Climate change and humans impacting the environment seem to be brought up at every chance possible, and well would you look at that, it looks like one of those times! I know you have all heard the stories about how sooner or later we will need to use fuels derived from things other than oil, and those sort of things. Here are some of the oddest ideas to replace our trusty petroleum.
We could begin to use leftover oil from fryer vats (after it has been cleaned up and treated a little) it could be used as a safe and great smelling bio fuel used to replace diesel. This way. we not only power out cars with a renewable vegetable derived oil, but it also allows for a wide array of scented fuel. The cool thing about this type of fuel is that when it burns, it actually smells like whatever was cooked in it before. Soon in the future, all cars on the road could be converted to this without seriously changing much to the car outside of a different fuel delivery and management system. This would allow for a seamless and relatively inexpensive solution to the nonrenewable energy crisis.
Another form of fuel already being used in smaller practice is ethanol. This is gasoline derived from corn, and there are some unique properties of ehtanol that separate it from the above group. For starters, it is being employed in a larger scale of places in the country, but small in comparison to gasoline still. However ethanol makes a strong case, it burns hotter and with more energy than regular gas, so when a car's engine is set up to take this extra heat, it thrives. For example, Koenigsegg one:1 produces well over 200 more horsepower when running on straight ethanol, as compared to when it runs on conventional gasoline. The challenge for this fuel source is production and competition of sales. The farmers in this country can only grow so much corn without being at the mercy of the price fluctuations of just one type of crop. (Being as I live in Iowa and have lots of friends who are farmers, I am exposed to this dilemma quite often.) The farmers also cannot sell their whole crop just to ethanol producers, if they did the whole world would lose a massive amount of nutrition with the loss of a staple food. The other major part is economics. The ethanol producers will only buy corn at a certain very low cost to keep prices at the pump well below gasoline. In order for farmers to then make returns on their yields, they must then sell their crop going to grocery stores at a higher price. The farmers have to keep a delicate balance in place in order to stay afloat, and this unfortunate but necessary stagnation in growth is what is keeping ethanol from totally replacing gasoline.
Another major contender for replacing gasoline is electricity. Some of you may not know this, but some of the first cars to be produced ran on electricity. This was back in the days of when gasoline was a dangerous by product of Standard Oil's kerosene. But soon after the powers of gasoline were recognized, harnessed, and applied, the electric car died. For then at least... maybe a better term for it would be put to sleep for a long while. But all of the sudden BAM along comes the 21st century and innovation is bringing back the electric car. With many models to chose from ranging from the modest Nissan Leaf all the way up to the mighty Tesla Model S. Electric cars have come a long way since the Guilded Age of capitalist corporations, but they still have a long way to go. The largest challenge for electric cars is obviously range. Since you have a set distance you can travel due to the battery charge is so short, and the time it takes to recharge said batteries is so long, the Achilles heel to electric cars is the range. However, many newer cars have been cutting down on these flaws and I am excited to see what the future brings.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Trains
Although I know this isn't a hardcore gear head topic, it is still a form of transportation so I would like to discuss it today. Trains are some of the most effective and efficient ways to move both people and goods long distances. They are miracle workers, it takes the massive power from only 2 to 6 trains to move thousands of tons of things hundreds of miles. How do they do it? Through the miracle of the wheel and the rail my friends. For this entry, only modern trains will be covered for the sake of time.
There are many different types of trains, all tailored to perform a certain duty very well, and very efficiently. A massive amount of freight is moved using these machines in this country alone. It is much easier and cheaper to ship by train then by semi- truck when dealing with large numbers of goods across any distance. The best example of this is coal. I can remember sitting at home and watching the coal trains come by when i lived in Colorado. They were all numbering well in excess of 100 cars, all filled to the brim with the black stuff. The locomotives seemed to pull these mile-long trains with ease, and they would do it for incredible distances. Naturally as a kid i was fascinated and began to obsess with trains myself. As it turns out, these massive beasts that pull seemingly impossible weights have lots of refined technology in them.
The first type of train i would like to discuss would be the modern passenger trains. In the United states the only passenger train company is called Amtrak and they run all across the country. There are 2 different types of Amtrak trains, there are the east coast style and the rest of the country style. The reason for the difference is that many tunnels and bridges on the East Coast are too low to allow the train that run the rest of the countries' lines to fit under them. The solution was to build one story cars that curved with the tunnels. The trains that run the rest of the country (basically west of the Appalachian Mountains) are what you would call a Superliner. They have two stories on most of the cars, and have many different capabilities. These allow for greater views of the landscape and for a more comfortable experience. Amtrak uses both diesel and electric locomotives with the former found mostly west of the Appalachian Mountains and the former being found mostly only in the urban connecting lines of the Eastern Seaboard.
The other type of train running the country is the freight train, These are being seen less during the day and more at night, so if you do see one during the day, then you got lucky. There are many different regional operating freight companies operating in the U.S. but they all have the same motive in mind: to move as much freight as quickly and efficiently as possible. Major companies like Union Pacific and BNSF control much of the main lines. These trains are classified as one of to categories: mixed or specific freight. The difference is very simple, one train has more than one product in transit and the other has only one product in transit. I hope you can figure out the matching of the names.
Although they may not be as prevalent and visible, these workhorses keep our country running and doing so in an efficient way.
There are many different types of trains, all tailored to perform a certain duty very well, and very efficiently. A massive amount of freight is moved using these machines in this country alone. It is much easier and cheaper to ship by train then by semi- truck when dealing with large numbers of goods across any distance. The best example of this is coal. I can remember sitting at home and watching the coal trains come by when i lived in Colorado. They were all numbering well in excess of 100 cars, all filled to the brim with the black stuff. The locomotives seemed to pull these mile-long trains with ease, and they would do it for incredible distances. Naturally as a kid i was fascinated and began to obsess with trains myself. As it turns out, these massive beasts that pull seemingly impossible weights have lots of refined technology in them.
The first type of train i would like to discuss would be the modern passenger trains. In the United states the only passenger train company is called Amtrak and they run all across the country. There are 2 different types of Amtrak trains, there are the east coast style and the rest of the country style. The reason for the difference is that many tunnels and bridges on the East Coast are too low to allow the train that run the rest of the countries' lines to fit under them. The solution was to build one story cars that curved with the tunnels. The trains that run the rest of the country (basically west of the Appalachian Mountains) are what you would call a Superliner. They have two stories on most of the cars, and have many different capabilities. These allow for greater views of the landscape and for a more comfortable experience. Amtrak uses both diesel and electric locomotives with the former found mostly west of the Appalachian Mountains and the former being found mostly only in the urban connecting lines of the Eastern Seaboard.
The other type of train running the country is the freight train, These are being seen less during the day and more at night, so if you do see one during the day, then you got lucky. There are many different regional operating freight companies operating in the U.S. but they all have the same motive in mind: to move as much freight as quickly and efficiently as possible. Major companies like Union Pacific and BNSF control much of the main lines. These trains are classified as one of to categories: mixed or specific freight. The difference is very simple, one train has more than one product in transit and the other has only one product in transit. I hope you can figure out the matching of the names.
Although they may not be as prevalent and visible, these workhorses keep our country running and doing so in an efficient way.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Bugatti Chiron
The company that brought us the fastest car in the world, and one of the best looking, are moving on from the iconic Veyron, and are moving onto somethin even bigger. The Bugatti Chiron somehow outdoes the Veyron. I don't know how it does, nor can i express why I feel this way. I can only say that I do.
The change in name explains the way the car evolved perfectly. From Veyron to Chiron, it seems like it could be the same at a first glance, but upon further inspection, there are lots of changes that make them very different. The more noteworthy changes to the design are the disappearance of the air intakes above the engine compartment often referred to as bazooka tubes. The doors on the Chiron are set further into the body of the car and are framed by a large arcing "C" starting from the bottom of the front of the door and arching to the top of the A pillar. The wheels are also different, with more spokes and body paint matching accents, and the wheels also cost much less than the Veyron's, but they still command a hefty price tag. The Chiron will also feature even more horsepower than the Veyron Super Sport and undoubtedly be even faster.
