Dodge hits home run with new Charger.

After months of speculation and spy shots, we finally laid our eyes on the official pictures of the 2011 Dodge Charger in R/T form. The new look is quite stunning and begs for attention, with a more sculpted front the Charger loses its blocky look while looking even tougher than the last gen. But perhaps the best change is the rear, which resembles the original Charger, The new taillights stretch all the way across the back and are lit by LEDs. The exhausts are nicely crafted into the bumper which is a very nice touch. Dodge didn't just leave the original Charger styling cues in the rear, the hood and side profile both pay tribute to the original Charger. As for power the R/T will stick to the 5.7L Hemi V8, and the SRT8 will receive the long awaited 6.4L Hemi with 475 hp, which is likely underrated. With all that said, its looks like the Charger will be a smash hit in the car world, and for anybody who likes a monster V8 sedan, or just a simple V6 Charger, this is the one for you.

Do we criticize interiors too much?

Now don't get me wrong, i love a nice looking interior with quality materials but sometimes i think that we are to hard on some, for example the LX cars, when i visited the auto show i checked them all out and i found soft touch materials and nice fit and finish while some materials could have been better it was nothing that would have kept me from buying the car. So really does the dash have to be super soft, because who constantly touches the dash while driving, or constantly plays with buttons that control functions in your car. So for me all i look for in an interior is a nice design, good materials and something that doesn't fall apart in three years. Ive driven a 05 Honda Civic for about a year, which is a car in the cheap compact segment, and Ive been more than happy with its interior and it has held up very well. So with that said do we criticize to much?

Chrysler will be back and better than ever.

As we all know Chrysler has just recently joined a partnership with Fiat and many wondered if this was good choice, well i believe it was a great move because just in these last couple of months chrysler has released upcoming models that look very promising, such as the 2011 Grand Cherokee, spy shots of 2011 Charger with its brand new interior, but all new interiors arent limited to the Charger and Grand Cherokee, the whole line-up will recieve them, just another step in the right direction, but the upgrades dont stop there new engines are on the way also, the Penastar V6 will become the new Chrysler V6, the base 3.6L pumps out 290hp, but that will increase with direct injction and Fiat's Multi Air system, and much increased fuel economy, but it wouldn't be Chrysler without a new HEMI, a 6.4L HEMI will debut in the 2011 Challenger along with its redone interior. The 6.4L horsepower rating have not been released but rumors have it at over 500hp. Most important is the changes the Chrysler lineup will recieve they will get luxury interiors that they should have, that from rumors compete with Lexus. Also the Sebring will be replaced thank god. Dodge will join the CUV market with the Magnum and will replace the caliber with a compact car. So while most think Fiat has done the all the work, i thank Chrysler for putting ther heads together and creating good quality cars that people want to buy, so watch out as Chrysler will soon be throwing down some stiff competition.

Settle UP: Not What U Want, What GM Needs. RWD or FWD Impala

By CmicasatheGreatXvX

First let's get this out the way... I am not a hater of RWD... I can walk out to my garage and find 3 more RWD vehicles in it than U can in yours... :yup: Two of them sporting suspension systems in them that are TRACK READY and with enough power under the hood to make Lewis Hamilton, Mario Andretti, hell... RACER X (of Speed Racer fame) fight over the keys. :badtothebone:


OK... Let's bump the FUEL ECONOMY argument... I have long argued that GM RWD vehicles get fuel economy that equals or betters every FWD based car out there. I have constantly compared CTS (vs Audi A6), Corvette (vs R8), Camaro (vs Accord Coupe), G8 (vs Ford Taurus SHO), and even Tahoe (vs Ridgeline) fuel economy against that of vehicles from Honda, Toyota, and Nissan sporting a FWD based platform. Each time I either gave evidence of them BEATING the competition or at the very least equaling them. NEVER have I argued that FWD was more efficient than than RWD.

My argument has never been against the idea of RWD vehicles.. it has been against the idea of the MAINSTREAM buyer buying a RWD based MAINSTREAM car.. such as the Impala which is well known to be a FWD based car.. in a segment that is FWD norm.

The notion for a RWD sedan from Chevy has always been attractive to me, but not as an IMPALA.. but perhaps a Caprice.. in BETTER times, when GM wasn't in desperate need for market share growth and perception stability. RWD based family cars are simply not viable outside of niche or law enforcement.

