Posts Tagged ‘ Car ’

One Of The Strangest Things To Hit The Streets.


The Slingshot R is a true showstopper. It’s the ultimate statement, with an enhanced, bold paint scheme and the best in features and style. The Slingshot R comes with additional horsepower, paddle shifters (AutoDrive), unparalleled finishes and styling, and Technology Package 3 featuring turn-by-turn navigation and connected services. Settle for nothing but the best with the Slingshot R. The next time you see someone driving around in a Polaris Slingshot, don’t snicker: They’re probably having a lot more fun behind the wheel than you are. I would know, because I used to be a dyed-in-the-wool Slingshot hater. However, after a week using one as a daily runabout, I have a new appreciation for the three-wheeler’s emphasis on driving excitement at all costs, even if it does require significant compromises.

The 2021 Polaris Slingshot R represents the best of the breed, with updates for this model year that include a Rockford Fosgate audio system with standard Apple CarPlay, revised styling, and an optional “Autodrive” transmission with paddle shifters. However, my tester was equipped with the standard five-speed manual gearbox, a must for maximum driver enjoyment. Of course, not even those updates can compensate fully for the Slingshot’s tiny footprint and attendant compromises – namely a lack of storage space and limited weather protection – so Polaris is still cautious to market the cyclecar as a weekend toy, not a daily driver.

INFINITI Q Inspiration Concept.


Infiniti is always surprising us with features we can’t even see! And let me tell you this, the Infiniti Q Inspiration is doing exactly that – hiding the world’s first ever production ready four-cylinder variable compression ratio engine under the hood of what can easily be seen as a futuristic concept. It may look like a futuristic concept, and it should because they have just entered the future with the Q Inspiration.

Coming complete with an AI/semi-autonomous feature, the Infiniti Q Inspiration has a ProPilot assistant who helps with menial tasks like sitting in traffic or parking. So it’s super smart and super-efficient, it’s also super attractive. The Q Inspiration is inspirational – the rear of this vehicle just oozes a type of class rarely seen with futuristic cars, it’s keeping the mix of curvaceous and organic shape while the lights bring a more futuristic dynamic to tie it all together. This is a gorgeous car, and one can only hope it gets the recognition it most certainly deserves.

The future a la Mercedes-Benz


“A chill-out zone in the midst of the mega city traffic mayhem,” Mercedes-Benz calls its latest self-driving concept car, the Vision Tokyo — so named because it’s being introduced this week at the Tokyo Motor Show. “Chill-out zone” actually seems fair, because the interior of this smooth, silver bean of technology is an arc-shaped couch, where up to five passengers can, in fact, chill out.

There’s nothing production-ready about the Vision Tokyo — everything from the fuel cell drive train to the futuristic wraparound displays in the interior is a dream of a far-off world, though Mercedes deserves some credit for focusing on a singularly executed theme: all of its concept cars this year, starting with the F 015 at January’s CES, have looked like birds of a feather. Outside, there’s the otherworldly silver paint covering everything, glass included; blue LED accents around the perimeter make the car look like a prop from Tron and communicate the vehicle’s self-driving intentions to nearby pedestrians (another trick borrowed from the F 015).

Autonomous mode is clearly the focus considering the seating layout, but it’s still possible to take control — a “jump seat” unfurls and a steering wheel pops out on command. That’s not very chill, though; members of Generation Z (who Mercedes says the Vision Tokyo is for) want “personal contact whenever possible,” which they can get with the face-to-face arrangement while the car drives itself.

Among the stranger features Mercedes has envisioned here is a hologram projection system for showing apps and maps in three-dimensional space. There’s also a trick windscreen that will show a graphic equalizer — think a music visualizer from back in the Winamp days — whenever the occupants are listening to music. (Not to say you necessarily want the people outside your car to know what you’re listening to, but it’d look cool, at least.) All this is tied to an emissions-free drivetrain that Mercedes says is good for 980 kilometers (609 miles) — 190 kilometers in electric-only mode and another 790 kilometers in the hydrogen fuel cell.

The exterior of the Vision Tokyo is “comparable” to a “mid-series vehicle” in its dimensions. Arguably, even that’s too big for Tokyo, a hyper-dense city where subminiature “Kei cars” are extremely popular. But if you want to fit five people and play with three-dimensional apps, this concept might be your best choice.