The comparison photos below are here courtesy of www.Indianautosblog.com
The change in name explains the way the car evolved perfectly. From Veyron to Chiron, it seems like it could be the same at a first glance, but upon further inspection, there are lots of changes that make them very different. The more noteworthy changes to the design are the disappearance of the air intakes above the engine compartment often referred to as bazooka tubes. The doors on the Chiron are set further into the body of the car and are framed by a large arcing "C" starting from the bottom of the front of the door and arching to the top of the A pillar. The wheels are also different, with more spokes and body paint matching accents, and the wheels also cost much less than the Veyron's, but they still command a hefty price tag. The Chiron will also feature even more horsepower than the Veyron Super Sport and undoubtedly be even faster.
The comparison photos below are here courtesy of www.Indianautosblog.com
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
War Winners
Now, I have already talked about the jeep and the impact that it had in the world. However, there are some other vehicles out there that had just as large of an impact on the world as the jeep.
The Hummer is one of the most easily recognized fighting vehicles in the world. It's versatility allows for many different applications to the same platform. There have been many different civilian variants produced as well, thus increasing the product's mane even more. The Hummer has seen many active duty deployments around the world with the most recognized being the Middle Eastern operations and impact it had. It's speed gave it the capability to move swiftly over constantly changing terrain like the desert. The hummer was a key reason as to why operation desert storm's ground assault only lasted 100 hours. The hummer had some drawbacks at first however. The first was it's horrible fuel economy. Depending on the conditions you could expect to get 4 mpg in city conditions and up to 12 on the highway. This inefficiency is part of the reason why the U.S. Military is the largest buyer and consumer of oil in the world. Another major weakness that has since been addressed is the vulnerability of these cars to IED's or improvised explosive devices, and RPG or rocket propelled grenade. It's inability to shed off enemy blasts is part of the reason that early casualty counts in the War on Terror were so high. There has since been armor plating added to nearly every external surface of the vehicle.
The next war winning vehicle is a little more unorthodox to the focus of this blog, but still important. The M1 Sherman tank was the tank of choice to spearhead the attacks into Normandy Beach on D-Day. The combination of a medium sized tank paired with speed and enough armament to hold it's own allowed for the U.S. to combat the Germany Blitzkrieg tactics. The Sherman was used in many theaters both in World War II and after as well. Ranging from North Africa and Europe, to Korea and Vietnam, the Sherman was a constant sign of American strength and versatility.
These two other war winners may not clinch the top spot that the Jeep currently holds, but they definitely contend for the title and provide a good show as to why these wars were won.
The Hummer is one of the most easily recognized fighting vehicles in the world. It's versatility allows for many different applications to the same platform. There have been many different civilian variants produced as well, thus increasing the product's mane even more. The Hummer has seen many active duty deployments around the world with the most recognized being the Middle Eastern operations and impact it had. It's speed gave it the capability to move swiftly over constantly changing terrain like the desert. The hummer was a key reason as to why operation desert storm's ground assault only lasted 100 hours. The hummer had some drawbacks at first however. The first was it's horrible fuel economy. Depending on the conditions you could expect to get 4 mpg in city conditions and up to 12 on the highway. This inefficiency is part of the reason why the U.S. Military is the largest buyer and consumer of oil in the world. Another major weakness that has since been addressed is the vulnerability of these cars to IED's or improvised explosive devices, and RPG or rocket propelled grenade. It's inability to shed off enemy blasts is part of the reason that early casualty counts in the War on Terror were so high. There has since been armor plating added to nearly every external surface of the vehicle.
The next war winning vehicle is a little more unorthodox to the focus of this blog, but still important. The M1 Sherman tank was the tank of choice to spearhead the attacks into Normandy Beach on D-Day. The combination of a medium sized tank paired with speed and enough armament to hold it's own allowed for the U.S. to combat the Germany Blitzkrieg tactics. The Sherman was used in many theaters both in World War II and after as well. Ranging from North Africa and Europe, to Korea and Vietnam, the Sherman was a constant sign of American strength and versatility.
These two other war winners may not clinch the top spot that the Jeep currently holds, but they definitely contend for the title and provide a good show as to why these wars were won.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Burnouts
We have all heard or seen a burnout or at least an attempt at one sometime during the course of our lives. Ever since cars wheels began to turn, somebody with enough of the right stuff has been trying to smoke the tires. Whether it be on a dirt road in an old one wheeled wonder pickup (a car that will only break one tire loose) or a massive dragster prepping the tires before a race, they are fun as hell. The only question is, when is too much of a good thing a bad thing? Well i'm no expert on the topic but I can still offer my opinion on the matter.
A good sign that you maybe want to take a break from burning rubber is if you aren't actually burning rubber any more. What I mean by this is that once the tire bursts from too much wear and you continue to do them on the rims, you aren't impressing anybody any more. You are just giving the bystanders more reason to believe the claim that you didn't finish your GED. Crazy thought, huh? Another sign you might be addicted to burnouts is the fact that you can no longer see outside your windshield due to all of the tire smoke blocking the way. Not only does it begin to smell really bad inside your car, but it makes things dangerous. The driver cant see where he is about to go after his burnout and the bystanders can't see where the driver is and where he is going to go.
Now, a burnout happens when so much power is applied to the drive wheels that there is a break in traction and the tires begin to spin. As they are spinning they begin to put off smoke and this is what consists of a burnout. If you have a manual and are doing a burnout, be sure to not burn out the clutch because not only did you fail at a burnout, but you just cooked your transmission and will have to fork over some serious dough to get it fixed. *clutch smoke means STOP. it is not tire smoke if there are no tire squeals, please save the clutches!*
Just be sure to enjoy these automotive fun spins, but to be sure you do it correctly and smartly to avoid looking like a fool without a tool to fix the mess you just got yourself into.
A good sign that you maybe want to take a break from burning rubber is if you aren't actually burning rubber any more. What I mean by this is that once the tire bursts from too much wear and you continue to do them on the rims, you aren't impressing anybody any more. You are just giving the bystanders more reason to believe the claim that you didn't finish your GED. Crazy thought, huh? Another sign you might be addicted to burnouts is the fact that you can no longer see outside your windshield due to all of the tire smoke blocking the way. Not only does it begin to smell really bad inside your car, but it makes things dangerous. The driver cant see where he is about to go after his burnout and the bystanders can't see where the driver is and where he is going to go.
Now, a burnout happens when so much power is applied to the drive wheels that there is a break in traction and the tires begin to spin. As they are spinning they begin to put off smoke and this is what consists of a burnout. If you have a manual and are doing a burnout, be sure to not burn out the clutch because not only did you fail at a burnout, but you just cooked your transmission and will have to fork over some serious dough to get it fixed. *clutch smoke means STOP. it is not tire smoke if there are no tire squeals, please save the clutches!*
Just be sure to enjoy these automotive fun spins, but to be sure you do it correctly and smartly to avoid looking like a fool without a tool to fix the mess you just got yourself into.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Hot Hatches
The term "hot hatch" is a relatively new term to the world of cars. With the ever-changing and evolving car design market, new configurations are constantly being created. Hot hatches in my opinion are a cross between sports cars and SUV's. They are striving to be practical, but still try to maintain a certain level of sportiness to them. It is a delicate balance that when it is not achieved, leads to imbalances in the performance. One of the first cars created in this class was the Subaru WRX. Since it first came out, it has set the precedent and established a large following among rally cross enthusiasts. Other companies to begin the category and those who helped to grow the category to what it is today include Audi, Mini, Fiat, Ford, Volkswagen and many other companies. Therr are also companies not found domestically like Peugeot and Citroen who may not sell cars in the U.S., but they still have a driving force and impact in how cars sold here are produced and developed.
What separates these cars from others is the offered capabilities. On any model in the class you can expect a few things to be near the same thing. First is the small, power dense engine. Don't let the small displacement fool you however, these engine can pack a mean punch. Another thing you can expect to find is a suspension set up to be stiffer than in other cars to handle off road courses that these cars are expected to handle. My favorite feature for these cars however, would be the fact that most of these cars come with an optional manual transmission! Now that is how you make a car.