Basically the counter argument has been that in Family sedans RWD is as fuel efficient as FWD. This is true. The issue at hand is that in family sedans RWD is not COST EFFICIENT for mainstream companies... nor is it PERCEIVED as being fuel efficient, safe, or practical by the mainstream buyer.

It seems as the advocates are speaking from the perspective of a person living in the 70s when RWD was 90% of the market... when "a Man" didn't even consider FWD based vehicles to haul their families around... Now... despite there being G8s, Chargers, 300cs, Genesis... available in the MAINSTREAM.. their sales are limited to niche or Fleet duty. Using the Holden example is seriously flawed... The Holden Commodore is a BEST SELLING vehicle in OZ... but at 80%+ Fleet duty it makes the American Impala's 35%+ Fleet duty seem minuscule.

AND The advocates WANT GM to introduce another one to the market when a more versatile, flexible, cost effective platform can yield similar performance with better versatility in the in-climate weather that seems to happen as far down as Dallas these days. :( I'm sorry... I witnessed waaaaaaaaaaaaay to many RWD vehicles on the side of the road or spinning outta control for a come back from U about how "those people just don't kno how to drive..." to hold any water. :no:

The fact that these people didn't buy the exact car (ZETA based V8 powered RWD car) just a short while ago is testament that when a mainstream buyer needs family transportation... RWD is not always a necessity like they would have us believe.

The Market has changed like it or not. THIS IS THE SAME MARKET THAT FOR YEARS LITERALLY BELIEVED THAT TOYOTA BUILT BULLET-PROOF CARS.

The fact that the available RWD based family sedans cars available (Genesis, 300c, Charger) and the defunct one have/had relatively minuscule RETAIL sales compared to their Impala competition. I have no issue with a niche RWD/AWD CAPRICE... or even a quick "flip of script" RWD/AWD based Cadillac XTS... but not a super mainstream name like the Impala. It would be like literally making the Honda Accord a V8 powered car. The market would balk, even tho ENTHUSIASTS would rejoice. Unfortunately ENTHUSIASTS make up a small percentage of the buying public... and normally call for GTOs, Magnums, Genesis, SSRs, ... and then buy them is extremely low numbers. Obviously these so called enthusiasts don't look at the numbers. The current numbers, full year, from 2009 show that a 5 year old, FWD only, no-navigation having, old GM car... still sold approx. 166K vehicles in a down year, amid a Bankruptcy, and factory shut-downs, with about 25% going to fleet. That still leaves about 120K retail sales of said OLD car. Certainly a BETTER vehicle would spawn more sales.


So Yes... I support the idea of taking an award winning BRAND NEW innovative platform and turning it into a more marketable vehicle selling out of a larger retail outlet... while they are IN LOVE with a 5 year old vehicle coming here as a new Impala. If this were 2006... I could dig it.. but this is 2010.. and GM doesn't need another niche car selling outta it's mass selling division while the market demands something else.

More here: http://www.carfanatics.org/settle-up-not-what-u-want-what-gm-needs-rwd-or-fwd-impala-t3583.html

My View on Automotive Telematics.

As you may have heard, GM is in talks with Google to create a telematics system based off of Googles Android platform. This is very likely a result of Ford and Microsoft's SYNC, which is currently in it's third iteration. SYNC is a wonderful platform, allowing you to integrate you mobile devices into you automobile. It is so good in fact, Kia, has also made a similar system called Uvo. Yum.

Below is where I list the pros and cons of the technology.

Things may sound all fine and dandy....but it's really not.  Here's a look behind the scenes at three thins that are wrong with the services that allows you to voice control you phone through your car:

1. Distraction: Is using in-car apps any better than texting while driving? No. You're looking at a 8 inch screen trying to find  the best resatraunt in your area while scolding demented teenage drivers that text and use mobile internet? Fuck that. You can argue voice control. That's the same thing as talking on speakerphone. You're still gonna be distracted. And that's not even it.....
2. Integration woes. There have been reports of phones not pairing up right with Ford SYNC. But that's understandable....but with Google in the picture....You have Apple, you have Google. They hate each other's guts. Google has Android, Apple has iPhone. Do you expect Google to allow iPhone support in cars? I don't think so.
3. Monthly Charges: Here's the killer. SYNC and Uvo will be free. Good on them. But don;t expect the lovechild of GM and Google to be free(after a year of course). OnStar, the communications services by GM already charges users monthly now. Imagine more services. No imagine in-car internet. Your Internet bill cloned in your car. Just so people can be "connected" and tweet their way to oblivion. Did I mention distraction somewhere?