Mercedes Benz Partners with Lufthansa to Create Spectacular Luxury Airplane


At first glance, the interior of this private jet doesn’t look an airplane. It instead resembles a luxury hotel suite or an impeccably-decorated home. But, this is actually a new design concept as part of a collaboration between Lufthansa Technik and Mercedes Benz. Their idea is a stunning departure from the conventional plane interior, and it has a gorgeous visual flow paired with modern furnishings.

The purpose of the collaboration was to fuse the Mercedes design style onto the Lufthansa Technik aircraft. There hints of the car company’s influence within the scheme. The windows are concealed by black panels, which are inspired by Mercedes Benz S-Class screens. And, using their Magic Sky technology, the panels can be dimmed electronically from black to transparent.

“Our goal is to offer a highly discerning global clientele a standard of interior design that leaves nothing to be desired,” explains Walter Heerdt, Senior Vice President VIP and Executive Jet Solutions for Lufthansa. “Whether for private or business use, our modular completion concept perfectly fits every purpose.”

This special concept made its recent debut at the 2015 EBACE (European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition), an event for those involved within the European private aircraft industry. It’s not currently slated for a wider release, but the companies will asses the level of consumer interest in the coming months.

Collapsible Aeromobil 2.5 Flying Car


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Slovakian engineer štefan klein has presented the latest edition of the aeromobil, his third iteration since introducing the first prototype in the early 90s. the current version,  the ‘aeromobil 2.5′, is a fully working prototype of the 3rd generation concept, the aeromobil 3. Making use of existing infrastructure created for automobiles and planes, the hybrid aircraft – with a 6000mm long body, rotax 912 engine, collapsible wings and a carbon-coated steel frame – opens the door for real door-to-door travel. The vehicle fits to a standard parking space, its engine can be filled up at any gas station, it can fully accustomed to road traffic and as a plane, and is capable of both taking off, and landing at any airport in the world.

2015 Chevrolet Corvette 8-Speed Automatic First Drive


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What do you do when Chevy hands you the keys to a 2015 Corvette Stingray and an open run at the Milford Road Course? You flog it for all you’re worth, whether you know the track or not. Around town, the 8-speed’s many ratios and smooth shifting equate to an easy, comfortable ride, whether in Eco, Tour, or Sport modes. On track, in Track mode (which affects not only the Performance Traction Management system’s settings, but the interoperation of those settings with the transmission’s behavior), even very advanced drivers will find the “D” selector on the transmission as useful and as accurate a method of gear selection as the “M” position and the paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel. It’s a very smart algorithm that keeps the car in the right gear to deliver maximum acceleration at any time. On the torturous Milford Road Course, an assemblage of the most harrowing turns from the most hardcore tracks in the world, there’s no hiding deficiencies—whether they’re in the driver or the car. Keeping the vehicle in a state of constant upset, there are direction changes, off-camber lunges, blind crests, the Karussell-like “Toilet Bowl,” and more to unsettle the suspension and drivetrain and push any driver to their limit. When you only have a handful of laps to learn the track and the car, you worry less about line and more about listening to what the car is doing. That’s what we did, and we found the 8-speed to be a really welcome companion on track, whether you’re letting the transmission’s brain select the gears or doing it yourself with the paddles. For our own money, we’d still opt for the 7-speed manual, especially with 2015’s improved automatic rev-matching algorithms, but we won’t be looking down our noses at anyone who chooses the 8-speed auto instead. In fact, we might be looking at their tail lights. Thanks to a low 4.56 first gear ratio, the 2015 Stingray’s 8-speed gearbox helps the car get to 60 mph 0.1 second faster than the manual at 3.7 seconds, and run the quarter-mile 0.1 seconds quicker at 11.9 seconds, too. Despite the increased acceleration, the 8-speed also gets better gas mileage than the stick, improving highway economy by 3.5 percent to 29 mpg.

Subwoofers… The Funniest Way To Initiate The Female Orgasm.


orgasm-1If you search for “bass orgasm,” “subwoofer orgasm,” or “sound system orgasms,” you pull up a series of videos of attractive young women sitting in cars and being brought to orgasm by the sound systems. What happens is as follows: a dude turns on an EDM song or something of that nature, and the vibrations produced by the bass cause the women to writhe around, toss their hair sexily, and pant like dehydrated corgis.

Although all of these videos are pretty much exactly as described above, there are a few subtle variations. Here, for instance, is “Super Bass Orgasm.” The best part of the video is how nonchalant the crowd seems to be about the woman in the car, like, “There’s Patti, listening to Skrillex and having an orgasm again. Hey, when’s Bobby supposed to be coming by with the Natty Light?”