What the objective of these cars is, is that they want to provide ample amenities for the driver to make it appealing as a daily driver. At the same time they must be built to handle drivers taking their rides out to off road rally schools like Dirt Fish rally school to thrash them. This creates a very fast, very livable and very fun car to own. With more and more car companies hopping on the Hot Hatch train, expect to see new innovations being created to push not only the product to a whole new level, but to push the envelope in the racing scene as well.
What separates these cars from others is the offered capabilities. On any model in the class you can expect a few things to be near the same thing. First is the small, power dense engine. Don't let the small displacement fool you however, these engine can pack a mean punch. Another thing you can expect to find is a suspension set up to be stiffer than in other cars to handle off road courses that these cars are expected to handle. My favorite feature for these cars however, would be the fact that most of these cars come with an optional manual transmission! Now that is how you make a car.
What the objective of these cars is, is that they want to provide ample amenities for the driver to make it appealing as a daily driver. At the same time they must be built to handle drivers taking their rides out to off road rally schools like Dirt Fish rally school to thrash them. This creates a very fast, very livable and very fun car to own. With more and more car companies hopping on the Hot Hatch train, expect to see new innovations being created to push not only the product to a whole new level, but to push the envelope in the racing scene as well.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
RAGBRAI
If you live in Iowa or are a road cyclist who gets around the country, odds are you have heard this saying before. For those of you who do not fit into the above criteria, prepare to learn. RAGBRAI in not only a name, but an acronym. It stands for the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. It is exactly what the mane says it is. It is an annual event in which cyclists begin on one side of Iowa, and they ride their bicycles across the entire state in 1 week. However, this event is a little different. Instead of the goal being to be the fastest rider across the state, the goal is to have the most fun while riding across the state. There is also no set annual course across the state. Every year, the route is changed drastically to variate the towns that host the riders passing through them.
The purpose for this ride is to celebrate the sport of cycling and to give people to experience something totally unique to the state of Iowa. Many people buy and retrofit old buses to carry their extra bikes and all the other necessary things to have a good time. For everybody, that means lots of good food and for those of the age of 21 or older, it means lots of alcohol. Of course those under 21 can enjoy a nice cold root beer as well alongside their older peers. Duh. I know many people who have ridden RAGBRAI and have actually gained weight from all of the food despite the fact that they pedaled their way across the whole state. If you have ever seen Iowa on a map you know it isn't a small state.
The entire state takes on a different mood when RAGBRAI week comes along, many people take off work to ride, and many others begin to work the hardest they have all year for this week. People from all over the world come to experience it and I can assure you that there is nothing that compares to it anywhere. For example, the Tour de' France is a large and globally known bike race, but the atmosphere for the riders is totally different. There is no room for error, and lets face it, they are all in much better shape than to be drinking away the day's ride every day. When you are at RAGBRAI and you aren't at least out partying (you don't have to drink necessarily) then you are not in the right mindset to experience RAGBRAI.
The purpose for this ride is to celebrate the sport of cycling and to give people to experience something totally unique to the state of Iowa. Many people buy and retrofit old buses to carry their extra bikes and all the other necessary things to have a good time. For everybody, that means lots of good food and for those of the age of 21 or older, it means lots of alcohol. Of course those under 21 can enjoy a nice cold root beer as well alongside their older peers. Duh. I know many people who have ridden RAGBRAI and have actually gained weight from all of the food despite the fact that they pedaled their way across the whole state. If you have ever seen Iowa on a map you know it isn't a small state.
The entire state takes on a different mood when RAGBRAI week comes along, many people take off work to ride, and many others begin to work the hardest they have all year for this week. People from all over the world come to experience it and I can assure you that there is nothing that compares to it anywhere. For example, the Tour de' France is a large and globally known bike race, but the atmosphere for the riders is totally different. There is no room for error, and lets face it, they are all in much better shape than to be drinking away the day's ride every day. When you are at RAGBRAI and you aren't at least out partying (you don't have to drink necessarily) then you are not in the right mindset to experience RAGBRAI.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
900 horsepower ice skates
Back in 2014 a man with a vision and a huge truck decided to try something new. The decided they wanted to go and drive up a ski slope with it. Add some studded tires and some ski goggles and a new race was born. In 2015, the Red Bull Signature Series hosted the Frozen Rush for the first time at a quaint ski slope in Maine. It attracted many of the top pro-4 short course truck drivers throughout the world, and it was considered a huge success by many. The event came back this again, and it is as good as ever in 2016.
What makes these cars able to operate on the snow is due to two important factors. The first being the massive studded tires with over 600 studs in each tire, which allows the tires to bite. The second is the conditioning of the snow by snow cats and groomers. Without these two crucial ingredients combined, a new and seemingly unstoppable race was born. I personally am super excited to see more of this racing style in the future and I hope you will too. Below are the videos of the visionary and the first runs, along with the first and second races.
Beginnings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDqO1FRtl7o
2015:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxGrrDjilJg
2016:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVYailVZpEY
What makes these cars able to operate on the snow is due to two important factors. The first being the massive studded tires with over 600 studs in each tire, which allows the tires to bite. The second is the conditioning of the snow by snow cats and groomers. Without these two crucial ingredients combined, a new and seemingly unstoppable race was born. I personally am super excited to see more of this racing style in the future and I hope you will too. Below are the videos of the visionary and the first runs, along with the first and second races.
Beginnings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDqO1FRtl7o
2015:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxGrrDjilJg
2016:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVYailVZpEY
Something Funky
In the anorexic world of mountain bike manufacturing, the seemingly magic number is 20 pounds. In a sport where mere ounces can see to weigh tons at the end of a race, only the best bikes achieve this number. One of these bikes is the Funk La Ruta, and it is very special indeed. It's frame is made entirely from titanium, any coloring or designs are created through an anodizing process of the titanium frame. What this means is an electrical current is passed through certain points of the frame to change the color of the metal. The color depends on the amount of power being passed through the frame. This only changes the color of the metal and does not weaken it in any way.
Another cool thing about this bike is the way the rear suspension works. Instead of having a pivot point in the pedal tube, there is a carefully designed and milled section behind the tube where the metal flexes and allows for 80 mm of travel in the rear without ever having to add weight for a pivot in the frame.
This level of technology and level of weight reduction is due in part to many key design and material components. For starters, Funk offers a single side shock post in the front as compared to the typical 2 post fork design. The next part in the already mentioned rear suspension system, along with a severe reduction in the number of gears needed. A typical setup will have 3 gears in the front and 6 to 9 in thew back, however, the La Ruta only has one front gear, while keeping many of the rear gears. There is also utilization of hydraulic brake systems, and lots of carbon and carbon fiber being used in places to replace many previously heavier components of the bike. The final major weight reduction component is the employment of an entirely titanium frame. This ensures major durability combined with a super lightweight bike.
Another cool thing about this bike is the way the rear suspension works. Instead of having a pivot point in the pedal tube, there is a carefully designed and milled section behind the tube where the metal flexes and allows for 80 mm of travel in the rear without ever having to add weight for a pivot in the frame.
This level of technology and level of weight reduction is due in part to many key design and material components. For starters, Funk offers a single side shock post in the front as compared to the typical 2 post fork design. The next part in the already mentioned rear suspension system, along with a severe reduction in the number of gears needed. A typical setup will have 3 gears in the front and 6 to 9 in thew back, however, the La Ruta only has one front gear, while keeping many of the rear gears. There is also utilization of hydraulic brake systems, and lots of carbon and carbon fiber being used in places to replace many previously heavier components of the bike. The final major weight reduction component is the employment of an entirely titanium frame. This ensures major durability combined with a super lightweight bike.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Fun buggies
We all have seen or been on an offroad capable vehicle at one time or another in our lives. Some of the most capable products on the market include 4-wheelers and buggy type vehicles. Today, we are going to focus on what makes these things so fun and capable at the same time.
If you couldn't already tell, the most important component in any vehicle is the motor and its application to the vehicle. All good producers of these off-roading vehicles stick to similar engine designs. The formula for a good motor in this application is a light, compact,and power dense engine. This benefits the driver for many reasons. The first being that when the engine has a very good power to displacement ratio, the vehicle tends to be more efficient. The engine needs to be light because a heavy engine would add lots of unneeded weight to the vehicle, causing it to possibly become stuck and less efficient. These engines are constantly evolving with new innovations, like turbocharging and supercharging to even further increase both power and fuel economy.