The above is just a few reasons why telematics isn't THAT great. But notice how I never said it sucked either. Here are some reasons it's good:

1. Connectivity: Your telematics is like a computer. It can proccess info coming from different sources. This could someday used to provide bad drivers with physical input. Better for them, better for you.
2. More connectivity: Who wouldn't like to tweet from their cars? Mobile internet let's you do things while stuck in traffic.
3. Integration. Disregard the distraction point I made earlier. Think about this: YOur SYNC or Uvo allows you to use three or four devices in one place. I believe that this is at least more convenient, if not safer. And here I will also list some tech to combat distraction. You have voice control. You have heads-up display. You have text-to-speech. Distraction is still present, but is negated...somewhat.

What do you think of telematics?

Is The Wagon Hot Again?

I remember a time when wagons had third-row seats, rode higher than most sedans, carried lots of cargo, had huge compartments.......oh wait, that's what we call Crossover's these days, huh? The typical wagon, like most convertibles, have died off quickly in a time where it seems people tend more to sedans and CUV's (Crossover Utility Vehicles) only. Most automakers took advantage of that and killed off everything that had "enthusiast" or "sporty" or "low-volume" in it. It wasn't until cars such as the Dodge Magnum, BMW X6 and Acura ZDX came out that people paid more attention to wagons. Now, in a time where people strive to be different and every automaker wants to be seen, the wagon of yesterday may just become the sex symbol of today. Enter the top 5 wagons of 2010:

2010 Cadillac CTS Sportwagon

GM knows full well that this won't be a high volume model, but thats not the point of the CTS Sportwagon. It's more than that, it's sexy, it's edgy, it's exactly what Cadillac needs in the CTS to be taken even more serious by consumers. You can have as much fun in this as the sedan; the chassis options are the same, you'll get the same highly acclaimed 3.6 DI thats in the sedan good for 304 hp, or if that's not enough and you have the bank, go for the V wagon, good for 556 hp and 551 lb. ft. of torque, worthy enough for Cadillac to set yet another record as fastest wagon around the 'Ring. You can't deny how sexy the CTS sedan is, but this little wagon here takes the sex factor to a whole 'nother level. Family of 4 going to the beach in style, take this.

2011(12?) S60 Wagon

Not much is known about this wagon here, but what is known is that Volvo has yet to forget their roots (even though just coming out of the box era) and will offer up this strange looking, yet sexy wagon sometime next year. Expect this to share the same powertrains as its little brother S60 sedan. Whats also notable is you can expect the same chassis and suspension tuning. If this is anything like bigger cousin XC60, this will be a game-changing wagon.

2012 Buick Regal Wagon(?)

This is the one in question of whether or not its coming here. It would make sense, there's no CUV competition for it and GM knows full well it's biggest competition, the Acura TSX, will in fact have its wagon sibling right next to it. I say GM one-up Acura by delivering this stateside with the GS version along side of it. Honestly, this is one of the sexier wagons I've ever seen (right now, that says a lot). Don't know what's going on in the minds of GM staff, but this needs to be here, ASAP. If it drives anything like its sedan brother, it won't disappoint, it will over-impress.

2011 Acura TSX Wagon

Hey speaking of the Acura TSX Wagon, here it is. Coming here sometime late this year/early next year, this is a sharp looking wagon, from the back. Yet another reason for the Buick Regal Wagon to come here, the TSX's best angle is best from the back. Nice looking, but for damn sure not as beautifully sculpted as the Regal Wagon. But all is well, expect great performance from this, as it will share the TSX sedan powertrain and chassis/suspension setup. Plus, can't deny the sweet 6-speed shifter/3.5 V6 combo.

2011 SAAB 95 Wagon

SAAB has almost a cult following, this will almost help SAAB become more popular. Admittedly, wagons are gonna be popular in the next few years, SAAB is smart to jump on the bandwagon (no pun intended) with this one. Sharing the awesomeness that's in the sedan, this will surely be known by the masses (of enthusiasts most likely).

As most can already tell, wagons are quickly becoming my favorite types of cars. I'll try to review each as they come out. This is a first look, and one I'm very excited to share. Let me know if I missed any.

Why the Challenger is my Choice.

