As an engineering student, I've learned to appreciate bits of engineering all around me. Something that really caught my eye is motorcycling. It's all the fun of driving minus all of the luxuries (unless you ride a Goldwing, those are almost cars).
It has more airbags than an e30!
On a motorcycle, you feel much more in tune with the motion of the vehicle. In a car, you use the throttle and the steering wheel when you want to turn. On a motorcycle, you use both of those, and you lean into the turn. This is a really satisfying feeling. Now I'm not saying driving a car isn't fun, because it's a much different experience that has its own rewards.
Motorcycles are also cutting edge in terms of performance. And you don't need to be rich to enjoy the top of the line in terms of performance. Most of this is due to the fact that they don't have the heavy extra amenities that cars carry. The BMW HP4 has active suspension, traction control, ABS (that with an ECU update, will let you brake in corners), and can outrun a Bugatti Veyron Supersport in a drag race. The best part is, the BMW HP4 costs about as much as a Honda Odyssey.
The most advanced sportbike on the market at the moment
As for myself, I recently purchased a Ninja 300 ABS. From what people say, it's sort of like the Porsche Cayman of the motorcycle world. It corners fast, has a perfect amount of power, and is very light. At under 390 lbs, with 39 horsepower, the bike also has about the same power to weight ratio as the 2014 Porsche Cayman S. What's even better is that it is rated for 68 mpg!
My experience motorcycling has been amazing so far. You get a feeling of speed and control that you just can't get on a street car. You don't even need to break the speed limit to get a rush! It's also a great feeling to breathe the fresh air around you and be completely immersed in your surroundings. Like a lot of things in life, it's worth experiencing.
Recently, the aux cable I had in my car stopped working. Thus, I've had to listen to radio instead, and as you may know, radio stations tend to repeat songs. Again and again. And again. So I've been incredibly bored when driving longer distances. I have no motivation to try to pay attention to the music when "Fancy" plays for the 5th time in the same hour. Of course, when I'm driving through the canyons, I prefer to turn off the music and roll down the windows to hear my exhaust note echo off the hills. But when I'm on the highway, it's just so boring without my favorite music. What's more important is that I begin to blankly stare off into the distance. I'd never do that before when I was listening to my favorite playlist. I'm usually a very alert driver.
I finally found another aux cable in my house, and realized just how much music affects my driving. I'm a lot more alert when I'm pretending to be Drizzy or Snoop than when I'm forced to listen to music I don't like. I'm guessing this would also deter people from getting bored and picking up their phones to text, etc. Of course this is just me. Maybe music distracts you? Either way, it's just interesting to think about how much of an impact music has on your driving performance. Maybe the Stig listens to music during laps for a reason?
There's something about a Toyota Chaser that intrigues me so much. I mean, who really wouldn't be impressed by an unsuspecting, RWD sedan that houses the incredible 1JZ straight six motor. Oh and did I mention that these things drift like a dream?
Subtle, with just the right amount of aggression
The 1JZ- the 2JZ's smaller displacement little brother
There's a certain thing called Stance these days, where a bunch of whippersnappers decide to lower their cars to a few millimeters above the ground, so that they can mow lawns with their underbodies. They like to cut their springs to save weight, and install wider wheels on to increase gyroscopic precession. Simple! Ok, I'm done.
Let's be honest, your John Deere D160 has nothing on this 240sx.
In all seriousness though, Stance is a huge movement that's sweeping the automotive world. The basic premise is get a car nice and low, have some unique, wide wheels, and use mild and functional bodywork and performance modifications. There's a huge emphasis on the look, fitment, and sometimes even rarity of wheels. The thing is, Stance as a whole is a very polarizing premise. On one hand, you might ruin the driveability of a vehicle by making its suspension stiff and significantly reducing ground clearance, but on the other hand, you have a vehicle that looks incredibly unique.
How often do you see an old Acura that looks flashier than a Maybach?
While I've always been for pushing the limits of performance, there comes a time where that just isn't very rewarding. Sometimes you just want cruise in a nice comfy Lexus LS460, and still turn heads wherever you go. After all, success in the automotive world requires you to stand out, one way or another.
Fits all of your friends! (as long as you only have one)
Except this: this is a very wrong path to take
In the end, there is no right or wrong path to take when it comes to automotive modifications. It really all comes down to perspective. Do you value getting stares everywhere you go more than you value your oil pan? Do you value standing out more than clearing speed bumps? Then welcome to the world of Stance. If the thought of losing a race keeps you up at night, maybe you're allergic.
According to Autoweek, Mazda is about to show its 2015 Miata at the New York Auto Show next month! It has been a quarter of a century since the original Miata, and it makes sense that Mazda would want to release the Miata on its 25th anniversary.