The small frames and narrower tracks allow for access to otherwise off-limits areas. This versatility is aided by long traveling suspensions and shocks. What this enables the driver to do is to allow the passage to areas with only a 4' or less wide path to travel upon where other larger vehicles like trucks and jeeps would be incapable in passing through. Although these smaller tracks can be a blessing, they can also be a curse with the greater risk of flipping over while turning at high speeds. This is caused by a high center of gravity falling over the tipping point axis of the vehicle. The same problem can occur in any vehicle, but the speed varies with the center of gravity point.
If you couldn't already tell, the most important component in any vehicle is the motor and its application to the vehicle. All good producers of these off-roading vehicles stick to similar engine designs. The formula for a good motor in this application is a light, compact,and power dense engine. This benefits the driver for many reasons. The first being that when the engine has a very good power to displacement ratio, the vehicle tends to be more efficient. The engine needs to be light because a heavy engine would add lots of unneeded weight to the vehicle, causing it to possibly become stuck and less efficient. These engines are constantly evolving with new innovations, like turbocharging and supercharging to even further increase both power and fuel economy.
The small frames and narrower tracks allow for access to otherwise off-limits areas. This versatility is aided by long traveling suspensions and shocks. What this enables the driver to do is to allow the passage to areas with only a 4' or less wide path to travel upon where other larger vehicles like trucks and jeeps would be incapable in passing through. Although these smaller tracks can be a blessing, they can also be a curse with the greater risk of flipping over while turning at high speeds. This is caused by a high center of gravity falling over the tipping point axis of the vehicle. The same problem can occur in any vehicle, but the speed varies with the center of gravity point.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Fastest motors ever
If you have ever read into any aviation book or lesson, chances are that you have come across the mentioning of a legendary plane. This plane is the SR-71 Blackbird and it's fame is well earned. It is one of the fastest manned airplanes to have ever flown, and it is also one of the most secretive ever. This plane was so good and so fast that when a SAM or surface to air missile locked onto it, the Blackbird simply outran the missiles at speeds up to and quite possibly past mach 3.5 or three and a half times the speed of sound. The reason the true top speed is still unknown is that it is top secret information. The Blackbird was capable of hitting such great speeds for many reasons like aerodynamics and high tech flight computers, but the largest part of this amazing place reaching the speeds that it did were due to it's engines. They are called the Pratt and Whitney J-58 and they are behemoths and an amazing feat of engineering.
If the declassified top speed isn't enough to amaze you, then maybe the fact that such a powerful engine was designed by hand and mind without computers, calculators, and just a slide rule, Oh yeah and this was back in the late 1950's and early 1960's. There are many things that make the engines extremely unique, but for the sake of time we will just stick to the big things. The engine itself actually operates in two stages. The first being that of a turbojet engine, and the second being that of a ramjet. Here is how it works, the engine operates as a normal after-burning turbojet engine up to mach 2.2, where the next element comes into play for a few reasons. The first is a concern of fuel efficiency, and the next is of heat. The afterburners at mach 2.2 are using an incredible amount of fuel, and there is so much heat at this point that any more would melt the nacelle or capsule holding the engine in the plane. The engine has 6 air bypass tubes that draw cool, compressed air from the 4th stage of the fan in front of combustion, and bypasses it directly to the after-burner area, thus creating a cooler and even more oxygen rich environment for the fuel to burn in, This creates massive efficiency and allows the blackbird to cruise at mach 3.2.
What this plane contributed to the country in terms of vital information may never be fully known to the public, but there is already enough known to cement it's legacy in history as the fastest and highest flying manned airplane ever.
If the declassified top speed isn't enough to amaze you, then maybe the fact that such a powerful engine was designed by hand and mind without computers, calculators, and just a slide rule, Oh yeah and this was back in the late 1950's and early 1960's. There are many things that make the engines extremely unique, but for the sake of time we will just stick to the big things. The engine itself actually operates in two stages. The first being that of a turbojet engine, and the second being that of a ramjet. Here is how it works, the engine operates as a normal after-burning turbojet engine up to mach 2.2, where the next element comes into play for a few reasons. The first is a concern of fuel efficiency, and the next is of heat. The afterburners at mach 2.2 are using an incredible amount of fuel, and there is so much heat at this point that any more would melt the nacelle or capsule holding the engine in the plane. The engine has 6 air bypass tubes that draw cool, compressed air from the 4th stage of the fan in front of combustion, and bypasses it directly to the after-burner area, thus creating a cooler and even more oxygen rich environment for the fuel to burn in, This creates massive efficiency and allows the blackbird to cruise at mach 3.2.
What this plane contributed to the country in terms of vital information may never be fully known to the public, but there is already enough known to cement it's legacy in history as the fastest and highest flying manned airplane ever.
Turning old to gold
A large part of the car enthusiast world is not so much concerned about what cars are the newest and most modern, but they are more enthusiastic about the cars of old. These time machines on wheels can give us a glimpse into what life was like in the past and for some these are what all cars should be. Now, most if not all of these old cars emerging from the past are going to need at least some repair or world to restore them to their former glory, and this is what I want to discuss. The re-creation of history and restoration of classic cars.
Sadly, these cars are becoming more and more rare to find in fixable condition as nearly all the "barn find" treasures out there in the world have emerged. This also has driven up the price of the vehicles substantially. When a new and untouched find surfaces, it should and will be acted upon quickly to obtain these cars for restoration.
When properly restored, some of these cars can bring sums of into the hundreds of thousands to the many millions of dollars at auctions. The best classification for a completely original restoration of a classic car is the Councours level and only a few hundred cars exist in the world with this level of restoration quality. In order for a proper restoration to be completed, many hundreds and even thousands of hours and a huge sum of money went into the restoration of these cars. So the next time you see one on the road, be sure you remember what that owner has invested in their ride.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Traffic
The worst nightmare for anyone with a fast car and/or a lead foot. This is the product of when drivers of less confidence, experience or just a lack of that stuff that makes us driving enthusiasts tick converge onto a road at the same time in a large quantity. Although in some places it is simply sheer volume that causes back-ups, many times it can be avoided. I have discovered the solution to this problem and it comes as a simple piece of metal on the floor of your car all the way to the right of the driver's floor compartment. It is called a gas pedal and when used properly, can achieve magical things. These things go on to include achieving speeds greater than 35 miles per hour, allowing for the escape from accidents and finally, the smooth transitioning into a traffic flow at the speed of the road, and not the speed of the on-ramp.
What people seem to be lacking is an understanding of how to utilize this magical device in their cars, so instead they just leave it alone and don't bother to use it. I am here to clear up any misunderstandings on how to use this device. You take your RIGHT foot, lift it up off of the brake pedal where it has rested for miles, and using the balls of your feet, press down on the gas. You may experience a new sensation sort of like you are being pushed back into your seat by an invisible force. This is good, it is called acceleration and should be familiar to you in no time. After you get this new use of a crucial part of the car figured out, magical other things will happen. People will no longer shout at you as they pass you on the highway to "get off the road" and to "learn how to drive" because i just did it for you. You will also now be able to re-paint your car and not worry about the paint because no angry drivers who have been stuck behind you for the last 3 hours wont try to side swipe or key your car.
Just remember, with great power, comes great responsibility.
What people seem to be lacking is an understanding of how to utilize this magical device in their cars, so instead they just leave it alone and don't bother to use it. I am here to clear up any misunderstandings on how to use this device. You take your RIGHT foot, lift it up off of the brake pedal where it has rested for miles, and using the balls of your feet, press down on the gas. You may experience a new sensation sort of like you are being pushed back into your seat by an invisible force. This is good, it is called acceleration and should be familiar to you in no time. After you get this new use of a crucial part of the car figured out, magical other things will happen. People will no longer shout at you as they pass you on the highway to "get off the road" and to "learn how to drive" because i just did it for you. You will also now be able to re-paint your car and not worry about the paint because no angry drivers who have been stuck behind you for the last 3 hours wont try to side swipe or key your car.
