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Danica Patrick "Beaver" Super Bowl Ad
2008-02-04 12:52:00
  And then there's one they couldn't show... even in though it was the Super Bowl . And it's a good thing they didn't. The infamous Danica Patrick Beaver ad. I will say that this is an example of Danica going too far. This does nothing but denigrate her… this type of ad is not only unnecessary for her career... it's damaging. And it's damaging to the cause of all women in motorsport. This smacks of the type of thing people do when their 15 minutes of fame are about to run out. And I hope that's not the case for her... I want to see her win a race in 2008. But will her fans and co-drivers even take her seriously if she continues to do this type of thing?

Audi Super Bowl Ad
2008-02-04 12:41:00
Very nicely done parody of one of the greatest movies ever!
More About: Audi , Super Bowl , Super , Bowl

Bridgestone Super Bowl Ad - animals
2008-02-04 12:39:00
As usual, the Super Bowl had some new ads created just for the event. Two focused on car topics. Here's a great one from Bridgestone :    
More About: Animals

Carroll Shelby gnaws off the hand that fed him
2008-02-01 17:46:00
So much for honor and decency: Carroll Shelby has taken another legal step against the organization that sustained him for 30 years. A lot of people are absolutely disgusted with Shelby, and I've been one of them well before his campaign against his fans and supporters. IMHO, he is the classic snake oil salesman, pure and simple. He has made a marketing business deal with Ford that probably nets him a nice little income, while netting for Ford some retro history image for the latest Mustang (based on a history that had no meaning whatsoever after the first 3 or 4 years). Which itself is a grotesquely obese and technically obsolete relic that Shelby himself actually had very little technical contribution to. What he originally did in racing 50 and 40 years ago can't be disputed... but after a few years of actually producing original Mustangs with a couple of technical enhancements (versus simply licensing his name on them - as happened after For...
More About: Hand , Carroll Shelby

Rally America on YouTube
2008-02-01 12:17:00
There doesn't seem to be any live television coverage of the Rally America events this year... but in return Rally America has a YouTube channel. Follow the link above to the YouTube channel for Rally America. This is better than nothing... and of course we don't get any live WRC coverage anymore either (thanks to Speed TV and it's NASCAR focus). Fortunately, NASCAR seems to be finally sinking under it's own weight... perhaps Speed TV will reconsider.    
More About: Youtube

Honda's updated JDM S2000 site
2008-01-31 15:20:00
As usual, Honda's domestic market website for the S2000 is considerably more developed than the one for North America - in fact there is no comparison. The latest addition is a video of the Type S, narrated by one of it's engineers. The Type S features suspension enhancements, aero enhancements, and a unique cloth interior. The suspension is tuned for "winding roads" (as they say it), and it's more mild than the American-only CR model. The interior is identical to the CR. The ties are standard-sized RE050s instead of the larger-stagger RE070s the CR gets. And as you see it has the convertible top, meaning it doesn't get the unique shock-tower tie brace. And, as is also usual, they get a number of colors in their S2000s which we have never seen in North America. There is also a nav system which would be useful for back-roads driving here, and which is a requirement to navigate thru any major city there. Follow the link above to go to the JDM site. Note th...
More About: Site

Lancer Evo of Europe video
2008-01-31 14:27:00
A new video from Mitsubishi of Europe , featuring the Lancer Evo: Continue at the link above to the Mitsubishi of Europe website - and note the email list they have available. They also have downloadable images, videos, and screen savers.
More About: Video

Assessment of Driver's Events in Texas
2008-01-29 21:24:00
For Driving Enthusiasts, Texas is a very nice place to be these days. We have year-round events, a terrific group running HPDEs, and several tracks. The Drivers Edge (http://www.TheDriversEdge.net/) is the best HPDE group I've seen in my 28 years in this hobby. Thanks to the management of this group, a large body of experienced instructors, and it's "non-denominational" approach ("run what you brung" - meaning no snotty brand-centricity, as in the LSR PCA), high performance drivers education is doing very well in Texas these days. I'm proud to be an Instructor in this group (having abandoned the LSR PCA when their elitism got the better of them). Texas is also doing very nicely for roadcourses these days: we have Texas World Speedway (TWS: the original, the best, and the fastest) in College Station, Texas Motor Speedway (TMS: for one event a year, with challenging banking on the NASCAR oval) outside of Fort Worth, Eagles Cany...
More About: Events , Assessment