For any Mopar fan the Challenger returning is a dream come true, in 2006 when the concept was released i was hoping and praying it would be produced and Dodge came through and it was. Now in its 3rd year of production its still loved and still captures a camera flash anywhere it goes, but its competition is fierce with the camaro and mustang, but the Challenger hold its own quite well. Its my choice becuase it is the representation of days where auto makers only thought about cubic inches and horsepower. Open the Challenger SRT8s hood and you will find a 6.1L HEMI V8 producing 425 horsepower, and thats about it no fancy wires or electronics. The fans of Challenger or mopar in general are a very loyal group and they love there cars and will stand by them through thick and thin. Also start up the SRT8s 6.1L HEMIs V8 and a bellowing rumble blasts out of the duel pipes and is music to any muscle car fans ears and has the best sound it dosent sound like some screaming race car engine its smooth as slik and its growl is hard to beat. The Challenger also has it won in the looks department its recesed grill, duel headlamps give it the retro feel. It also has the look that its angry and seems to stare you down in a menacing way. Perhaps the best part is the feeling when you step in one, you dont want to get out, if you dont smile in this car you have no soul and to drive it is another story. So next time you see one take the time and enjoy because these cars might not be around in 10 years

Possible Swedish Takeover? I Think Yes!

What you see here are two of the best, new midsizers in its class and guess what, they're both from Sweden. It was such a shame to see them go away from their American adopters, but they found new homes, quicker than expected, and nothing but positive things have happened for them. Sure, they may not have the best lineups (for now), but for those who are tired of the typical BMW and Mercedes (even the typical Lexus or Infiniti or Audi), these Swedes are extra rare and pretty damn class competitive.

What you knew about the SAAB's and Volvo's of the past should be as dead of a perception as Toyota being better than Ford and Chevy. The 9-5 (or now 95) is one of the most critically acclaimed new cars to come, ever. GM worked extremely hard to retool its Epsilon II platform specifically for this car. It could easily have the best chassis/suspension setup in its class. Not bad on the eyes either, only car that looks better (in my opinion) are the Jaguar XF and the car listed above it.

Now the S60 is in its class of its own in its styling. Maybe its just me, but when I first set eyes on this car, a little sparkle flew by. "Can't even start to believe this is a Volvo", I said to myself. Being used to the dowdy, uninspired Volvo's of the past (hey, they just left the box era in the 2000's!), the S60 was an unexpected surprise. Claimed as the "Naughty Volvo", this is the car those "Desperate Housewives" would love to be seen in. While the 95 strikes me as the car I would love blasting through mountains with, the S60 is the car I would definitely try to impress with. Every single curve symbolizes a different meaning, almost as if Volvo took a page from the Jaguar book and copied some kind of wild cat. If the S60 is any symbolization of where Volvo is headed, I love it.

What with the new product from SAAB (9-4X slated for early next year, new 93 and 92) and Volvo (the new XC60, upcoming S40 and V40, current [or soon to be refreshed] S80, upcoming XC90, C30 and C70), these Swedes could possibly become the new Germans. And once they free themselves from the companies of which they're tied down to, it would be quite interesting to see just how far these two can go. Stay tuned.

Who wants an AWD luxury SUV 4-door sports coupe? Urrm... me!

People are always afraid of the new. The out-of-the-ordinary. It has been the way since the beginning of humanity.

Throughout history, people have been trying to stick with what they know, but it shouldn't be that way. If we stick with ONLY what we are used to, then humanity will not, CAN NOT progress.


The bronze age, for example, was followed by the iron age. But I can guarantee that this change in prefered material did not occur without some resistence from "fans" of the material that reigned before it. But it took one person to begin using iron, for the rest to follow, and end up making bronze look very out-dated.

And then there's the first people to try to explain that the world is round, and not, in fact, flat. Well, it took a lot of convincing, but it payed off in the end. You'd be hard-pressed to find a single flat-earther in modern society.


And so we have the AWD luxury SUV 4-door sports coupe. In other words, one of those BMW X6/Acura ZDX kind of cars. When the BMW X6 Concept made its debut at Frankfurt 2007, it shocked people. They were astonished - in fact, they are still sweeping up bits of jaw from Frankfurt's show-floor.

There's the cynics that critiqued, "it's an SUV with less cargo capacity". Well - I won't argue with that - it is! But then there's the the people who saw sense. (Me, in other words.) They saw it for what it was, a glimpse into the future.

And we were right. The X6, in production form, has become a success and the formula has already been taken and used on Acura's ZDX. And it won't be the last we'll see of the AWDLSUV4DSC (for, urrm... short). No, I expect that various automakers are already working on their own AWDLSUV4DSCs. I predict that in the future, we will see a divide between normal SUVs and AWDLSUV4DSCs similar to how sedans and hatchbacks are. Hatchbacks have taken such a large chunk of sales figures (most notably in Europe and Asia, but also in other regions) that they are now perseved as "normal". And so will be the case with AWDLSUV4DSCs in a few years. Mark my words.