Just remember, with great power, comes great responsibility.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Best Driving Roads
To me, the ultimate in driving experiences doesn't come in a luxury wrapped Mercedes or Rolls Royce. For me, the best experience would come when driving a car with an actual maual gearbox, through a road that is both fun to drive and majestic to look at. Why a manual you may ask? The manual is all about purity. If i could choose which car I would take with me on these roads, the choice would be between an AC Cobra and a Noble M600. Both of these cars have the most bare bones driving environment available, yet they contrast each other perfectly. I would take the Noble to a place like the Autobahn, or to the Nurburgring and let it loose. I would chose the AC Cobra for cruising in the Rocky Mountains on I-70, along the California coast in the summer, and many other open-air experiences only properly enjoyed in a car like the Cobra.
For me, there has to be lots of direct interaction with the road. I go insane when I have to drive a car where the steering is so electrically interfered with it feels like you are in a video game. I also as mentioned before need to be shifting the gears myself with a true manual transmission. I know there are those of you out there who will say that dual clutches improve performance, and I say to that "I would rather have it be me performing to the best of my abilities instead of a computer doing it for me. The road must be winding and ebb and flow. Just like the life itself, things are always going to be changing direction and going up and down, this is what makes the road good.
When you find your road, you'll know it. Just make sure it is truly the right road for you and then stick to it forever.
For me, there has to be lots of direct interaction with the road. I go insane when I have to drive a car where the steering is so electrically interfered with it feels like you are in a video game. I also as mentioned before need to be shifting the gears myself with a true manual transmission. I know there are those of you out there who will say that dual clutches improve performance, and I say to that "I would rather have it be me performing to the best of my abilities instead of a computer doing it for me. The road must be winding and ebb and flow. Just like the life itself, things are always going to be changing direction and going up and down, this is what makes the road good.
When you find your road, you'll know it. Just make sure it is truly the right road for you and then stick to it forever.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Airplanes
A little while ago I wrote about trains. Well now I would like to discuss another mode of transportation, and that is Airplanes.
The greatest thing about flight, is the speed at which you travel at. On conventional roads, there are speed limits and there are obstacles that need to be avoided. But not in the sky, there are no obstacles and this means unlimited speed, at least relatively speaking. What this means is that people can go wherever they want with the freedom to do so in a timely manner. In an around the world trip that once took people years to complete can now be done in just a few short days. This is thanks in part to 2 things. Cabin pressurization and the modern engine of an airplane. What pressurization did was to allow planes to travel at higher altitudes while maintaining a safe near sea level pressure within the plane itself. The modern family of airplane engines allow for great efficiency along with capabilities of greater speeds, thus increasing the distances being able to be traveled.
There are things within flight that we have grown to pursue as well, the most exciting and well known of these pursuits being the pursuit of speed. The fastest manned take off and landing capable airplane is the SR-71 Blackbird. This airplane is capable of hitting speeds of mach 3.5 or 3.5 times the speed of sound. That puts it at about 2,200 mph with some rough calculating. And that is just the declassified top speed. This 40 year old airplane's top speed could still very well be and could always be classified. The fastest thing to ever fly however, was the Bell X-15 a Ever since the first flight back in 1903 by the Wright Brothers, the world has been able to fulfill it's many millenniums old desire for flight. Since then things have come a long way. From the first flight lasting only 59 seconds, we have now produced airplanes that fly at the reaches of the earth's atmosphere and can travel from New York to Los Angeles in under an hour. The list of accomplishments man has achieved with flight is one of the longest lists of anything in this world.
ircraft. It was mounted to the wing of a B-52 for takeoff, and once the desired altitude was reached, it was deployed. The top speed was over mach 6.72 or 4,520 miles per hour. This is a video courtesy of You Tube that discusses the X-15 more in depth. https://youtu.be/TFcCx4uR6rk
The future is very bright for flight, and I am very excited to see what is in store for the next generation of pilots and passengers of flight.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
The Little Things
We have all wondered what really needs to happen to make our ride stand out just a little but more than usual. It might not take much, and it might only take an hour to do so. Oh and of course a little elbow grease when the hour starts to run on. If you haven't already caught onto what I am talking about, I am talking about detailing your car, What this entails in it's basics is what you see in The Karate Kid. "Wax on, wax off Daniel son." Well young grasshopper, I am here to help explain to you why this simple act of caring for your car can be all that it takes for your car to stand out.
There are many reasons as to why waxing your car's paint is a good thing to do.When done correctly there are no downsides to doing it, (unlike other things I can think of). When you wax your car, it is taking off the layers of grime not taken off from conventional washing. It then replaces this grime with a protective waxy layer that helps prevent new grime from accumulating on your paint. Basically it is like an exfoliation for your car. It will leave the paint shiny, glossy, and smooth to the touch and will guarantee that heads will be turned as the sun reflects off your paint job.
However, you must be careful about when you apply it, you don't get distracted because if the wax stays in for too long and dries too much, it can stick to your paint and when you go to de-wax, the paint will come off as well as the wax. This happened to a neighbor one time and he was not in a good spot since he had to get his whole car repainted otherwise the paint wouldn't match.
When you go to apply wax to your car, be sure that it is washed and completely dried before applying. If the surface is wet, the wax wont stay on, and if it is dirty, it will not work as well as intended. The wax will go on as a cream colored liquid, you can either apply it to a towel and then onto your car, or directly apply it to the paint and then work it in from there. Then, as mentioned before the wax will begin to dry out so pay attention. When the wax comes off onto your finger as a dry cream powder, it is time to remove that portion of the wax from your car. You can apply multiple coats if you feel the need, but don't go crazy, good wax isn't the cheapest stuff around. Once you are done, the paint will not only look better and stand out more, it will be able to bead water and keep it from ruining that freshly cleaned car of yours.
There are many reasons as to why waxing your car's paint is a good thing to do.When done correctly there are no downsides to doing it, (unlike other things I can think of). When you wax your car, it is taking off the layers of grime not taken off from conventional washing. It then replaces this grime with a protective waxy layer that helps prevent new grime from accumulating on your paint. Basically it is like an exfoliation for your car. It will leave the paint shiny, glossy, and smooth to the touch and will guarantee that heads will be turned as the sun reflects off your paint job.
However, you must be careful about when you apply it, you don't get distracted because if the wax stays in for too long and dries too much, it can stick to your paint and when you go to de-wax, the paint will come off as well as the wax. This happened to a neighbor one time and he was not in a good spot since he had to get his whole car repainted otherwise the paint wouldn't match.
When you go to apply wax to your car, be sure that it is washed and completely dried before applying. If the surface is wet, the wax wont stay on, and if it is dirty, it will not work as well as intended. The wax will go on as a cream colored liquid, you can either apply it to a towel and then onto your car, or directly apply it to the paint and then work it in from there. Then, as mentioned before the wax will begin to dry out so pay attention. When the wax comes off onto your finger as a dry cream powder, it is time to remove that portion of the wax from your car. You can apply multiple coats if you feel the need, but don't go crazy, good wax isn't the cheapest stuff around. Once you are done, the paint will not only look better and stand out more, it will be able to bead water and keep it from ruining that freshly cleaned car of yours.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
British Beuaties
If you have ever watched almost any of the bond movies, then you know what kind of cars I am talking about. The Aston Martin has one of the most legendary history and following of this car can be almost cult-like in some places of the world. This British super car company produces some of the greatest combinations of performance and luxury in the world. With models like the DBS and V12 Vantage being some of the most beautiful cars ever created, and they have been that way since they began to be built.
Whether they are capturing the viewers imagination in the latest bond film, or they are tearing up the racetrack or the autobahn, they are unmistakable and unforgettable. The most iconic things about these cars to me however isn't they way that it looks sitting still, but more how it sounds and takes corners beautifully and without effort. Almost all of their cars they make have either a V8 or a V12 in them, and they sound amazing. These Brits have been making these cars for almost as long as the car itself has existed.
And they know exactly what they are doing, especially on the race track. In the GT categories and the prototype categories, they compete against other top name manufacturing teams like Corvette, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mclaren, Ford and SRT. All of these manufacturers are highly competitive and stop at absolutely nothing to win races, and with this high of competition, it is not hard to find many Astons at the top of consistently very close to it.