Edmunds Inside Line: Evo vs STI
2008-01-29 20:12:00
In an article and video review titled "What It's Like When Worlds Collide", Edmunds Inside Line pits the both the GSR and MR Evo against the STI. The MR comes out on top overall, as well as on the roadcourse. But there's more to this story... [Continue at link above]
More About: Subaru

Challenger SRT8 breaks cover by AutoWeek
2008-01-25 22:03:00
AutoWeek , along with others, broke their agreement with Chrysler Press and published two pictures of the production Challenger. They were supposed to wait until the Chicago auto show next month. Follow the link above to the article in AutoWeek. They accepted my review of their article and it's copied below. Nice job Chrysler It's good to see that the Challenger is a serious entry from a technical standpoint. All independent suspension - instead of the stone-age Mustang’s low-brow solid axle. Double a-arms up front, instead of the cheap strut used by the Camaro and Mustang. And nice multi-piston Brembos at all 4 corners, instead of just up front. Not that this will be a serious handling car - that award will probably go to the Camaro (again). But it won't be a poor-handling throwback like the Mustang, especially the porky Shelby with 58% of its 4000 pounds over the front wheels. Ridiculous. So even if it doesn't pull notable numbers it will still have reasonable dyna...
More About: Media , Auto , Cover

Enthusiast site upgrades
2008-01-19 18:51:00
Site reconstruction completed! What's new in website navigation? Blog navigation tree: implemented on main page. This new feature considerably simplifies the navigation of blog categories and will be the model for the rest of the site. Some appearance and functionality tuning is still taking place. This feature was implemented in ASP.Net using the Treeview server-side control. What's new in blogs? New Categories: many new categories on several topics.   Website creation blog categories: New categories to index postings of how to create a website, how I use Microsoft Expression Web (FrontPage), how I use Radio Userland for the blog, and the existing category of Website News . RSS feeds: now exposed via the browser via "link" HTML embedded in the page. Therefore, all orange "RSS" links have been removed from the pages. Note that RSS feed URLs will not change - so you do not have to change your subscriptions. All 2300+ blog entries have been reposted in o...
More About: Site , Upgrades

Mitsubishi shows the Concept-RA
2008-01-14 04:39:00
Mitsubishi introduced it's latest concept car today at the NAIAS: the Concept -RA. The Con cept-RA most likely previews the next Eclipse - and if so that is a very good thing. The engine is a turbo diesel engine which will make an appearance an appearance in several Mitsubishi products in the short term (expect the Evo engine if this becomes a production vehicle). The drivetrain is lifted directly from the Evo MR - however, note that Mitsubishi again shows us Active Steering and Active Damping Control. These two technologies were shown on the concepts that preceeded the production Evo, but haven't yet gone into production. This move shows us that those technologies are still under development... perhaps a level of Evo higher than the MR will be the recipient one day. Mitsubishi Press Release and images follow: January 13, 2008 -- DETROIT -- Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. debut the MITSUBISHI Concept-RA and...
More About: Mitsubishi

2009 Lancer Ralliart announced
2008-01-14 04:29:00
Mitsibuishi introduced the 2009 Lancer Ralliart at the North American international auto show (NAIAS) today. The Ralliart is Mitsubishi's answer to the Subaru Imprezza WRX, but is better equipped and more powerful. Horsepower will be between 235 and 240, final ratings and price to be determined before the the car goes on sale next summer. The Ralliart is nicely equipped with standard front and rear limited slip differentials, and a simplified version of the Evo's Active Center Differential (ACD). The Ralliart does without several of the other Evo systems, including it's large wheels and tires and Brembo brakes. Recaros and HIDs are an option. Altogether, a very nice car. Mitsubishi Press Release follows.   2009 Lancer Ralliart At-A-Glance January 13, 2008 -- CYPRESS, Calif. -- The new Lancer Ralliart reinforces the sporty identity of the Lancer lineup (Lancer, Lancer Ralliart and Lancer Evolution) with aggressive styling and driving performance t...

