Tackling the World’s Deadliest Motorcycle Track… on Four Wheels

DOUGLAS, Isle of Man – The Isle of Man TT is 37.73 miles of twisting, rolling, climbing public roads that make the Nürburgring Nordschleife look like a go kart track. So sinewy and numerous are its bends that it was once famously decreed “unlearnable,” and its notoriously unforgiving nature is matched only by its prolific death toll.

From Glen Helen to Greeba Castle, the lack of runoff and nasty propensity for unplanned high-speed meetings with stone walls, lamp posts, store fronts and tree trunks makes death and dismemberment a rather binary affair on this island that’s barely a 30-minute flight across the Irish Sea from Birmingham.

But here’s something you might not know about the Isle of Man: While hundreds of racers have lost their lives in competition over the last century or so, exponentially more non-racers have met their makers during the two-week period in which rampant race culture takes over the otherwise sleepy bedroom island.

Testing a 200-horsepower sports car has never been so nerve-racking.

Last year alone, 34 civilian riders ended up in a body bag, many of them on “Mad Sunday,” the day when the course is open to anyone with a pulse and a willingness to push the limits of their luck. Fatality figures for regular riders often go unreported because when victims are airlifted back to the mainland, those deaths are officially reported as occurring off the Isle.

The starting grid just so happens to be conveniently flanked by a graveyard, but I’ve got cheerier things on my mind at the moment: Subaru, title sponsors of the TT, have persuaded the race organizers to allow journalists to negotiate the live course for the first time on four wheels. The powers that be must have a sense of adventure: When rally champion Mark Higgins was attempting to break the course record (which he eventually did) in a Subaru WRX STI last year, he had a monumental “moment” on Bray Hill. More specifically, Higgins started sliding sideways at 155 mph, steering and countersteering furiously before finally regaining control at about 110 mph, at which point he almost instantly accelerated back to warp speed.

We’ve just landed on the island along with four other American journalists, the sky is expectant with rain and the toll is at five civilian fatalities so far. Our van tour of the route later that day is stalled by an incident in which “human debris” awaits the usual rigmarole of accident investigation photographs, trajectory studies, and cleanup.

Testing a 200-horsepower sports car has never been so nerve-racking.

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How to Stretch a Nissan Leaf

If you’re an eco-conscious elitist but require the pomp and circumstance of a chauffeur, your options are limited. Which is why a custom stretched Nissan Leaf was commissioned by a hotel chain in Tennessee.

An Embassy Suites in Nashville contracted LimoLand.com’s Imperial Coach Builders, based in Missouri, to add the extra length to a Leaf. The process took about a year to complete, from inception by the heads at the hotel to rolling out of the garage.

“The battery layout had to be moved rearward, but other than that, lengthening the wire was all that really happened,” says Gary Spaniak of Imperial, who worked on the limousine. “We built it out of aluminum, made it to be stronger than it was before, then put some flush leather seating and wood accents.” He says that the research and development was the hardest part since they needed to ensure the voltage was safe for passengers.

Trevor Goulding of Embassy Suites says, “When the idea of building an electric limousine was first presented, we immediately said that it had to be a Nissan Leaf, not only because Nissan North America is our neighbor and strategic business partner, but also because of the car’s global popularity.” The car’s range lost to the 400 or so pounds of extra weight is mostly negligible since the hotel says most of the trips passengers will be taking with it will be shorter than five miles.

Spaniak says his garage is scheduled to build 10 Leaf limos a month, with both private buyers and companies already lined up to purchase. “I’d like to see it in the actor/actress realm,” he says. “When they go to the Academy Awards, there’s a lot of waiting around [with non-EV cars wasting gas].” So look for one on the red carpet next year.

Photo courtesy of Embassy Suites

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Device Jams Drivers’ Phone Signals, Alerts Police, Public and Passengers

Photo: Andrew Ciscel/Flickr

There’s no shortage of devices that supposedly prevent drivers from talking or texting by blocking mobile phone signals or that alert parents and employers about the behavior. But the Cellphone Accident Preventer (CAP) from a trio of researchers at an Indian university takes preventing behind-the-wheel mobile phone use to a new Orwellian level by making distracted-driving indiscretions public – and automatically ratting them out to the police.

Abdul Shabeer and two of his colleagues at India’s Anna University of Technology primarily developed CAP to combat the 20 percent of fatal road accidents involving trucks and other heavy vehicles caused by driver mobile phone use. Like other systems, CAP jams phone signals, using a small antenna above the driver seat, which the researchers claim only disables the driver’s phone, while passengers are free to call, text, tweet and Facebook at will.