Whether they are capturing the viewers imagination in the latest bond film, or they are tearing up the racetrack or the autobahn, they are unmistakable and unforgettable. The most iconic things about these cars to me however isn't they way that it looks sitting still, but more how it sounds and takes corners beautifully and without effort. Almost all of their cars they make have either a V8 or a V12 in them, and they sound amazing. These Brits have been making these cars for almost as long as the car itself has existed.
And they know exactly what they are doing, especially on the race track. In the GT categories and the prototype categories, they compete against other top name manufacturing teams like Corvette, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mclaren, Ford and SRT. All of these manufacturers are highly competitive and stop at absolutely nothing to win races, and with this high of competition, it is not hard to find many Astons at the top of consistently very close to it.
Safety in numbers
I was perusing the internet and came across some very interesting videos. They were discussing the evolution of driver and spectator safety throughout the history of motor racing. Unfortunately, most of these safety requirements were made in reaction to horrible accidents in efforts to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.
Some of these horrible accidents that sometimes claimed the lives of some drivers include the 1955 wreck at LeMans, the wreck that killed Dale Earnheart, the 2008 accident that killed Doug Kalitta, the 1994 San Marino Grad Prix. The one thing that all of these of these accidents have in common was the fact that regulations and safety precautions were put second to power and lower times. If these two things were put after safety like they are in every legitimate and legal form of racing today, then these atrocities may have been avoidable.
Some of the new technologies added for driver and spectator safety is catch fences and higher padded walls. Especially seen in NASCAR racing, catch fences can hold back all major parts of a car that happen to go airborne and hit said fence. Built to intentionally disperse the forces and break, it has saved countless lives. The higher and padded walls are not limited to only NASCAR, as they are seen alongside sand and gravel traps alongside danger zones of racecourses all across the world. These too are designed with simple physics in mind, the idea is that the longer the time of the impact, the lesser the force is on the driver is.
A safety feature that is found not on the track per say, but on the race cars and had begun to find its way into street cars, is the idea of cars breaking apart when an accident happens. This is most obviously seen in formula 1 cars, where the entire front and rear ends of the car are built to fall away from the drivers tub. The other form of racing where this is highlighted the most is NASCAR, there is a full rolled steel roll cage type frame. However, the front end of the car up until the firewall is designed to break away from the diver's cage if the car goes into a roll or other horrid accident.
Other safety precautions include limiting of engine sizes and cylinder displacement or number of cylinders, along with creating universal dimensions of the cars allowed in certain classes. For example, GT3 class cars have different regulations then a prototype car, even though they both race on the same course at the same time. These regulations are for two reasons, for one, it limits the amount of advantages that a team with more money, and it keeps the drivers on a more level playing field, and it is not decided strictly on power and capability of the car.
As the level of competition and speed rises, pray that safety keeps pace as well, otherwise another scene like the LeMans race of 1955 may make a re-appearance.
Some of these horrible accidents that sometimes claimed the lives of some drivers include the 1955 wreck at LeMans, the wreck that killed Dale Earnheart, the 2008 accident that killed Doug Kalitta, the 1994 San Marino Grad Prix. The one thing that all of these of these accidents have in common was the fact that regulations and safety precautions were put second to power and lower times. If these two things were put after safety like they are in every legitimate and legal form of racing today, then these atrocities may have been avoidable.
Some of the new technologies added for driver and spectator safety is catch fences and higher padded walls. Especially seen in NASCAR racing, catch fences can hold back all major parts of a car that happen to go airborne and hit said fence. Built to intentionally disperse the forces and break, it has saved countless lives. The higher and padded walls are not limited to only NASCAR, as they are seen alongside sand and gravel traps alongside danger zones of racecourses all across the world. These too are designed with simple physics in mind, the idea is that the longer the time of the impact, the lesser the force is on the driver is.
A safety feature that is found not on the track per say, but on the race cars and had begun to find its way into street cars, is the idea of cars breaking apart when an accident happens. This is most obviously seen in formula 1 cars, where the entire front and rear ends of the car are built to fall away from the drivers tub. The other form of racing where this is highlighted the most is NASCAR, there is a full rolled steel roll cage type frame. However, the front end of the car up until the firewall is designed to break away from the diver's cage if the car goes into a roll or other horrid accident.
Other safety precautions include limiting of engine sizes and cylinder displacement or number of cylinders, along with creating universal dimensions of the cars allowed in certain classes. For example, GT3 class cars have different regulations then a prototype car, even though they both race on the same course at the same time. These regulations are for two reasons, for one, it limits the amount of advantages that a team with more money, and it keeps the drivers on a more level playing field, and it is not decided strictly on power and capability of the car.
As the level of competition and speed rises, pray that safety keeps pace as well, otherwise another scene like the LeMans race of 1955 may make a re-appearance.
What makes a fast car fast?
Many people from the outside in often wonder what it takes for a car to be fast. Well, if you are one of these uneducated people, allow me to enlighten you.
The first thing that you need to do to have a fast car is to have a realitively light one. What this allows to happen is faster acceleration, because the less weight the motor has to move through the air at high speeds, the faster the car can go. Ways to have a light car include using carbon fiber or other lightweight yet strong materials including titanium and aluminum. Other options for weight reduction is to eliminate extra seats, that's why almost all 200 mile per hour cars have only 2 seats. Other options include a manual transmission, no air conditioning, and other comfort amenities that are in normal cars. Not only can these add weight, but they can also draw power off of the engine, like a/c.
The next thing that is needed after a lightweight frame and body is a lot of power. There are many ways to accomplish this. Everything from electric assisted direct drive engines, to forced induction to stand alone electric motors. The objective is to obtain the most powerful motor in the smallest displacement possible. This is called power density, and it is what is going to drive the next wave of innovation. For example, if you have two engines that produce the same amount of power, but one is a 4 cylinder and the other is an 8 cylinder, the 4 cylinder is the better option because it is more power dense. This is because the smaller engine produces twice the amount of power per cylinder, thus making the same power as a car with and engine that weighs twice as much. It is more simple physics.
After those two major points, a combination of smaller but still important parts of the car need to come together to allow the cars to reach great speeds. The first major smaller item is the wheels and tires. Not only do the tires need to be able to hold together at high speeds, but they need to have an insane amount of grip at those speeds. Special designed and compounded tires are made just for high speeds. The wheels need to be not only strong, but lightweight. The lighter the wheel, the less amount of energy needed to move the wheels. Materials and techniques like forging and using carbon fiber in wheels are on the cutting edge of wheel technology. Other things include aerodynamics in the form of spoilers, splitters, and diffusers, in order to maintain down force on the car.
The first thing that you need to do to have a fast car is to have a realitively light one. What this allows to happen is faster acceleration, because the less weight the motor has to move through the air at high speeds, the faster the car can go. Ways to have a light car include using carbon fiber or other lightweight yet strong materials including titanium and aluminum. Other options for weight reduction is to eliminate extra seats, that's why almost all 200 mile per hour cars have only 2 seats. Other options include a manual transmission, no air conditioning, and other comfort amenities that are in normal cars. Not only can these add weight, but they can also draw power off of the engine, like a/c.
The next thing that is needed after a lightweight frame and body is a lot of power. There are many ways to accomplish this. Everything from electric assisted direct drive engines, to forced induction to stand alone electric motors. The objective is to obtain the most powerful motor in the smallest displacement possible. This is called power density, and it is what is going to drive the next wave of innovation. For example, if you have two engines that produce the same amount of power, but one is a 4 cylinder and the other is an 8 cylinder, the 4 cylinder is the better option because it is more power dense. This is because the smaller engine produces twice the amount of power per cylinder, thus making the same power as a car with and engine that weighs twice as much. It is more simple physics.
