airless tire comes closer to reality

Hankook's i-Flex showcased in Frankfurt

South Korean tire manufacturer Hankook is the latest to take a whack at the airless tire - it's light (made of polyurethane) and never goes flat. I think that beyond the attraction of innovative technology, most people want to know if it will last longer, hold the road better, get you better mileage and does it cost less?

Back in June of 2005 - LLTek released an article on the "tweel" (similar to the iFlex) when it was rumored that Audi was making tests with the concept from Michelin. I'll take a dozen if it does all of things listed above. Read the LLTeK story on the tweel here.

Eadweard Muybridge and Sallie Gardner revisited

Photo taken September 1,  2013 at the Big Brome Fair - Click for detail

135 years ago photographer Eadweard Muybridge proved scientifically (through a series of photographs) that when horses run - all four feet are at times off the ground. It was an unanswered question at the time because the human eye couldn't isolate the event with a horse moving at 35 - 40 mph (58 km/h).

Leland Stanford, that nasty 1% capitalist guy, who funded the creation of - you guessed it ~ with his very own money - Stanford University, raised horses and wanted an answer to the question. He commissioned Muybridge to get it and Muybridge got it. The photo above is my take on it!


I've been taking pictures forever and knocked off the image above with a Fuji pocket model - I have given up on lugging the big Nikons around for my snapshots. You can use the image if you want - I release it to public domain. If you want to see the truly original stuff (copies of the original preserved images) you need to click through here for the wiki link.

Here's a picture of 240 horses off the ground at the same time;
if you were there you wouldn't need a camera to know what was happening!
picture copyright eta beta wheels

Citroën Auto-levelling Suspension from 1955

CBI Consultant Jane Should Have One of These

A concept illustration of the Citroen DS as it might appear in the near future.

"The Mentalist" is a popular tv crime series - and the protagonist Patrick Jane (played by Simon Baker) drives a vintage Citroën DS - enhancing his quirky not-middle-of-the-road personality. We don't see a lot of them on this side of the Atlantic but a fair number did get here - 38,000 over 18 years (especially popular here in Quebec). I have never driven one, but I was lucky enough to ride in two of them many years ago and I can vouch that the suspension (hydropneumatic self-levelling) was everything it was cracked up to be.

According to wikipedia, "The DS came in third in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, recognizing the world's most influential auto designs, and was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine." If it does get a second life because retro resurrections are still going strong (it was discontinued in 1975) it's going to need some extra horses; it topped out at 83 hp. I guess that would mean 0-60 in 23 seconds. What the heck - some want speed and some want style - at LLTeK we say "Why not have both?"

Audi A4 B7 badgeless grille

No Rings, No Badge, No Problem

quantum B7 ninja grille

Brian sent these images of his Audi A4 with a spanking new Quantum B7 grille installed and we want to say thanks because it's one thing to see an image of a grille on a website and something completely different to see the same thing (in context) on a car.

He tells us the stealthy look was a bit of a glitch and not completely by choice. Apparently,  the whereabouts of the ring mount went AWOL at the installers; but  "aesthetics" are subjective unless one posseses master of the universe wisdom and powers. Adding insult to injury, after Brian posted the install pix at an Audi forum (which shall remain anonymous) a forum commentator suggested that a grille without the rings is a faux pas of galactic dimensions. I don't think the presence or absence of rings is anything anyone should get their shorts in a knot about - but I do know another ring mount is on its way; and if Brian puts the rings on we'd be happy to get a photo of that too.

We've never hung out at the forums, not because it's annoying to have someone frequently jump out of the closet at you, but because as Karl Popper once said, "No rational argument will have a rational effect on a man who does not want to adopt a rational attitude."

Lots more 2014 Audi diesels in North America

The Diesels are Coming - The Diesels are Coming

LLTeK offers plug 'n play chip tuning that increases this engine's output by 38HP (27%)  clik-clik

If you've travelled in Europe, you'll know that diesel rules. Now, Audi will be providing Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI)  diesel options  for the 2014 A6, A7, A8, and Q5 in North America in large numbers. The Q7 SUV, Cayenne from Porsche, and Touareg from VW (all kissing cousins) have had the option on this side of the Atlantic for a number of years because the higher torque (also good for towing) on these heavier machines is an innate diesel feature.

Audi believes these machines will do well because consumers will recognise the economy (30% more efficient), because the the technology behind them is cleaner (emissions are lower) and because these new diesels are not the smelly, loud slugs they used to be. The TDI's have won at Le Mans!

However... these new diesels are probably not going to be bought by "tuning" enthusiasts, and we don't think these changes are going to affect us in any significant way. Despite the improvements, i.e. the acceptable (0-60) acceleration times that get commuters through the merge lane on the way to work, LLTeK's customers tend to lean towards track & speed sensibilities - and this rather rare group of individuals want machine that perform as good as they look.

If anything, LLTeK will  expand the information on our Audi chip tuning page to include the TDI diesels! Click on the picture above and see how you can make your car go faster.

Sabre Bumper for the Facelift Audi A8 D3

Take Your 2006 - 2010 Audi A8 S8 D3 Downtown

This 2007 A8 D3 (SWB) looking good after installation - black RS grilles available also

Busy as bees last week with the completion of the Sabre ii facelift prototype and fitment trial - it went well. We have posted a 16-photo slideshow featuring both the black and silver 2012 "square shoulder"  grilles. The car lost 5 years as soon as the bumper / grille upgrade went on and it is exclusive to LLTeK.

The lower lip was painted in a flat racing silver and LED's were included in some of the photos - the LED's come with each and every bumper - installation is your option. To see the slideshow and get more info on this outstanding replacement bumper - click here now!

Chuck You, Farley - Take it to the Track!

No Place for Racing on Public Roads - verboten - nyet - you will be sanctioned. And try not to do this at the track.

Just got  back from 7 days in b-b-q land, reading, and the lake. Life is good. Hardly moved for a week except for when "she who must be obeyed" (h/t maggie's farm) wanted something. On the way back home, which starts out on dirt/gravel and ends up 4 lanes in both directions - driving conditions were ideal - dry, sunny and hardly enough traffic to get your shorts in a knot. But I saw him coming!

A '96 Golf sitting low on white hand-painted rims with way-too-big spacers (so that the rear wheels were splayed) came screaming up the merge and cut across every lane I could see in the rearview, cut across again in front of the car in front of me ( it wasn't so bad - I already had the foot off the gas and hovering on the binders) and then mr. i'm-so-impressive stitched over to the passing lane scaring the bejessus out of everyone in sight.

This happens all the time and some things never change - particularly with young men who have more testosterone than brains. So what? Real drivers take it to the track.
Take it easy now, enjoy your roadtrips, and the rest of summer - I'm going back to work .

Next Level Track and Speed Styling

Speed Cat Driving Shoes - Design Your Own

The Puma factory has an online design tool for your perfect pair of car-go-fast shoes

Here's the fun way to go shopping before you get to Lime Rock, Arroyo Seco, Eagles Canyon, or Spokane Raceway. I know women are ga-ga for shoes, but I can't count any one track guy I know who likes to go shopping, unless it's got something to do with THE car.

Shoe shopping? Who in their right mind would want to give up on the shoes that have taken until now to break in and get so comfy anyway? But these shoes are CAR shoes and you don't need to wander around the mall looking for the ones you want. You choose exactly how these will look. And you don't need to worry that someone is going to show up at the  track with the same pair - n'yuk n'yuk n'yuk. Click the picture and have a look!