Monthly Archives: September 2018

6 Simple Ways to Increase Your Vehicle’s Fuel Efficiency

Fuelling up you vehicle in Canada these days can feel like an exercise in self control. As gas prices continue to increase, so does the public’s frustration and the need for efficiency.

Here are a few tips and tricks that you can do or have done in the near future to save yourself as much money as possible at the pump.

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1: Have the engine checked

An optimally performing engine is a fuel efficient engine. In a bygone era, mechanics would “read” the spark plugs and adjust carburetors to optimize fuel delivery and replace what they believed needed replacing. Today, modern computers and fuel injection have eliminated the guesswork from the procedure, but it hasn’t removed the need for a regular tune-up. Technicians will analyze the various readings of the car’s sensors and perform a checkup of all components, changing things like filters and belts which will ultimately improve performance and efficiency.

2: Check the tire pressure

A regular inspection of your vehicle’s various components is key to maximize the range of each drop of fuel. Start with the pressure of your tire. An under-inflated tire will increase rolling resistance significantly; with a drop of only 8 pounds of pressure in your tires, fuel economy might also drop by as much as 5 percent.

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3: Check everything else while you’re at it

While a choked engine is obviously bad for your fuel economy, it isn’t the only part of your vehicle that can affect fuel consumption. Things like bent wheels, worn axles bearings or shocks, and broken springs can all increase the drag on your engine, which will make your engine struggle and drink more fuel. And as an added bonus, you will make your vehicle safer to drive.

4: Choose the right tire

Those big, knobby tires on your SUV look awesome and aggressive, no doubt, but they almost certainly also increase your fuel consumption because they are harder to turn. Make sure you’re using tires with highway-efficient tread if fuel economy is your goal.

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5: Turn off the air conditioning

The air conditioning of your vehicle is a source of drag to the engine, which means it will increase fuel consumption when it is used. The solution is simple: turn it off when you don’t need it. If the weather is fair, just roll down the windows and enjoy the fresh air. In the middle of a summer like this, however, don’t go crazy… saving a few litres of fuel isn’t worth a heat stroke.

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6: Cut the dead weight

Open your trunk and take a long, hard look at everything that’s in it. If you see anything that you don’t need on your daily commute—other than safety gear, obviously—leave it at home. Dead weight will obviously increase your fuel consumption. Same goes for the roof rack: that aerodynamic drag makes your car drink more than it needs to.

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All the updates made to the 2019 Acura NSX

The Acura NSX supercar might sound, feel and drive like it comes straight from the future, but it is, in fact, very much a product of the present.

2019 Acura NSX

The most obvious changes Acura made to the latest version, the 2019 NSX, is in the colour palette. In addition to the black, blue and various reds and silvers available, the NSX now comes in a VERY visible shade of orange. Called Thermal Orange, this hue pays homage to 30 years of Acura Motorsport (since their race cars usually sport this colour in some way or another). To match the bodywork, NSX’s customers can choose to have their carbon-ceramic brake calipers painted Thermal Orange as well. If you prefer the standard iron brakes, you can now have the calipers painted red.

Monterey Car Week, 2018

The 2019 NSX also sports some more discrete changes, including a new mesh style for the front and rear bumpers, and some of the accents on the front grille, previously silver, now coming in body colours. Inside the cockpit, customers can now opt for a full red or indigo blue interior.

2019 Acura NSX

But the developments made to the latest NSX aren’t exclusively cosmetic; engineers modified chassis components, tires and software tuning to make it even more responsive to the will of the driver. Around the renowned Suzuka circuit, the car is now two seconds faster than it used to be.

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The tires have also been modernized. To replace the outgoing Continental ContiSportContact 5P, Continental developed an all-new tire especially for the NSX. Dubbed the Continental SportContact 6, this new rubber is better at handling both the daily commute and the occasional track use. For customers who prefer a more track-focused tire, the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R remains available.

2019 Acura NSX

The 2019 Acura NSX will be available for order shortly. But if you’d like a more personalized experience, you can sign up for The NSX Insider Experience: this one- or two -day package comes with a tour of the Ohio plant where the vehicles are made as well as a performance driving class in an NSX.