After those two major points, a combination of smaller but still important parts of the car need to come together to allow the cars to reach great speeds. The first major smaller item is the wheels and tires. Not only do the tires need to be able to hold together at high speeds, but they need to have an insane amount of grip at those speeds. Special designed and compounded tires are made just for high speeds. The wheels need to be not only strong, but lightweight. The lighter the wheel, the less amount of energy needed to move the wheels. Materials and techniques like forging and using carbon fiber in wheels are on the cutting edge of wheel technology. Other things include aerodynamics in the form of spoilers, splitters, and diffusers, in order to maintain down force on the car.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Ford's new Italian Horse-Eater
I am sure that by now, almost all of you have heard that Ford is going to be releasing a third generation of the Ford GT. If you haven't, well then let me be the first to introduce you then. This car is obviously all new, powered by a twin turboed V6, and it's looks and sounds are indescribable. Just look and you can see what I mean
The blue car in the front is the new model, with the blue car in the middle being the one that was made in the early 2000's and the one in the background was the original car in the 1960's. When the new car was released, it was evident that many new things were added to the car, but the designers still kept the car to it's heritage. The iconic hood scoops and the overall body outline are the same, bu the new car uses many new technologies to set itself apart. For example, the entire body of the car is made from carbon fiber and it is only available with an automatic transmission instead of a manual. This new car also has an active deploying spoiler that doubles as an air-brake, similar to the Bugatti Veyron and the Lexus LFA. This spoiler, coupled with the massive carbon ceramic brakes allows the car to stop faster than any other Ford GT before it. The dash board also doubles as the cross-plane support for the front of the cabin tub. This doubling of form and function has also made the Ford GT one of the lightest supercars out there, and when you couple that with a 600+ horsepower eco-boost engine, I think it is safe to say that this is a 200 MPH car, possibly capable of much higher speeds.
You may be asking, why now? Well, the 50th anniversary of when the original Ford GT swept the 24 hours of LeMans race after Ferrari dropped a deal with Ford, the engineers at Ford thought that it may be a good time to bring the beast back from the dead. And so they have, with a GT-class race car ready to go for this year's LeMans race, we will see if Ford can pull it off again.
The blue car in the front is the new model, with the blue car in the middle being the one that was made in the early 2000's and the one in the background was the original car in the 1960's. When the new car was released, it was evident that many new things were added to the car, but the designers still kept the car to it's heritage. The iconic hood scoops and the overall body outline are the same, bu the new car uses many new technologies to set itself apart. For example, the entire body of the car is made from carbon fiber and it is only available with an automatic transmission instead of a manual. This new car also has an active deploying spoiler that doubles as an air-brake, similar to the Bugatti Veyron and the Lexus LFA. This spoiler, coupled with the massive carbon ceramic brakes allows the car to stop faster than any other Ford GT before it. The dash board also doubles as the cross-plane support for the front of the cabin tub. This doubling of form and function has also made the Ford GT one of the lightest supercars out there, and when you couple that with a 600+ horsepower eco-boost engine, I think it is safe to say that this is a 200 MPH car, possibly capable of much higher speeds.
You may be asking, why now? Well, the 50th anniversary of when the original Ford GT swept the 24 hours of LeMans race after Ferrari dropped a deal with Ford, the engineers at Ford thought that it may be a good time to bring the beast back from the dead. And so they have, with a GT-class race car ready to go for this year's LeMans race, we will see if Ford can pull it off again.
Gas or Diesel?
The eternal debate between all car owners. Which is the best? Diesel or Gasoline? There are many benefits and draw-backs to both options.
Diesel- The stuff of torque monsters. Diesel is used in motors that rely on much higher compression levels in the cylinders to ignite the fuel, thus creating much higher torsion power. What this allows diesel motors to do is pull much heavier loads more efficiently than gasoline. Diesel is also much more stable than gasoline is when being stored, thus making it easier to transport. Another good thing about it is that it takes less to refine diesel, and there are no varying levels of octane grades, so no performance advantage or disadvantage comes from the price or octane rating of the fuel. The cons about diesel is that the exhaust can be much dirtier than gasoline, and since they make less of it, it is usually more expensive than gasoline.
Gasoline- This stuff is how nearly everybody gets around. It's power is harnessed through injecting it into a lower compression ratio, and then ignited with a spark plug. It is much more volatile than diesel, and allows for more power in the realm of speed. The higher the octane grade of the fuel, the better the fuel performs in the engine. This varying in qualities allows for consumer-specific applications, since drag racers running setups with up to 120 octane, don't want normal pump gas, and the everyday driver doesn't need nitromethane to power their cars.
I would say that I am a double fan, it all depends on what the situation call for.
Diesel- The stuff of torque monsters. Diesel is used in motors that rely on much higher compression levels in the cylinders to ignite the fuel, thus creating much higher torsion power. What this allows diesel motors to do is pull much heavier loads more efficiently than gasoline. Diesel is also much more stable than gasoline is when being stored, thus making it easier to transport. Another good thing about it is that it takes less to refine diesel, and there are no varying levels of octane grades, so no performance advantage or disadvantage comes from the price or octane rating of the fuel. The cons about diesel is that the exhaust can be much dirtier than gasoline, and since they make less of it, it is usually more expensive than gasoline.
Gasoline- This stuff is how nearly everybody gets around. It's power is harnessed through injecting it into a lower compression ratio, and then ignited with a spark plug. It is much more volatile than diesel, and allows for more power in the realm of speed. The higher the octane grade of the fuel, the better the fuel performs in the engine. This varying in qualities allows for consumer-specific applications, since drag racers running setups with up to 120 octane, don't want normal pump gas, and the everyday driver doesn't need nitromethane to power their cars.
I would say that I am a double fan, it all depends on what the situation call for.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
The Legend of the Jeep
As the company that helped the Allies win World War II turns 75, I think that it is fitting that we take a look back at the different models throughout the years.
1940's
The obvious big ticket and well known original Jeep was the Willys MB. This was the main troop transport of the U.S. during WWII. With the coming of this vehicle, horses, and motorcycles with sidecars became instantly obsolete, with this new chariot of the GI spearheading every attack in every allied force throughout the world. Other models produced during the 1940's include the CJ-2A, the Willys Wagon and the Willys Overland truck. The last two were some of the first of their kind, as after war efforts and innovation helped move along the U.S. postwar economy and introduced new products to the market.
1950's
With the Korean war came the M38 models. These were found all along the 38th parallel, and they did the job of the earlier WWII jeeps as a light troop transport and the did it extremely well. Quite possibly the craziest fitting presented to the M38 models was possibly the option to mount David Crockett type transportable nuclear weapon launchers onto the jeeps. The M38 was produced for just under 20 years, and the other long term production that emerged in the 50's was the legendary CJ-5. The CJ-5 enjoyed even larger success and was produced for 28 years and was easily the most capable, powerful and comfortable off-roader the entire time it was produced.
1960's
The 1960's saw lots of wagons and trucks emerge, from the wagoneers, to the J-2000, J-3000 and J-4000 models entering production during this time as well. However the most intriguing model produced during the 60's would have to be the Fleetvan. This model was the future ice-cream truck or delivery truck for america at the time, and was definitely an intriguing sight.
1970's
The 1970's saw the emergence of the Cherokee, the CJ-5 evolved, and the pickup trucks also evolved. The Cherokee began as a tall-bodied wagon, as one of the first SUV. It was revered for its offroad capability, combined with its massive person capacity. The Jeep CJ-7 was also introduced in 1976, which is considered by many as the first modern jeep, with a removable hardtop, and a longer wheelbase, this jeep was definitely an offroad monster just like it's older relatives. These cars also packed a much bigger punch, with a V8 under the hood rather than a V6 or inline 6, they had no power problems whatsoever.
1980's
The 1980's saw a huge evolution and growth in the Cherokee and Wagoneer models. More luxury options became available during this time as a main contributor to it's massive popularity. The CJ-5 came back with the Laredo edition, the CJ-7 emerged with more options, and the CJ-8's and -10's came out as specialized vehicles for consumers to choose from. Then in 1987, the game changed with the emergence of the Jeep Wrangler YJ model, the first of the modern jeeps to wear this name,
1990's
The 90's was a quiet, yet productive decade for Jeep. The Wrangler was evolved in 1997 to the TJ configuration (which is the year of my personal Jeep) and the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUV models soared in popularity.