But by using RFID technology, CAP can also alert the police, the general public or other passengers in the car if a driver is trying to discreetly check his phone when his hands should be on the wheel. If CAP detects that driver is using a cellphone, “The vehicle license plate information, which is already stored in the system, will be transmitted to a receiver placed on the traffic signal post, which in turn displays the license number in an LCD display so that police can take legislative action against the driver,” Shabeer told Wired. “At the same time, a warning message or sound will be given to passengers sitting inside the vehicle indicating that the driver is using a cellphone.”

CAP is still just a research project, with no immediate plans for commercial deployment. “We have completed the demo system and currently are in the process of implementing the system in the real world,” Shabeer adds. “For this we require funding support from an organization or government.”

CAP sounds like something that would probably appeal to Transportation Secretary and distracted driver crusader Ray La Hood, although we can’t imagine it passing muster with privacy advocates. And even the not so tech-savvy would likely quickly figure out a workaround – like simply extending their phone-wielding arm towards the passenger seat.

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This Antagonist Binds to Our Pleasure Receptors

From Serbian yacht builders Art of Kinetik comes Antagonist, a boat so beautiful that it could find a home in a marina or a museum.

The 37-foot open weekend cruiser was announced last week at a press release that made ample use of the word “bespoke,” but if the pictures are any indication, we wouldn’t want to customize a thing. With inlaid wood and chrome trim, it’s like someone launched an art deco skyscraper’s executive boardroom.

The yacht offers extremely comfortable accommodation for eight passengers, with a teak deck, sunbathing area and swimming platform. The air conditioned cabin is said to be finished in luxurious fabrics, though the designer hasn’t offered any more details or photos.

According to Art of Kinetik, since the company was founded in 2007 their mission has been to “create the ultimate balance between art and performance.” For that, the Antagonist promises a top speed of 42 knots from its twin 370 hp Yanmar diesel engines. Cruising speed is 33 knots, and the 237-gallon fuel tank promises 11 hours of cruising time before topping off — perfect for a relaxing weekend on the water.

“Antagonist is targeting all those who want to spend a day on the water in style and in [an] environment not seen on any other yacht in its class,” the company said. “It is destined to become a new benchmark in the weekend cruisers market segment.”

Though it’s undoubtedly and unashamedly extravagant, Antagonist actually fits right in the middle of Art of Kinetik’s lineup of über-luxurious yachts. On top is the appropriately named Hedonist, a 63-foot flagship for the aristocrat who isn’t about to mince words. The entry-level boat is a 30-footer named Mazokist.

Even though the company doesn’t release prices, we’d be willing to bet that they all cost a significant amount more than Bayliners or Sea Rays of comparable size.

Photos: Art of Kinetik

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Record-Setting Electric Airplane Breaks 200-MPH Barrier for First Time

Electric vehicle pioneer Chip Yates is now the first person to ever fly an electric aircraft faster than 200 miles per hour. Yates made the flight today in his Long-ESA, a modified Long-EZ he is using as a development platform for his new electric aircraft systems he plans to fly across the Atlantic.

Yates already holds the world record for the fastest electric motorcycle after topping 196 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats last year. He recently turned his attention to the skies and his first electric flight took place yesterday.

Today’s record-setting flight hit 202.6 mph in level flight, according to Yates, breaking the previous record of 175 mph held by the tiny electric Cri-Cri. Today’s record-breaking flight wasn’t without drama, after Yates was forced to make a dead-stick landing when “a dead cell killed propulsion following the record run.”

After the flight Yates said there is more speed available with the current setup and the team is replacing the batteries, hinting at another top-speed run soon.

Yesterday’s flight of the electric Long-ESA lasted 16 minutes and was Yates’ first time flying an electric airplane. The Long-EZ that his aircraft is based on is a well-established design from Burt Rutan that already holds many speed and endurance records thanks to its efficient design. The airplane commonly cruises over 200 mph using normal gasoline-powered aircraft engines.

The record-setting run with electric power is a milestone, though it is also analogous to early speed runs in rocket aircraft during the 1940s and 1950s when speed took precedence over longevity of flight. Like many of those early pioneers, Yates is hoping his speed runs will help develop the technology needed for both longer endurance flights and more practical electric aircraft.

Both of Yates’ flights took place at the Inyokern Airport in California’s Mojave Desert. The pilot is expected to share more details from his flight and plans for his nonstop trans-Atlantic electric flight at next week’s Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Photo: Chip Yates celebrating after first electric flight yesterday – flightofthecentury.com

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