NAIAS: Next-generation Mazda engines
2008-01-13 18:24:00
At the 2008 NAIAS press days, Mazda announced future generations of three engines. Note that Mazda retains FMC corporate-wide responsibility for the MZR engine family; the innovations below are some of the elements of the upcoming turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that will also be used by Ford andlabelled "EcoBoost". Ford is putting Mazdas experience with the 2.3 liter direct-injected turbo MazdaSpeed engine to good use. Mazda Press Release follows.   NEXT GENERATION I-4 DIRECT INJECTION GASOLINE ENGINE Mazda’s DISI* engines balance sporty driving with outstanding environment performance. With the next generation engine in the series, we are aiming for a 15% ~ 20% improvement in dynamic performance and a 20% increase in fuel economy (compared with a Mazda 2.0L gasoline engine). Based on the direct injection system, we aim to reduce all energy losses (see figure on the right) and improve thermal efficiency through innovative engineering in a variety of technological area...
More About: Engines , Generation

VQ35 swap into early Datsun Z
2008-01-12 22:50:00
Following up to my previous post, suggesting that a Nissan/Infiniti VQ35 engine would make a great swap into an early Z, I've found a site where the owner details exactly that. The donor engine is from a late model 350Z. The recipient is a 240Z. Great site: follow the link above to read lots more. And thanks to the author of that site, I'm starting to see how my own Z project could happen...  
More About: Early , Nissan Z , Swap

SHO V-6 swapped into early Datsun Z
2008-01-12 22:38:00
Another great find today: a SHO V-6 swap into an early Z. As my readers know, I'm a fan of the early Zs because of the driving dynamics and all-time classic styling. They were a masterpiece in their time... and they remain as such. However... the original engine would be difficult to bring up to modern performance expectations. It's pretty pointless, unless you are doing a restoration for concurs. When it comes to performance enhancements for early Zs, you can't beat a GT-R engine. Except in price. So unless you can find one, much less afford it, a Nissan/Infiniti V-6 would be the next best thing. Failing that a Ford/Yamaha SHO DOHC V-6 engine would be the next choice. And why not? It's a top quality engine, it's capable of even more power, it's reliable, it's available, and a transmission is easy to find. Continue at the link above for a full set of pictures.
More About: Early , Nissan Z

SHO V-6 swapped into 1956 BN2 Healey
2008-01-12 22:00:00
SHOing that you can't keep a good engine down, here's another SHO engine refugee finding a good home in another very unlikely recipient. This time it's a mid-50s Healey. Continue at the link for extensive imagery and text. Here's a quote from the site which explains the rationale for saving your SHO engine and finding a good home for it: "The most unappreciated engine ever used in an American car. Idles smoother than a BMW and screams like an Italian exotic at 7000 rpm, as well as being a piece of art to look at with its 12 intake runners."

SHO V-6 swapped into TR-7
2008-01-12 21:52:00
Here's a good swap: out with the boat-anchor and in with a state-of-the-art Yamaha SHO V-6 engine. An interesting and detailed account of the swap can be found at the link above. The majority of swaps into the TR-7 were V-8s, both in British and Australian displacements of the formerly-Buick all-aluminum engine. Some were even done by the factory until the V-8 was properly engineered and offered as a production option: first with a carb and later with the much more desirable fuel injection.

