Μετά τη Subaru και η Toyota και η Mini ετοίμασαν πρωταπριλιάτικες φάρσες για σήμερα. Η Toyota μας λέει ότι θα τρέξει στο BTCC με τρεις ομάδες οι οποίες θα τρέχουν με τα “αγωνιστικά” βανάκια Proace, ενώ η Mini ετοίμασε κάτι πιο ρομαντικό, μια εφαρμογή η οποία χρησιμοποιεί το σύστημα ενημέρωσης και ψυχαγωγίας Connect, μετατρέποντας το σε προξενήτρα, το οποίο σου βρίσκει το κατάλληλο ταίρι.
[Πηγή: Toyota, Mini]
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NEW TOYOTA PROACE PRIMED FOR BRITISH TOURING VAN CHAMPIONSHIP
If it’s got an engine, you can race it. True to that principle, Toyota is lining up its new Proace van for a summer of high speed track action in the new Touring Van Championship.
Its three UK independent touring car teams have jumped at the chance to be the first to the grid in the new series, parading their race-prepped Proace machines in full team livery.
“The Touring Van Championship is just the kind of cost-conscious racing Britain needs,” said championship spokesman Gideon “Gig” Gleman. “The Proace carries up to 1.2 tonnes in its 7m3 loadspace, so everything you need to go racing can be carried in the back. No big trucks, no catering wagons, no fancy-dan hospitality units – if it won’t fit in the Proace then it’s not needed at the circuit.”
Eagle-eyed motorists may have spotted the racing Proace undergoing its intensive test programme. Its handling has been fine tuned through 24-hour lane-switching manoeuvres on the M62, while the sequence of traffic lights along the A4 west of London have helped hone its off-the-line acceleration. This month Proace will also undergo full race assessment at the Nürburgring, competing in the annual Lastkraftwagenpokal meeting around the legendary circuit’s Flair Loop.
Teams are confident Proace will be the van to beat when the championship bursts into action in July. In fact, negotiations are under way for it to join the Avensis touring cars in the British Touring Car Championship proper before the end of the season – the racing aloons will be rebranded Avansis in honour of the occasion.
“Volvo raced an estate car back in the ‘90s, so we see it as a natural evolution of touring cars to embrace vans as a holistic, 360-degree engagement with stakeholder behaviours. If you want inclusivity in British motorsport, count us in!” said Gleman.
“Toyota has a fine history of truck racing in America – even Kimi Räikkönen has been behind the wheel of a high-speed Tundra pick-up – so the sky’s the limit.”
Feeling frisky? New MINI app Connect Us finds you the perfect partner for a hot date.
Munich.Now for something a little more romantic. The latest version of the MINI Connected App is playing cupid to make MINI fans’ dreams of finding the perfect partner come true. Connect Us is like nothing else out there on planet dating – and can only be used in a MINI. This is not just the world’s speediest dating service, it is also the most reliable. Here, at last, is a matchmaker that goes beyond personal interests, favourite activities and how you like to spend your free time – and gets down to the nitty-gritty: driving style. Connect Us compares how drivers like to treat their accelerator, steering wheel and brakes (as deduced by the MINI Driving Excitement Analyser) in the search for a compatible co-driver on the journey of love. Only if it detects a meeting of minds on the matter of driving fun will the app oil the wheels of romance between MINI fans. The Driving Excitement Analyser function of the MINI Connected App has been available for several weeks as a free download from the Apple App Store. But make sure you don’t take your eyes off the road just when things are getting interesting; the Connect Us, ahem, “update” can be downloaded on one day only: 1 April 2013.
“Get connected, get matched up, get dating” is the name of the game when it comes to using MINI Connected’s vast well of possibilities to steer your way to love; indeed, this unique form of in-car infotainment makes the ideal wingman (or wingwoman). By hooking up to the internet via their Apple iPhone, MINI drivers can use the Google Local Search service to find restaurants, bars and popular sights, and then share ratings using foursquare. And they can also keep in touch with friends while on the move via Facebook, download their favourite music from AUPEO! and stay up to speed on issues of their choice with RSS news feeds.
A user’s selections say a lot about their personality. But it’s only when you get behind the wheel, of course, that people get to know the real you. And that’s why the Connect Us function also checks out data collected by the Driving Excitement Analyser to deliver a precise comparison of drivers’ sprinting prowess, cornering ability and braking strategy. And only then, if two MINI drivers are on the same wavelength in how they handle their car, will Connect Us invite them to meet up in person. The go-kart feeling which has sparked such affection for MINI models down the years might just act as the catalyst for romantic emotions between their owners as well.
Like all MINI Connected App functions, Connect Us is a doddle to use and intuitive to navigate – in familiar MINI style – by means of the MINI joystick, multifunction steering wheel and onboard monitor. Assuming their car is fitted with the MINI navigation system, all MINI drivers need to do after activating the Connect Us function is specify whether their perfect match should be male or female and how widely they wish to cast the net. Everything else is taken care of by MINI Connected – including, for example, a table booking at a restaurant that is guaranteed to be up both drivers’ street. The meeting point is then located by the navigation system; after all, if Connect Us had a motto it would surely be: “The MINI seeks so that its drivers shall find.”
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