechanical link is severed briefly, and the synchronization between the motor and wheels is broken. When upshifting during acceleration, this isn't much of an issue, as there's typically not a huge disparity between engine speed and wheel speed as a car accelerates. Rev-matching downshifts is the stuff they would teach at the automotive equivalent of the Shaolin Temple. But when slowing down and downshifting – as you might do when approaching a corner at a high rate of speed – that gap of time caused by the disengagement of the clutch from the engine causes the revs to drop. Without bringing up the revs somehow to help the engine speed match the wheel speed in the gear you're about to use, you'll typically get a sudden jolt when re-engaging the clutch as physics brings everything back into sync. That jolt can be a big problem when you're moving along swiftly, causing instability or even a loss of traction, particularly in rear-wheel-drive cars. So the point of rev matching is to blip the throttle simultaneously as you downshift gears in order to bring the engine speed to a closer match with the wheel speed before you re-engage the clutch in that lower gear, in turn providing a much smoother downshift. When braking is thrown in, you get heel-toe downshifting, which involves some dexterity to use all three pedals at the same time with just two feet – clutch in, slow the car while revving, clutch out. However, even if you're aware of heel-toe technique and the basic elements of how to perform a rev match, perfecting it to the point of making it useful can be difficult.

Economy-car buyers increasingly get the best deal on technology

One of the great things about technology is – with the exception of Apple products – consumers get more for their money every year. For example, the first 1GB USB drive I bought in 2005 cost me $30. Today you can get 10 for that price, delivered to your door thanks to Amazon. The same goes for car tech. Features such as navigation and Bluetooth started out on high-end vehicles before trickling down to entry-level cars. Same with driver assist features ranging from rearview cameras to forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking — so now it's not only rich people who are protected in car crashes. I've found that this democratization of tech has reached a point where amenities on low-cost cars can be as good — and sometimes even better — than those on vehicles costing tens of thousands of dollars more. While attending a media event for the launch of the all-new 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, I was impressed by the car's cool styling and go-kart performance. Equally noteworthy is the amount of standard tech on the low-cost hot hatch. (Pricing will be announced later this month, but expect it to come in a bit higher that the current Corolla iM's roughly $19,000 base.) Even the base SE CVT trim of the 2019 Corolla Hatchback comes with an 8-inch touchscreen and Toyota's Entune 3.0 infotainment system. Among other features, Entune 3.0 provides Wi-Fi capability, Amazon Alexa connectivity, the Entune App Suite for integration of smartphone apps such as Pandora and Yelp and, for the first time in a Toyota, Apple CarPlay (but no Android Auto). The 2019 Corolla Hatchback is also the first North American vehicle to get the second-generation Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite of driver assists that's also standard on the base model. TSS 2.0 includes Toyota's Pre-Collision System (forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking) with new daytime and low-light pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection features, lane keeping and lane departure alert with steering assist, auto high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign detection. While the 2019 Corolla Hatchback sets a new benchmark in standard tech on a budget-mobile, competing cars aren't far behind. The 2018 Honda Fit LX, for example, includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and assist and adaptive cruise, while the automaker's Lane Departure Mitigation and Lane Watch camera system is added the two top trims.

BMW reveals X4 M40i performance crossover

The first details and images of the new BMW X4 M40i leaked out Tuesday, and now the Bavarian automaker has released all of the information on its new performance crossover. The latest model in BMW's M Performance line offers an array of upgrades over the existing X4, and they start under the hood. That's where Munich fitted a new 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six based on the one found in the X4 xDrive35i (whose place this model takes at the top of the X4 lineup). The engine is tuned to deliver 355 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque. In addition to the twin-scroll turbocharger, the engine also boasts variable cams and valves, as well as a high-precision injection system. This translates to a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds – a figure which BMW cites as "best-in-class." Power is channeled to all four corners through an eight-speed automatic transmission and a re-calibrated xDrive system that's biased to the rear wheels. Naturally the suspension has been upgraded as well, with increased camber, stiffer springs, reinforced stabilizers front and rear, and active dampers. The steering rack has also been retuned. You'll be able to tell the M40i model from lesser X4s by its enhanced appearance. Though the aero kit looks largely the same as the stock version, BMW has fitted the M Performance model with metallic accents, 19- (or available 20-) inch alloys wearing Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber, and a variable sport exhaust. Inside, it's also upgraded with a unique steering wheel, shifter, sports seats, and specific badging. This adds up to a crossover that may not be a full-on M model, but promises up the performance quotient significantly over the rest of the X4 line. THE NEW BMW X4 M40i - World premiere of the new inline 6 cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine. - Intelligent BMW xDrive: four-wheel drive with rear-wheel-drive characteristics. - A sporty chassis specifically tuned to M Performance specifications. Woodcliff Lake, N.J.- September 30, 2015... Today, with the introduction of the new BMW X4 M40i, the successful BMW X4 has gained a new top model. In the Sports Activity Coupe segment (SAC), the BMW X4 M40i is setting new standards with enhanced driving dynamics and best-in-segment acceleration. The new BMW X4 M40i will be available at dealers starting February 2016. Design. The exterior of the new BMW X4 M40i makes it stand out as a clear member of the BMW M Performance family.