FC Member Blog

Alain Assemi

BY alainassemi alainassemi | 06-30-2009 | 8:19 AM

This blog is written by a member of our blogging community and expresses that member's views alone.

About Alain Assemi
BMW X6 xDrive 35i

Performance

Typical of BMW, the X6's brakes are more than up to the task of
reining in the easily gotten velocity. Our X6 came to a halt from 60
mph in just 111 feet. To put that impressive number into perspective, a
Lotus Elise SC — a dedicated, ultralight sports car — does it in 110
feet. The powerful brakes also exhibited no fade in a half-dozen
consecutive max-effort stops from that speed. The brake pedal is pretty
stiff, however. And at first, the binders seemed a bit touchy, but we
acclimated quickly.

Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV Sport: Comfort

The rear seats are near mirror images of their forward
counterparts, as the Sport package includes rear bucket seats. This is
great for outboard occupants, but perches the poor schmoe stuck in the
middle up onto the buckets' edges and into the ceiling. Seating
capacity could better be described as 4+1.

About Alain Assemi
Bentley to cut 300 jobs

• Bentley to cut 300 jobs

• Also cutting production

• Extended Christmas break

Bentley is to cut about 300 jobs at its Crewe factory in response to falling demand in the market.

The manufacturer, which is already on short-time working, is
looking to shed the jobs through voluntary redundancies. The company
employs 3800 staff.

Bentley is also cutting production, by ending all night shifts on the production of its Continental.

The company is also sending employees on an extended Christmas break, shutting its two production lines on December

News Alain Assemi : Porsche Boxster S

Sport Plus works just as well, but is a little disconcerting. With
this console button pressed, the ghost of Stig enters the car and does
all the gearchanging for you. It’s quite a party trick the way it
works, changing down right to the apex of The Streets of Willow’s
corners then hanging onto the gears all the way out. But, Luddite that
I am, and even noting the 16 per cent improvement in fuel economy PDK
is claimed to deliver, I’m still not sure it’s more fun than a manual.

Dodge Journey R/T

Like a wheel in the sky, automotive tastes are turning as fuel
prices climb to a higher place. Dodge executives are no doubt a bit
glum as people welcome crossover SUVs into their driveways with open
arms. Americans are stone in love with these lighter, more efficient
family mobiles instead of Dodge's more traditional batch of minivans
and big truck-based SUVs. For Dodge, the solution was to cook up a
crossover like the 2009 Dodge Journey before it was too late.

About Alain Alireza Assemi