Hyundai Equus

I'm looking, through Google Images, at pictures of Hyundai's Equus from various angles.

From what I can tell, I'm seeing hints of Buick, Mercedes, Honda, and Susan Boyle's lady's area. One thing is for sure. This new Equus is completely devoid of any of your typical Korean-blandness. That's not to say it isn't still ugly-as-sin. It is. But at least it has some character; even if it is someone else's character.

Still, if anything, it goes to show how different people must see things differently. Or else, how could someone like this car, if they're seeing the same hideous vehicle that I am? And trust me, there are people that like the car. And, I think, they're sane-headed, too, as evidence towards my notion.


So now, after looking at pictures of it for literally A FEW MINUTES, I can now confirm that this car is a bit like marmite. Blooming 'orrible!

Should Ford be worried about its premium brands?

Take a look at Ford/Mercury/Lincoln sales numbers and tell me what goes through your mind. Fords' numbers were impressive, but maybe too impressive perhaps. Sure its a great feat that Ford sold 22,773 Fusion's this month, but riddle me this: Just how many sales did the Fusion snatch away from its cousins Milan and MKZ? Together the Milan and MKZ couldn't even make 8,000 sales, let alone the mighty 22,773 the Fusion pushed. So that was a pretty good example, but I have a better one. Look at the MKS and Taurus. In general, barely any consumer outside of enthusiasts understand just how similar the Taurus and MKS are, or do they? The MKS' sales fell 15.9% to 1,443, while Taurus sales took a leap upwards 86.3% to 7,001. Just for a small comparison, the Cadillac CTS (the MKS' only American competition) also fell heavily, down 26.4% to create 2,870 sales. Now considering that the CTS is in heavy need a refresh since it is an 08 model is saying something. There needs to be some distinction between Ford, Mercury and Lincoln, and it needs to happen ASAP.

There are multiple solutions Ford can come up with, but in the long run there's only one clear solution: Lincoln needs to go farther upmarket. Simply meaning there probably needs to be RWD in the Lincoln stable. The MKR is a nice starting ground. What also needs to happen is Mercury needs to be pushed up to where Lincoln is right now. Reason being is Lincoln is supposed to challenge Cadillac right about now, but no one can really justify Lincoln being on the same level as Cadillac because Lincoln constantly gets compared to Buick and it makes sense. The only Lincoln that challenges a Cadillac so far is the MKX to the SRX. Lincoln needs to find its way or it will always be seen as the brand that can't come close to BMW and Mercedes, something Cadillac is steadily fighting away as we speak.

As for Mercury, it could go one or two ways, improve Lincoln or kill Mercury. I'm sorry to say this but, it seems as if every single Ford eats away at Mercury sales. The Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, separately, sold more than the Milan (even though most of those sales were fleet, but the data still remains). Obviously there's a problem. At least with Volvo, that brand started to show distinction and, eventually, sales will show the progress. With Mercury, where is the hope? It seems as if the brand is dead in the water, only having two cars sold under its name (Milan and Mariner). Maybe Mercury will pull a Buick, or maybe its too late.

Your Hyundai Accent is a major cause of global warming. I piss on your Hyundai Accent.

I don't care how much you speak, you aren't going to convince me that you are saving the world by buying a shit car. You are merely evidencing my thoughts that anyone driving a Hyundai is a complete numbskull.

By buying a Hyundai, you are saying to the world "I'm stupid, I've given up on my life so that I can save a polar bear". Only, you won't be saving any polar bears. Instead, you'll be sending a polar bear to an early grave. And here's why.


When you buy a Hyundai, you are boosting Korea's economy. This is bad. It means that Korea's people will become rich and be able to afford to buy Hyundais for themselves, thus increasing the effects of global warming. Another thing - those Hyundais are gonna be burning oil. This means that Korea will be burning a larger percentage of the oil produced, compared to first-world countries, than it had done previously. In turn, this means that the first-world will have to give up some of IT'S oil, making oil all-the-rarer, and increasing petrol/diesel prices, all-the-while reducing your Accent's viable life-span.

Buy a car designed/engineered/manufactured in a first-world country, if you care at all about your wealth, your childrens' wealth, or the world in general.