December S2000 sales a disaster
2008-01-12 21:45:00
210 sales for the entire month of December 2007. This includes the 3rd month of 2008 model year sales, and any sales of the new CR (which Honda does not break out separately). The total for the calender year was only 4300 - the worst ever for a full year. 2007 ends with 63k S2000s sold in the Americas. To put this in perspective, note that Honda and Acura sold 73k cars (not including trucks) in the month of December 2007 alone.
More About: Sales , Disaster , Aster

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo GSR prices announced
2008-01-12 18:45:00
Mitsubishi released prices this week for the Evo GSR. Very reasonable, and competitive against the STI. Oddly, no pricing yet for the MR. Mitsubishi Press Release follows: 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Pricing January 11, 2008 -- CYPRESS, CA. -- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has announced pricing for its all-new 2008 Lancer Evolution GSR high-performance sedan. The strikingly styled 2008 Lancer Evolution showcases new performance and handling technology, including an all-new 291-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged/intercooled engine and the Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) dynamic handling system. S-AWC offers an extraordinary level of control at each wheel, going well beyond the capabilities of other all-wheel drive systems. The 2008 Lancer Evolution GSR will start at a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $32,990. Pricing for the Twin Clutch-SST equipped Lancer Evolution MR will be announced later this spring. "The high-performance engine, ...
More About: Mitsubishi , Prices

Frivolous vents - and worse
2008-01-02 17:11:00
MSNBC this morning has an article titled "A frivolous fashion for fender vents - another automotive ornamentation is set to die away" in which they discuss the developing trend of vents on cars placed there solely for as a frivolous fashion statement. Fake or functional, they are still frivolous and the author believes these will go the way of the vinyl roof after a few years. Follow the link above for the article. This topic touches a nerve. I'm a driving enthusiast. That means driving: hard and well. That means that form should follow function: everything should contribute to the function of the machine. So fake vents and scoops are particularly useless to me, even offensive. And frivolous vents and scoops make me question their point - even if they are functional, how functional are they? If they can't be quantified, then I don't want them.  In fact to me they are offensive. Here are three well-known examples, in order of least- to most-offensive, least-to-most frivolo...
More About: Ford , Volo

How to get *real* Best Motorings from Japan
2008-01-01 18:12:00
Best Motorings are one of the greatest aspects of the hobby for Japan ese car enthusiasts, but also one of the most frustrating. Why? Because it's been almost impossible to get original copies of them, and even harder to get them when they come out in Japan. In case you're not familiar with Best Motoring, it's a monthly Japanese "car magazine" - in video form. The emphasis is on performance cars. There is usually a "battle" comparing several cars on a roadrace track. There is also testing on winding roads, on the Touge course, with drifting, and on occasion special tests such as a notable 0-300 KPH test. All the latest Japanese performance cars are tested, and occasionally they are tested against similar performance cars from Europe and North America. There is extensive in-car multiple-camera video and analysis; it's very clear which cars work better and why. It comes in DVD form only, and that's one problem: it's region code is not compatible...
More About: Shopping , Gifts , Mazda , Subaru

Mitsubishi EVo X dealer markups begin
2008-01-01 17:23:00
We've already seen the $69k Nissan GT-R at over 100k, now comes word that Mitsubishi dealers are starting to markup. Here's Kirkwood Mitsubishi in St Louis, marking up an ~40k Evo MR to 45k. Follow the link to the eBayMotors site. IMHO, what a ripoff!  With so many Mitsubishi dealers in serious trouble, along with Mitsubishi here in North America, how can they be so stupid?
More About: Dealer

New Potenza RE-11 looks great
2007-12-31 17:26:00
Bridgestone announced a new member of the Potenza family in December, and it's specs look great. Following is a press release from Bridgestone, roughly translated by Google. Note the asymmetrical sidewall construction, and it's performance against the RE-01R. The RE-01R has to date been my favorite all-around tire... the RE-11 looks like it will take that title. Except, as far as I can determine, it's not yet available in North American. Bridgestone Press Release follows:    2007年12月19日 December 19, 2007 No.126 ｢POTENZA RE‐11(ポテン| 70;　アールӌ 8;イー　イレ ;ブン)｣新発 ;売 "POTENZA RE-11 (Earl POTENZA Eleven e)" New Game －ストリー& #12488;を､コー&# 12490;ーを走る
2383;び、未知 398;喜びへz...
More About: Great , Looks