Some people have stated that the women are faking it, and that it’s impossible for a woman to climax via a subwoofer.  Weather these videos are the work of the ones holding the camera who just want to get their YouTube views up, or these tuner sound systems actually do what some some men can’t… They are quite interesting to watch.  But even without the women being a part of these videos, no one can deny that the impressive work that people put into their cars is something to be marveled at.

But when it comes to the female orgasm as a result of woofers being a myth, I want to see the Mythbusters tackle this one.

Range Rover Evoque Autobiography Dynamic


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Range Rover Evoque Autobiography along with Autobiography Dynamic will make their first appearance at the Geneva Motor Show 2014. These amplified performance and luxurious models are part of the Land Rover’s Autobiography trim series. The 4-wheeled exciting version features 285 hp 2.0L, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with 400Nm of torque and ZF 9-speed automatic transmission. It has optimized chassis for improved recital and sharper handling with better 13.8-inch brake discs at front and redesigned forged 20-inch alloy wheels. They further features recalibrated dampers, upgraded suspension plus brakes, firmer spring rates, more precise steering and Torque Vectoring.

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The Ferrari 750 Monza Spider.


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The Ferrari 750 Monza Spider is one of the wonders created by an artist who according to legend was able, in just a few minutes, to turn a sheet of aluminum into a perfectly smooth egg.  Modena-born Sergio Scaglietti (1920-2011) – who in his youth had repaired countless car bumpers working as a tinsmith – used his hammer with the lightness and precision of a surgeon with a scalpel.  In 1939, Enzo Ferrari – the founder of the world-renowned automobile company in Maranello – met Scaglietti and was immediately struck by his talent. A long collaboration and friendship began, with the artist-tinsmith creating some of Ferrari’s most beautiful cars throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s (including the iconic “Testa Rossa”).  The 750 Monza was designed by Dino Ferrari; only thirty-one were made, between 1954 and 1955.  The model was one of the works of art forged by a genius.  Check the method.

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2015 Ferrari California T


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The 2015 Ferrari California T is packed with a twin turbocharged 3.9 liter 8-cylinder engine, the California T pushes out some impressive numbers, making 560 horsepower along with 557 lb-ft of torque. All that power gets the drop-top to 62 mph in just 3.6 seconds from a standstill. Naturally people are looking for ways to get that top down faster than ever, and of course Ferrari obliges with a 14 seconds fold down time on the retractable hard-top roof. For stopping power this supercar is equipped with a set of carbon-ceramic brakes, while a F1-Trac traction control system creates one hell of a driving experience.

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2014 Ford Mustang V8 GT Coupe The Black Edition


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U.S. based auto maker Ford has officially unveiled their latest limited edition model in the 2014 Ford Mustang V8 GT Coupe The Black Edition. This 2-door sports car is drenched in a jet black paint job, and the blacked-out theme continues all throughout. The 19-inch aluminum wheels have been finished off with black accents, and the entire interior is black as well. The Black edition Mustang also features a three-layer structured glass roof that blocks 90 percent of infrared rays along with 96 percent of ultraviolet rays. Now for the good stuff. This Mustang is packed with a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine that puts down 426 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque through a 6-speed automatic transmission (unfortunately no manual version is available). The vehicle is limited to just 40 units, will only be available in Japan, and will sell for roughly $50,000 when it releases on March 15th.

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Terry Crews and the Muppets | 2014 Toyota Highlander


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The Muppets are delightful in each and every way, so naturally their Toyota Super Bowl commercial with the ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ star Terry Crews to team u with them.  

Dodge Challenger Vapor For U.S. Air Force


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The U.S. Air Force is known to get a bit creative when it comes to their recruitment tools. Built using all sorts of military specific technology, this 4-wheeled assassin is ready for any mission that comes its way. The Vapor supercar is equipped with an infrared thermal image camera on the front bumper that works alongside a roof-mounted 360-degree surveillance camera, allowing the driver to see right through pitch black darkness using the built-in dashboard command center. The command center includes three LCD screens which also give the driver the ability to activate/deactivate the “stealth exhaust system” (essentially exhaust cutouts) for super sneaky, ultra silent attacks. The stealth matte black paint job is the same stuff they use on their stealth planes (absorbs radar), the Lambo-inspired doors are Biometric controlled, and the carbon fiber wheels add the perfect finishing touch to this ride.