Autoweek's prediction of the design of the new Miata and Miata-based alfa
This new Miata will be significant for multiple reasons. The first being that Mazda has said that this new Miata will weigh around 2200 pounds, which is insanely light for a modern car. The original Miata weighed about that much, but that was before emissions laws, passenger safety laws, etc. became so stringent. To put this into perspective, a Lotus Elise S weighs about 2000 lbs, but costs twice as much. And if Mazda continues to follow its new design language, the Miata should look a lot more aggressive than the outgoing model.
Another aspect of the huge weight savings, is that the Miata will now be legitimate competition for the Toyobaru twins. Until now, the Miata seemed underpowered when stacked up against the similarly-massed Toyobaru twins, but if the new Miata does have 170 hp and weighs 2200 lbs, that should make it significantly more performance oriented. With Mazda's skyactiv technology, it could be more efficient than the Toyobaru twins, and with the added bonus of being a convertible.
If Mazda does everything the rumors suggest, this car could be just as innovative as the first Miata, and in the meantime, I'm going to start saving for one of these in manual transmission and all white.
As a first post, I wanted to start off with a topic very near to my heart. And that is the culture that comes with Honda enthusiasts. Personally I love Hondas, and I've taken a lot of flak for doing so...
Me:"Dude that S2000 is sick!"
Friend:"It's just a honda..."
Me:"OMG Look at that!" (Points to mint Integra Type R)
Friend: "What, you mean that Camry looking thing?"
Maybe I'm so allured because my first car was a Honda, but there's a lot more to my interest in this japanese brand. What draws me to Honda is their unique approach on performance. It's all about being lightweight, cornering neutrally, and extracting as much power out of tiny (by sports car standards) naturally aspirated engines.
The new Civic Type R is the sole exception to the naturally aspirated thing. But who cares? It looks like it'll eat your face.
For example, let's look at the Civic Mugen RR. This is a sedan with a 2.2 liter naturally aspirated four cylinder sending power to the front wheels. Sounds like a boring old economy car right? WRONG. This thing happens to go around Tsukuba faster than the Nissan R33 Skyline GTR, BMW M3 CSL, and Lexus IS-F. To be fair, Tsukuba isn't a track with lots of straights, but that just shows where Honda's priorities are. They don't want to build a car that obliterates the quarter mile, they want to build a car that carries a ton of speed through corners. The latter is much harder to do, ask any manufacturer!
And another thing; Honda makes amazing engines. The S2000 made 240 horsepower. 240! Out of a naturally aspirated 2.0 liter! Just for comparison's sake, the Scion TC makes 180 hp out of a 2.5 liter. And a Golf GTI Makes 200 hp out of a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine. And Hondas sound absolutely incredible too, just check out the video on the right.
The culture behind Hondas is incredibly developed. With one of the largest number of aftermarket parts available for any given model, and builders all over the world pushing upwards of 300 horsepower out of the K24, a 2.4L I4, all while staying naturally aspirated. Honda really knows how to work magic with airflow.
Hondas are cheap and reliable. They're also reliable. Did I mention they're reliable? The NSX is seen as the most reliable supercar ever made, with its simple, yet balanced midengine V6. You can take a Honda to the track, beat on it, and drive it home like nothing ever happened. Before you tell me that a supercar can handle hard driving better, try doing a burnout in your Ferrari F430, and see how many parts you have to replace.
Every brand has its unique take on performance. Nissan, for example, using the most high tech computers in its ATTESA AWD system to produce massive amounts of grip. Toyota created the rock solid 2JZ-GTE engine that can make upwards of 500 hp on a stock block.
Except Smart. Smart has no idea what performance is.
Every brand appeals to a different type of person.
But that's beside the point. There's a culture behind every brand, and it's important to respect that. What appeals to you might not always appeal to another, and there's no real standard to compare cars with. The automotive world often lacks a sense of respect for brands. Ask yourself next time your slammed miata busts an oil pan, whose diesel F350 is going to tow your car? And when your Evo blows a turbo, whose Civic is going to give you a ride home? Automotive enthusiasts always want to push for more performance, and the first way to do that is to respect each others' differences, so they can learn from each other.
Hello everyone, welcome to my blog. A little bit about me first. I'm a college student studying Mechanical Engineering, and I've been absolutely obsessed with cars all of my life, since I've been eight years old. There's something about the sound of engine, the feel of a steering wheel in your hands, the feeling of speed that makes a car more than just a machine. If you're a car enthusiast, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. We form a bond with a car we grew up with, a brand that we admire, a racecar driver that we look up to. This blog will be full of automotive news I find interesting, pictures and builds I really like, and my own thoughts about cars, etc. I hope you guys enjoy my articles. Please do subscribe, and check back often for more stories!