Car of the Year, and Disappointments of the Year
2007-12-30 22:48:00
Since everybody and their brother are picking: Car of the Year (Motor Trend picks the CTS - are they asleep?) Product of the Year (hands-down the flat screen TV) Person of the Year (The liberals at Time picked that bum Vladimir Putin, and doubt have Hugo Chavez as runner-up)... ... here is my choice for Car of the Year. The choice is entirely obvious: the new Nissan GT-R. Fabulous performance, fantastic driving dynamics, incredible technology. And it all works- it's lap time at the Nurburgring demonstrates that without a doubt. And a price that can't be beat: US$69k. The performance bargain of the century. Except, of course, you can't touch these for under 100k (for the first year, or two, or ever?), but it's the thought that counts. And while there is an even faster track-specific version coming, the base model right out of the box has absolutely everything you need to clean up on your local tracks. This is truly a track car wh...
More About: Car of the year

S2000 project: build-up for open track events
2007-12-30 22:08:00
A new section of our S2000Enthusiast.com website covers the build-up of our current track car, a 2003 Grand Prix White/Tan S2000. The purpose of "Project '03 GPW" is to build a dual-purpose street (back roads driving) and open track (high speed roadcourses) car, with the main focus on excellent handling dynamics. We'll sacrifice a little bit of ride for the street, and this will not be the ultimate track car (there are inherent limitations in the car that would limit that, and which if addressed would make the car unstreetable). Instead, it will highlight the best of both worlds and stay true to the true purpose of the S2000: to be a drivers car. The car had 50k miles on it at the start of the project, and had been tracked in essentially stock form for three years. The only mods to begin with were a carefully arrived at street/track compromise alignment, stainless brake lines on the front, Hawk pads all around, and Motul race brake fluid with Speed Bleeders.&n...
More About: Events , Open , Track , Build

Automotive Film Festival
2007-12-30 03:28:00
March 28-30, 2008 ion Oakhurst, California. Looks like fun! Includes dinner, roast of Racing celebrities, and screenings of over 20 classic car films, including: LeMans Winning The Devil's Hairpin Rendezvous And, a multi-city Poker Run. Continue at the link for more information!
More About: Movies , Film , Automotive , Festival , Film Festival

1981 DeLorean reassembly, restoration, and twin-turbocharging!
2007-12-29 20:49:00
Here's a great site for an enthusiast to look over carefully. The author bought a totally disassembled 1981 DeLorean. By totally, I mean even to the point of the alternator being broken down into individual pieces. It's back together now and running well. The author has named the car 'Project Vixen". The reassembly, the restoration, and the mid-point addition of a twin-turbocharger system took 5 years to complete. With many heartbreaks along the way: unexpected dot-com job changes, a freon explosion, an engine fire, countless technical gremlins, and the sinking feeling that the project might never be done. If there is a constant throughout the long months and years, it's his cute girlfriend who appreciates old cars herself and patiently stuck it out to the end (she's a keeper!). And the end result was cross-country drive to a national-level DeLorean car show their work was proudly shown. Even if a DeLorean is not your own idea of what to restore (and I think it...
More About: Twin , Restoration

Happy Holidays from DrivingEnthusiast.net
2007-12-16 23:31:00
  Happy Holidays from Jeff & Alexandra   It's that time of year again: Driving Enthusiasts have run our last event, our race cars are put away in their garages, our helmets, suits, and shoes are put away in the closet, and this month's car magazines are all read. In our case, the car was put away in the garage still dirty from our last event - which thanks to the Texas climate was just last weekend! Now it's time for our thoughts to turn to the meaning of the holiday and to best wishes for others. And, thanks again to the time demands of our wonderful hobby, to last minute shopping.   Following are my gift suggestions for Driving Enthusiasts. Featured are books and videos I've enjoyed owning for my own library, some parts and other items you may enjoy for yours.   Holiday Shopping from Amazon.com   Required: registration at Amazon.com. The transaction is handled by Amazon and all financial aspects are seen solely by Amazon, not this site...
More About: Movies , Gifts , Happy Holidays

NASCAR Coach...?
2007-12-10 03:20:00
NASCAR Coach Reveals Winning Strategy: 'Drive Fast'
More About: Nascar