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A LifeSize Lego Car Powered by Air


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Made of more than 500,000 LEGO bricks (wheels and some load bearing elements are non-Lego), the “Super Awesome Micro Project” is a fully functioning life-size car powered by an engine also made from LEGO which runs on air. The engine has four orbital engines, a total of 256 pistons and is capable of propelling the car at top speeds of approximately 20-30km.

Porsche Design Tower Miami


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Featuring 60 stories of premium plush penthouses, this decadent den for the wealthy is indeed being developed by Germany-based Porsche Design Group. There are 132 units inside the building, and 3 car elevators to take the owners’ vehicles to their all-glass garages (2 to 4 per unit). Ranging from $4 million to $32.5 million per spot, the square feet available per unit goes from 4,200 to 17,000.

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Mercedes Benz S600


 

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The car is brimming with so much active safety technology that it can pretty much drive itself, but giving the S600 full autonomy would rob owners of its greatest feature — its 6-liter, bi-turbo V12 engine. Bigger and more powerful than the V12 that graced the outgoing model — 530 hp, 830 Nm of torque and a 0-62 mph (100kph) time of just 4.6 seconds — yet lighter and more fuel efficient. It will guarantee exactly the right levels of performance on tap at exactly the right time, whatever the prevailing road conditions. The car has a host of systems, from Collision Prevention Assist Plus to Active Lane Keeping Assist that work together to keep the car safe from front and rear-end collisions, to help drivers avoid obstacles, and track the movement of other vehicles around the car.  The infotainment system has also been upgraded to feature a new controller that will be immediately familiar and intuitive to anyone who owns a smartphone that uses finger taps, gestures and even handwriting recognition. Or, simply talk and the car will respond to vocal commands. Then there’s the full-color head-up display that projects the car’s speed, and navigation information onto the windshield — directly within the driver’s field of vision to minimize potential distraction.

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Jon Olssons Winter Ready Audi Rs6 Wagon


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Professional skier Jon Olsson has become quite famous among automotive enthusiasts due to his customized supercars built specifically for the slopes. Olsson’s 2014 winter project may be a bit more subtle than some of his others. He says the Audi RS6 Wagon is one of the most impressive vehicles he’s ever driven in stock form. In fact, he said the only car that came close was the Agera R. For that reason, the Swedish skier chose to trick out one of these 5-doors, giving the all-wheel drive wagon a winter inspired paint job, H&R suspension, and Milltek exhaust. Of course Jon is far from finished. This is a new project car, and he has left the vehicle with the folks at Stertman Motorsport to really take this thing to next level.

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BMW i8 LCD Key Displays Cars Vital Signs


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Because this key is special, with its high resolution LCD displaying much of the vehicle’s vital signs at any time—your screen-viewing addiction just got worse. Wanna know how much juice the i8 has left? Check the key. Wanna know if you can make it to the beach and back without any worries? The key displays the current capable range. It even indicates whether the vehicle is locked or not. BMW says i8 key uses Bluetooth Low Energy, so you won’t have to worry about much battery drain when you’re outside of your car.

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2014 SRT Viper GTS Anodized Carbon Edition


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Meet the 2014 SRT Viper GTS Anodized Carbon Edition. Still powered by the same naturally aspirated 8.4 liter V10, it’s in the details where this thing really shines. The 2-door sports car has been drenched in a metallic matte paint job (unique to this particular Viper), contrasting bright orange brake calipers, carbon fiber hits throughout both the exterior and interior cabin of the vehicle, and Nappa leather paired with Alcantara seats within the cabin. For those of you looking to park this beauty in your garage, you best act fast, because this Viper is limited to just 50 units.

Lambos for Your Legs


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Upon seeing Lamborghini’s wild Veneno concept, experienced shoe designer Jeremiah Obuobi felt compelled to design a shoe that embodied the same design language. The result is this wicked-looking runner that, like the Lambo, is focused on optimum aerodynamics and stability to achieve a equally dynamic experience when the wearer tackles the road on foot rather than by car.

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2014 BMW Alpina B4 Bi-Turbo Coupe


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Renowned German auto tuners Alpina recently took to the floor at the Tokyo Motor Show to unveil their latest advanced BMW creation: the 2014 BMW Alpina B4 Bi-Turbo Coupe. Sporting Alpina’s adaptive sport suspension in conjunction with a Switch-Tronic-equipped 8-speed sport-automatic transmission, the B4 Bi-Turbo Coupe pairs a modern straight-six 3 liter engine with a duo of turbochargers – thus creating 410 hp, 442 lb-ft of torque, acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds and a top speed approaching 190 mph. Signature Alpina details include the likes of two elliptical double tailpipes and 20″ wheels, as well as a high-performance braking system that features 14.5″ discs up front and 13.5″ discs in back. Just as impressive as the high-powered, aerodynamic coupe’s exterior – and Lavalina leather-lined interior – is the tuned car’s fuel economy: the B4 is rated at about 31 mpg.