When driving goes back to the basics instead of the #'s

I must admit, it wasn't really until yesterday that it finally sank in that cars are than just speed, tuning and times, it wasn't really until I sat in the back of an Acura RL that it hit me like a ton of bricks the basics of driving, as I've been so preoccupied with how to make it faster and N/A vs Forced Induction and Stick vs Auto.

Lets go back to how this all began though, 'cause even though what I said before could make sense, it doesn't make as much sense than if you know the whole story.

Anyway, my sisters RDX went in for maitenance yesterday, so for a loaner car, they got a Brand Spankin' New RL (Could be '09, but still brand new, not even 100 miles on the Odometer), White with Grey interior, and since I was chillin' with my friend, we sat in the back, 1st thing I noticed was it was ROOMY, even though my dad had the seat back as he drove, and it was comfy too, I had to wake my friend from time to time as he fell asleep in the back, and then since it was raining, the AWD was active, which my Dad not only noticed, but LOVED.

What made me realize that cars can be cars and not Speed Demons was my Dad's love for the car, basically reminding him of the Legend he had in 1990 (The car he took my sister home in when she was born) and while driving it, you could tell he was enjoying it, not caring about how fast it could reach 100 or 130 or w/e or how many cogs the gear box had, but just enjoying it and even my mom, whose all about the brand, liked the car too (she's pushing me to look at the ZDX, she's impressed with it), and then, in a subtle but natural way, I realized that there's more to life than speed, which might be obvious to most of you, but you gotta remember that I'm a young adult (21) who can get pretty much most cars that people my age only wish they could be driving (More in line of Sports Coupes and Convertibles, unless it's kids from my town, then I'm in the same boat as them).

Besides the ride to the local Japanese restuarant (Ichiban for all the Jersey Folks), earlier today (and after I post this) I was driving the Boxster to school to register for my next class and since it was finally a nice day, I had the Top down, and while I normally speed down the roads, my Radar was on the fritz do to the cops driving around and waiting on the side, so I just cruised, which I realized was really just as enjoyable as speeding considering it the conditions were right (Sunny, nice weather, good music, ect.).

After that, I just was looking at Car reviews for various cars I'd normally never consider (RL for starters :P) and just reflected on things, thinking about how preoccupied alot of people can be about speed or MPG, when really forgetting that it's not all about the #'s and just about the drive and the overall feel of the car ('Cause as brutal as an Elise can be, it's not gonna be the most comfortable ride, or as efficent as a Insight can be, it's biblically terrible overall according to Jeremy Clarkson), hence why cars such as the LaCross or various Lexus' or even Acura's still sell in this market, despite all the other cars that offer more (and usually cost more), why some people go with Lincolins over BMW's when they can easily perfer both.

Now of course, all the people who know this already don't need to read this all, and probably see that I finally came to see the wisdom of the elders, but this is more for the Kids and Speed Demons who have yet to realize that there's more to driving than how fast you can do a 1/4 or how fast the lap times are. Don't get me wrong, those still matter to me, but now, next time I see someone (Whether a kid, an Adult or Elder) driving a RL instead of a G37, I won't ask why, but just nod

-p-

Runaway Prii almost certainly caused be driver error. Here's why...

Someone down my street owns a Toyota Prius. They have done for a few years now. Hideous car, I must say.

But not so hideous as the colour they chose to have it in. Gold. Actually, it's more of a metallic beige. Yes, someone down my street owns a metallic beige Toyota Prius. And they have done from new. Hmmm....

The sheer fact that they have a Toyota Prius in metallic beige, that they've owned from new means, at one point, the owner must have walked into a dealer, looking for a new car, and, instead of buying a Celica, or an Aygo, or even an Avensis, they decided on a Prius, and they decided they wanted it in metallic beige. Oh dear.

Now you could go on telling of the huge list of mental issues they suffer from, but I know psychos with better taste than that.

Surely then, it has more to do with the owners' eyesight, or lack thereof.

I would bet my bottom dollar that the runaway Toyotas were crashed by people with severely deteriorating eyesight driving metallic beige Prii.


I don't think I'm comfortable living with the danger of having someone on my street owning a metallic beige Prius.

I don't like Hyundais, and I don't like fish. Go screw yourself! (No offense.)

There are many things that annoy me about the human race. The way they smell, the way they care for eachother, and, chiefly, the way they talk.

I have heard people say the word "fail" too many times. So much, in fact, that it can be used now as a noun. Someone falls over; "that's a fail". Someone gets stuck in a lift; "that's a fail". Someone gets caught in bed with Jeremy Clarkson, thinking they are in bed with Su Bo (let's face it, they DO look the same); "that's a fail". That's annoying.

