Car News: Oct. 8

Remember Tesla? And no, I don't mean the crazy brained inventor, in my opinion he was way smarter than Thomas Edison and I am sad to know that he is not talked about enough. I mean the small electric car company located in California. A few years back they made the Tesla Roadster. It was a pure electric car based off the Lotus Elise and had an estimated range of 250 miles, which is insanely far for an electric car. Here is Jeremy Clarkson's ridicilous review of the Tesla Roadster.  As with all Top Gear reviews, it is all scripted and all entertainment. But, I still believe it has a valid point and it is entertaining. Tesla has come out with more information on their new car, the Model S. It is a 4 door electric car that can supposedly seat up to 7 people. Behind the rear seats is a rear facing bench, just big enough for little kids to sit in. Tesla claims a 0-60mph for the sedan at 4.5 seconds. That is pretty quick for a 4 door.

I have some very sad news for all Honda fans everywhere, the rumored Mugen version of the CRZ has been cancelled. Though most guessed this would happen, it is still heart breaking to see it come to pass. All of us Honda fans were cheering for it to come to production, or just any hot hatch from the CRZ body frame. We were all hoping for a CRX Si revival of some sort. Well, all we can do now is adore the pictures and wish what could have been. Enjoy.

Modifications on a Budget: Join the party

I have recently discovered another way to save money on modifications to your car. Just like anything, it is cheaper to buy used. One way to do this is to join a forum or group that is based on your car or make. If you don’t think there is one, I imagine there has to be a fan base out there somewhere. If there is a fan group for the Chrysler PT Cruiser, there has to be a fan base for any car.

In these groups are people that love cars and can help you out on what you should do next and give you some good ideas. Of course you are going to get a range of expertise within the group. There is usually even local forums you can join. For example, I am part of Utah Hondas group. Through this, I was able to buy a rear disc brake conversion kit for ¼ the price it would cost brand new. Also, if you just like to hang out with other car guys some places have meetings. I believe Salt Lake has recently started a Cars and Coffee type deal where enthusiasts of any kind gather to talk. I believe the meetings are Saturday mornings.

You can also read the stories of what others have done to their rides and ask questions. It would be worth it to Google search for a local car club or some type of internet forum you would be able to join. 

Car News: Oct. 6

Chevy has taken its new Camaro ZL1, the uber Camaro that makes 580 hp, around the famous Nurburgring. Though times on this track are never official, it is always a good bragging point for automakers. They claim a time of 7:41. Not a bad time, not great, but not bad. For comparison, that is just a tad slower than the Ferrari F430 Scuderia.
Speaking of Ferrari, the successor to the polarizing Enzo is due to come out soon. Every 10 years Ferrari comes out with an ultimate super car and that time is up. All that is known is that it will have a V12 and some sort of hybrid system. I am hoping for the kinetic energy recovery system that has been shown in concept form on the 599. This gives the driver an extra shot of boost at the push of the button. The system recovers the energy lost from braking and stores it in a battery unit to be used later.

In true Bugatti fashion, their 4 door Galibier has been post-poned  until 2015. The reason being design issues between the concept and a production car that might actually be called the Royale. Here are a couple pictures of the Galibier concept. I love those openings on the engine, they are stunning. I hope those make it into production. While the 8 tips on the exhaust might be a little much.
What is the coolest/scariest undercover cop car you have seen? The only cop car I have spotted before was a Dodge Charger. What about a Nissan GTR? Ever thought you could run from the cops? Think again, this is one of the fastest accelerating production cars ever made. Here is a youtube video of the super cop car. No word on what department has it or where. The engine is said to be kept stock. Keep an eye out for the GTR police.

Modifications on a Budget: The Junk Yard

Are you a handy man and like to fix things yourself? Or would you like to learn this trade to save some serious cash? Well I have some great news for you, well it is new to me at least. Today I visited a magical place known as the junk yard. It is a great place to learn how to take apart a car, cause if you mess it up, who cares? It isn't your car. I needed a part that a mechanic would charge me over $100 for, got it for $6 at the yard. Plus, it was a lot of fun taking part of the car apart to get to the little pump that I needed. If you know what is wrong with the car and what part needs to be replaced, it is a great way to save lots of money.
Also, it could be a way to change your car up a little bit. A popular thing to do is to add Acura Integra seats to pretty much any small car. If you can find them at a junk yard, it would be a cheap way to add some good seats. Or there are other aftermarket parts left on cars there that are available, for instance I found a racing steering wheel on a older Honda CRX, but I was in a hurry and couldn't grab it. There was a 300ZX there as well, but someone already grabbed the twin turbo set up.

If you know what you are doing and what you are looking for, a junk yard could save you a lot of money.
This isn't the exact junk yard I went to, but it was a similar set up.