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ID x NISMO Concept


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Blending its box-car design of the late ’60s and early ’70s with today’s cutting-edge innovations. Nissan has created the IDx NISMO Concept, a creation that blends the Japanese automotive brand’s timeless execution with compelling new details. Making its world premier at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, the IDx NISMO measures a diminutive 1.8 meters wide and features a carbon fiber panels and a sporty interior, while large wheel arches and aerodynamic spoilers add to its speedy appearance. To further its high-performance attributes, Nissan has used an eco-friendly 1.6L turbo charged engine with a manual shift mode and synchronized rev control. Blending racing heritage and styling with contemporary execution, the IDx NISMO is a showcase of the where Nissan may be headed in the future.

Nissan Bladeglider


 

01-bladeglider-660x439 02-bladeglider-660x469Nissan is out to reinvent road racing, first with the DeltaWing and then the ZEOD RC. Now it’s taking the lessons learned from both cars and applying them to road. And here’s the kicker: Nissan is actually considering putting it into production. This is the Nissan Bladeglider, and it’s a spitting image of its race-bound predecessors, with a triangular shape that’s both incredibly aerodynamic and super light thanks to a carbon fiber reinforced body shell. The front end is just over 3 feet wide, with two skinny tires tucked into the pointed nose and controlled by a Knight Rider-esque steering wheel. There’s seating for three inside the open-air cabin, with the driver’s seat mounted in the middle — à la the McLaren F1 — and sliding laterally towards the Lambo-hinged doors for quick ingress and egress. Two passenger seats and help contribute to its road-hugging 30:70 front-to-rear weight distribution. Nissan isn’t saying exactly what’s motivating the Bladeglider, only hinting that in-wheel electric motors will power the rear wheels, manipulating torque on the fly for maximum performance, with power provided by rear-mounted lithium-ion battery packs. The Bladeglider makes its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this month, and according to Nissan it could “mature into a production car.”

McLaren P1 Broke Record on The Nürburgring Ring


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A video posted to YouTube shows the UK supercar company’s latest flagship, the P1, setting an unbelievable lap time of just 6 minutes 47 seconds. If true, then that would make the P1 the fastest street-legal production car in history to lap the historic and terrifying circuit, known in the trade as the Green Hell. The 12.8-mile (20.6km) undulating track has in recent years become the proving ground for any car with sporting aspirations. As a result, those that know base their supercar and hypercar buying decisions not on acceleration or top speed, but on that all-important lap time. Currently the production car lap-time record is held by the equally rare and exotic Porsche 918 Spyder. In September it became the first such car to lap the circuit in less than seven minutes, posting a confirmed time of six minutes, 57 seconds. To put that into perspective, the 2012 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 managed it in seven minutes 19 seconds and the mighty Ferrari Enzo in seven minutes and 25 seconds. All of which would make the McLaren time — it shaves a whole 10 seconds off the record — even more remarkable.

Tesla’s Are Going Android.


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Tesla is often seen as the Apple of car makers so Elon Musk’s decision to update the current flagship Model S with a Google Chrome web browser and Android emulating OS could surprise some.  The company’s CEO made the announcement at a special Tesla event in Munich, Germany this week, but pointed out that the changes will not happen overnight.  So, from late next year Tesla customers will be able to access the internet in-car via Google’s Chrome, and the informatics platform will be fully Android-compatible — it currently runs a version of Linux that can support modified Android and iOS apps — meaning that it will be easy for developers to write Tesla-specific apps or to port existing Android apps to run on the car’s software systems.

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As well as being the pure electric vehicle with the longest range on a single battery charge currently in production, the Tesla Model S also has the largest touchscreen interface of any road car.  The 17-inch system not only offers an online connection and access to the vehicle’s navigation system, but also replaces many of the analogue switches and dials — for features such as air conditioning — that litter most vehicle cabins.  However creating something that takes full advantage of a display more than twice the size of the average tablet could take some doing on the part of Android app developers — Apple CEO Tim Cook has described most tablet apps on Google Play as simply stretched smartphone apps.

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