And then there's people who say "no offense" after everything they say, believing that if they say it, their sentence will actually become LESS OFFENSIVE. Worst of all is when they say something that is deliberately offensive, and THEN say "no offense". "Your mom is fat! No offense."

And then there's the most frustrating, STUPID thing of the uttermost annoyance that someone said to me. This one thing someone said to me, once upon a time, regarding the new Hyundai Sonata. "You don't like the new Sonata just because it's a Hyundai".

Well, I'm not going to argue with that. It's a fair statement. But I will say this. It is true that I don't like the Sonata, and it is true that I don't like it because I don't like Hyundais. But then I don't like cod, just as I don't like any kind of fish.

Why hasn't anybody told me "you don't like cod just because you don't like fish"?
Why is it that no-one ever tells me "you don't like Jay-Z's new single just because you don't like Jay-Z"?
And why, on earth, have I never been told "you don't like CSI:Miami just because you don't like stupidly unrealistic crime dramas, featuring men wearing make-up taking their sunglasses off in a theatrical manner while spouting various dramatic one-liners"?

I think it might have something to do with Hyundai fans themself. I wonder what kind of ailment/disorder they must suffer from to become a Hyundai fan in the first place. Perhaps one of the symptoms is that they get overly defensive and start arguing (badly) with anyone even hinting that they don't like Hyundai.

Me thinks, after this post, that I ought to get my Hyundaist (that's what I've decided to call them) shield at the ready, before someone starts using crappy arguments against me.

Ugly car tax. Good idea?

I've post this before, but-

I can't believe how selfish some people are. You are not allowed to build a block of flats in a small pretty village, because people don't like to see it. The law says I can't run around naked, as much as I'd like to, because people don't want to look at it.

So why, I ask, are Toyota allowed to sell these kinds of monstrocities? I mean, who in their right mind WANTS to see a Toyota Yaris on the streets? And yet the big 'Yota are fooling thousands of americans with them every year. But I have a plan just in case I come to power.

So you can't just BAN ugly cars. But what you CAN do is introduce an ugly tax. Now cars will be rated, by me, on a scale of 1 to 10 on ugliness. Hyundai Tucsons will have a rating of 10, since they are the ugliest car on the market IN ANY COUNTRY. So buyers of this car will be made to pay a £100 ugly penalty. Buyers of cars with ratings of 1, the Jaguar XK for example, will be immune from this "ugly tax".

Now you might think, "oh, a £100 fine won't stop me from buying my shitbox", but that's the beauty of it. I can, as governments do, steadily increase the ugly tax so that, in 2020, you CAN buy your Kia, but it will come with a tax of one-hundred billion pounds. Surely that will be enough to stop people buying these things and burning the layers from my eyes?

Now if you value your eyes, vote for me!

Car Spotter's Guide

I have this game called car-spotting. It's simple enough, there's people who like to find unique trains & lorries, I like to find unique cars.

But it's not just Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and else Italian exotica. No, no! Ferraris are boring.

I like to find cars that, if it were not for my car fanaticism, I would think nothing of. A Ferrari 430 is worth just 2 points in my game, to, say, a Renault Clio Williams' 8 or 9 points. Occasionally, I might point out some of my discoveries to family members or friends. They might say something along the lines of "it's a chavved-up Clio". You couldn't explain to them the amount of fun they're missing out on! Their loss.

I've been playing this game for years, and I've found plenty of wonderful, obscure cars. VW Passat W8s, Renault Avantimes, Lancia Delta Intergrales, Nissan Almera GTIs, and countless imported, not-sold-in-the-UK, cars. And so, as you'd imagine, I've accumilated hundreds of points over the years. But, this one day, all of my previous finds kneel before the magnificance that is the Daihatsu YRV Turbo!

Featuring a 127BHP 1.3 litre petrol powerplant (the most powerful 1.3 litre of it's kind in the UK on it's introduction, don't ya know!), it gets from 0-60 in 8.1 seconds, and can reach 8000rpm when pushed hard.

But all these performance figures are worth nothing to the avid car-spotter. No, what makes this car special is its rarity. Daihatsu had sales targets of 200 per year in the UK, and built it for just 2 years, 2003-2004. I don't know how much they ACTUALLY sold. I couldn't be bothered to count...

The thing is though, I can't be the only one to play this "game". There must be thousands of other car-spotters out there, and thus, I propose we establish a club to bring the whole car-spotting community together. Anybody with me?