Car News: October 4th

It is crazy that October is already here, time flies when having fun with cars.
Bentley is rumored to be planning an even more powerful and lighter version of the Continental Supersports. Rumored to have about 650 hp, and weigh about  440 lbs less than the standard Continental, that is a hefty sum of weight to take off. But, remember that the Continental is no super model, it weighs in around 5000 lbs. That is a fat beast, and even taking off over 400 lbs, it is still very heavy.

The Ford Escape is very old and has been due for a refresh for the last few years. The 2013 Escape is set to debut at the Los Angeles show this November. Though it is not sure how it will look, power trains are known. All of which are 4 cylinders and 2 of them will be turbocharged in the Ecoboost fashion. Pictured here, thanks to autoblog, is a picture of the Ford Vertrek concept. Though it is possible the Escape will look similar to this.
Nissan is thinking of reviving the Datsun name as a sub-brand, kind of the same relationship that Scion is to Toyota. But Nissan already has a sub-brand in Europe called Dacia, and if you watch Top Gear UK you know about Dacia and James May's fascination with the company. It is thought that Datsuns would only be rebadged Dacias. But I sure hope that they make a 240 or something along that lines. Something to compete with the Toyota FT-86.
Thirsting for another Italian super car? Don't think there is enough of those already? Well, you are in luck. There is a new Italian sports car maker on the rise, and its name is Vygor. And yes, I spelled that correctly. As of now, not much is known. But there is a picture, and here it is. Judging by the photo, I would say it carries its engine in the front, note the air-inlet in the hood and the giant tear drop holes in the front all used to cool the engine and force air into perhaps a turbocharger. As a start up company, it is likely that it will take an existing engine and cram it under the hood. My guess would be the 6.2 LS9 found in the ZR1 or any other Corvette engine. Those seem to be easy enough to get your hands on. Thanks to autoblog for the picture.

Modifications on a Budget: Super leggera super cheap

That is just a fun word to say, super leggera. Go ahead, say it. It is Italian for super light. It is a trick automakers do to make their cars faster and more efficient, they take out weight. Sometimes taking out a back seat, or less sound deadening, or using a thinner glass for windows, etc. There are a few different tricks automakers have. The funny thing is, they will usually charge you more for a car they took things out of, which doesn't make much sense. For example, the Porsche Boxter Spyder costs more than the Porsche Boxter S, and all they did was take out the radio, air conditioning, and even the door handles are traded out for little straps. Porsche takes all these out, and then charge the customer a few thousand extra for the car. It seems preposterous, but it works. Weight is the enemy of speed and handling. How many fat people do you see in the sprinting event at the Olympics? What about the skiing and snowboarding events? None.
There are a few cheap and easy ways to make your car go on a diet, that is if you are looking for better performance. One thing to do, is to remove the back seats. There are usually just bolted in there, so you will need to find a friend who has some tools. You might even be able to sell those seats. This is actually the next step for my vehicle, as soon as I pass the safety inspection. Also removing the sound deadening under the carpets and in the doors will save several pounds as well. I would only suggest this if you don't mind a loud interior. And if you want to be extreme, you can take out the A/C compressor and condenser. That will save you not only weight, but also power.
Good luck on in your endavours. If you have any more ideas on how to save weight, leave a comment.    

Car News: Sept. 30

Have you ever wanted an ugly and perhaps overpriced exotic car? Well a start up car company in California known as Vision has your back. They are trying their best to get this 90s looking super car into production. Rumored to have 6 liter V-12 with around 700 hp. Well at least you could get it going fast enough that no one would have to look at it long enough. Thanks to autoblog.com for the picture. I for one hope it doesn't get produced.

Were you a fan of the inline 6s BMW had slot into the M3? Have you been upset by the new V8 engine and yearning after the inline 6 instead? There might be some good news, rumor has it that the next M3 will be an inline 6. Here is a quick video of what is believed to be a proto-type M3. 

Want to rid yourself of the dependency of fossil fuels and drive an electric vehicle? Well then you are reading the wrong blog, as this is for petrol heads. But if that is you, Nissan has some good news. Production of the Leaf has been ramped up and the vehicle will be sold in more states. So if you were living in a state that couldn't get it yet, keep checking and you soon might be able to drive away silently in a brand new electric vehicle. 

Now to end on the best news of all, Lamborghini will be producing the awe-inspiring Sesto Elemento. Sad thing, is that only 20 examples will be made, with just over a handful coming to the United States. So the chance of seeing one is very slim. The car will be made entirely out of carbon fiber, helping it to tip the scales at a petite 2200 lbs. For comparison, you know those cute little Mini Coopers that seem to pop up everywhere? The Mini weighs 400 lbs more then the Lamborghini. Then factor in the horsepower ratings of each vehicle, and it is apparent this Lambo is going to be fast. Like crush your eyeballs in the back of your sockets fast. That is, if you can afford the estimated $2 million price tag. But one major downside of the car, it is rumored to be a track car and won't be road legal. Sad. For now, here is a picture you can drool over.