Feel free to share your finds down below.

Hybrids the future of tuning?

I am quite into tuning and track racing and auto crossing. I can sometimes go on and on about the cars I've seen and or worked on. As I was putting a new Mugen head cover on my friends EG6 (92-95 Civic), his mom pulls into his driveway in her Civic Hybrid and I got to thinking.....maybe this is going to be the inevitable future. After reading so many articles about companys such as Tesla and Fisker, and others making electric or Hybrid sports cars, I have been less and less reluctant to accept that this is something that will happen. I still stick to the somewhat old school way of engine tuning of maxing out your car in NA form before going FI to get the most out of your car power wise. I read in a magazine, either Super Street or Sport Compact Car (Modified Magazine), that a company took a 90's civic and put in a Hybrid powertrain along with a turbo. I forgot what their numbers were exactly but they did what can't be done in a normal car, which is to get good fuel economy with some decent power. I am totally against this form of modification simply because its more electronic than it is mechanical. If there is something wrong with the engine, I can easily (obviously work is required) fix the issue. If there is something wrong with a Hybrid powertrain, as far as I know, you are pretty much screwed. Most Hybrids have CVT transmissions except for the new Honda CR-Z with the manual. The work required to make sure everything meshes perfectly to get the right shift feel for the tranny was quite extensive to say the least. I don't see budget mods happening with these cars anymore. How well can a Injen or K&N or anyother aftermarket filter really help a Hybrid vehicle which will more than likely run on electric mode more often than not? Assume that you have put a turbo on a Hybrid. Someone pulls up next to you in Civic Si next to you and decides to coax you into a launch. The light turns green and you're off! Either you are in electric mode which will not acclerate very quickly or once your engine kicks in at the low RPM, your turbo will have so much lag that it will still take you a lifetime to get your desired speed. In the meantime, your opponent is already pulling into the Friendly's parking lot a mile and a half away feeling highly confident about his "win." Another issue with tuning, and for all the old school guys who tune and race know this, is weight. The weight of the battery, electric motor, and any necessary hardware won't help you much. Take all that weight off and now you have something worth the work. The lighter your car the better the gains. Ferrari is working on a Hybrid supercar and I can't help but think how much better that car would be without the weight. As I have said before, cost can be a huge issue. From the factory, almost every car and not just hybrids, have some of the most picky ECUs that adding an intake or an exhaust will throw CELs or make the car lose power and run worse than it was orgionally. In electric mode the hybrid only has the allotted power given to it by the battery. In order to gain more power you need to upgrade the electric motor and the battery to be able to give the motor the electricty required. Personally, I don't see it as a feasible tune. With the CAFE restrictions tightening their grip around automakers throats, we might see more and more hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles. Sooner or later the aftermarket tuners will have to change for these type of cars or they'll go the way of the dinosaurs. Call me old fashioned, but I still prefer B16s K20s, RBs, Rotarys, 302s, Small blocks, crate motors, you name it. Hybrid tuning is one change in this world that I will always shake my head to.

How Fast is Too Fast?

I have a 20 mile commute from home to school. I don't know if any of you are familiar with any of the road ways in Connecticut, but I guess you can say it is your typical commute. I travel from Waterbury to Farmington, on Route 84, and then back again. It's not too rough like the highways in NYC, or LA for example. As I cruise along at 75mph, ten over the speed limit, and in some cases 15mph over the speed limit. I can't help but notice that everybody is flying by at at least 80mph. Its bad enough that my car is fast enough already, by being passed while I'm in the fast lane, assuming that I am traveling rather fast, by a minivan loaded with kids watching "Shrek 2." I know cars are considerably faster, and also that much more safer. I don't understand how people would really want to risk that much by driving at insane speeeds. If you have a thirst for speed, great, but there is no need to be driving like Jeff Gordon in your Tahoe. This may seem like a rant by someone who drives slow, but to feed my speed I just go the track. How much time are you really saving by going that fast? Is it really worth the risk?

Route 66

America's Mother Road. It goes from L.A. to Chicago. Growing up, I've taken family trips going on Route 66. Route 66 offers amazing scenery, especially in CA and AZ. There is nothing like driving down Route 66 on a beautiful sunny day. Riding slow and enjoying the beautiful scenery, gives me chills just thinking about it.

Whatever the reason, the Mother Road is an experience, a feeling, a perception, a taste of sight and sound, and a mystery that can only be resolved by driving the pavement itself.

WELCOME!

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* Angel M (Alux)-CF Administrator
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