2000's +
The turn of the millennium brought about profound change to all models in the vehicle lineup. The Wrangler Rubicon was introduced in 2003, and the Wrangler Unlimited was introduced in 2004. Both of these new Jeeps offered dramatically improved on-road and off-road performance. More changes to the Cherokee andGrand Cherokee were made, including ta drastic redesign. Many new models emerged including the Liberty, Commander, The new Wrangler JK and Wrangler Unlimited JK (the first 4-door wrangler option), and the Jeep Renegade. With so much innovation and change being brought about, the future of jeep looks incredibly bright.
1940's
The obvious big ticket and well known original Jeep was the Willys MB. This was the main troop transport of the U.S. during WWII. With the coming of this vehicle, horses, and motorcycles with sidecars became instantly obsolete, with this new chariot of the GI spearheading every attack in every allied force throughout the world. Other models produced during the 1940's include the CJ-2A, the Willys Wagon and the Willys Overland truck. The last two were some of the first of their kind, as after war efforts and innovation helped move along the U.S. postwar economy and introduced new products to the market.
1950's
With the Korean war came the M38 models. These were found all along the 38th parallel, and they did the job of the earlier WWII jeeps as a light troop transport and the did it extremely well. Quite possibly the craziest fitting presented to the M38 models was possibly the option to mount David Crockett type transportable nuclear weapon launchers onto the jeeps. The M38 was produced for just under 20 years, and the other long term production that emerged in the 50's was the legendary CJ-5. The CJ-5 enjoyed even larger success and was produced for 28 years and was easily the most capable, powerful and comfortable off-roader the entire time it was produced.
1960's
The 1960's saw lots of wagons and trucks emerge, from the wagoneers, to the J-2000, J-3000 and J-4000 models entering production during this time as well. However the most intriguing model produced during the 60's would have to be the Fleetvan. This model was the future ice-cream truck or delivery truck for america at the time, and was definitely an intriguing sight.
1970's
The 1970's saw the emergence of the Cherokee, the CJ-5 evolved, and the pickup trucks also evolved. The Cherokee began as a tall-bodied wagon, as one of the first SUV. It was revered for its offroad capability, combined with its massive person capacity. The Jeep CJ-7 was also introduced in 1976, which is considered by many as the first modern jeep, with a removable hardtop, and a longer wheelbase, this jeep was definitely an offroad monster just like it's older relatives. These cars also packed a much bigger punch, with a V8 under the hood rather than a V6 or inline 6, they had no power problems whatsoever.
1980's
The 1980's saw a huge evolution and growth in the Cherokee and Wagoneer models. More luxury options became available during this time as a main contributor to it's massive popularity. The CJ-5 came back with the Laredo edition, the CJ-7 emerged with more options, and the CJ-8's and -10's came out as specialized vehicles for consumers to choose from. Then in 1987, the game changed with the emergence of the Jeep Wrangler YJ model, the first of the modern jeeps to wear this name,
1990's
The 90's was a quiet, yet productive decade for Jeep. The Wrangler was evolved in 1997 to the TJ configuration (which is the year of my personal Jeep) and the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUV models soared in popularity.
2000's +
The turn of the millennium brought about profound change to all models in the vehicle lineup. The Wrangler Rubicon was introduced in 2003, and the Wrangler Unlimited was introduced in 2004. Both of these new Jeeps offered dramatically improved on-road and off-road performance. More changes to the Cherokee andGrand Cherokee were made, including ta drastic redesign. Many new models emerged including the Liberty, Commander, The new Wrangler JK and Wrangler Unlimited JK (the first 4-door wrangler option), and the Jeep Renegade. With so much innovation and change being brought about, the future of jeep looks incredibly bright.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Build-a-car workshop?
There is a new car company in the country, and they are taking a whole new spin on the way we purchase and build the cars today. The name of this company is Local Motors and they are here to start a revolution. The design for their first car was selected from a contest of online designers, and the buyers actually build the cars themselves. What this allows for Local Motors to do is to take pre-existing and already certified materials for the drive train like an engine and transmission from a corvette, and put them into their cars and designate them as "kit cars". This loophole drastically cuts the costs of making an entire new car in such a restrictive environment as the automotive industry and the EPA.
Their first car is called the rally fighter, and it is a beauty. It is modeled sightly after a P-51 mustang, from the high, arching cockpit like drivers stadium, to the rounded hood just like the front end of the plane, It also has the power and prowess to match the plane as well. It dominates anything off road, just like the mustang dominated the skies late in WWII. The exhaust exits the Rally Fighter in the same way as the P-51 does, Just in front of the driver along the side of the fuselage or corner panel (whatever you want to call it). Both sport massive engines respectively. The Rally Fighter has a massive V8 from a corvette. The P-51 had a V12, both engines have one thing in common, they both power the rest of the vehicle to the top of their packs of their times.
With a body made entirely out of fiberglass in-house, local motors looks to be settling into the automotive game very well. After your two weekends of building the car with Local Motors, the car is yours and the world is at your disposal. Or so it may seem that way with this much power capable to go so many different places under your right foot.
Their first car is called the rally fighter, and it is a beauty. It is modeled sightly after a P-51 mustang, from the high, arching cockpit like drivers stadium, to the rounded hood just like the front end of the plane, It also has the power and prowess to match the plane as well. It dominates anything off road, just like the mustang dominated the skies late in WWII. The exhaust exits the Rally Fighter in the same way as the P-51 does, Just in front of the driver along the side of the fuselage or corner panel (whatever you want to call it). Both sport massive engines respectively. The Rally Fighter has a massive V8 from a corvette. The P-51 had a V12, both engines have one thing in common, they both power the rest of the vehicle to the top of their packs of their times.
With a body made entirely out of fiberglass in-house, local motors looks to be settling into the automotive game very well. After your two weekends of building the car with Local Motors, the car is yours and the world is at your disposal. Or so it may seem that way with this much power capable to go so many different places under your right foot.
Hot Rods
A special realm of the car world that many see, but few understand is that of hot rodding. The hot rodding community is filled with many different types of people with one main goal in mind. To make the coolest looking, lightest, fastest and loudest car possible from a pre-1960's car body. The formula for a hot rod is simple.
Step 1- Motor.
Like all major realms of the car world, the motor is a major part of the car, and none more so than hot rodding. The car's motor is what the people seeing the car drive by see, and hear first. Since the hoods at that time ran along a hinge along the middle of the hood, the entire hood must be removed in order for the blower to operate at maximum efficiency. A way that the owners improve the aesthetics of the motor and all of its components is to put chrome on every visible part, that way it does not give off a dirty metallic reflection and instead, it gives off a shiny, clean appearance. The motor and it's appearance are crucial to the success of the car to viewers. Along with it having to be very appealing in appearance, but it also had to sound and be powerful. The most common ways to make a good sound from these cars is to run either side pipes on the car, or have the pipes just angle outwards from the cylinder exhaust valve with no muffler. Trust me, these sound freaking amazing. The other key part to a good motor is the power. Almost every hot rod out there has either a blower or supercharger when running off of gasoline. This is for two main reasons. Superchargers on hot rods look like they fit together than anything else in the world, and that superchargers are great for drag racing. Since all hot rods are only good for straight line speed, why not make it be really good at that one thing?
Step 2- Stance
Next to the motor, stance will make or break a hot rod. These monsters have to be able to not only handle the stresses of high horsepower and torque, but to look good and be safe at the same time. That it why all hot rods' stances are lowered considerably, and the bodies are always "chopped". Chopping is when you take a given amount of the window pillars and then put the top of the roof back on. During this process, many drivers also install roll cages in case the unthinkable happens in a race.
Step 3- Paint
What gives these cars the final amount of uniqueness, is the many custom paint jobs available. Options ranging from metal flake neon paint to flames, to lightning, there are literally too many options to list in the time you have to read this blog. The paint job is the ultimate expression of the driver to the world. Many are the driver's way of flipping 99% of the world the bird, telling it to stuff it and go about it's business. This expression is what so uniquely categorizes hot rodders in the car world.
Step 1- Motor.
Like all major realms of the car world, the motor is a major part of the car, and none more so than hot rodding. The car's motor is what the people seeing the car drive by see, and hear first. Since the hoods at that time ran along a hinge along the middle of the hood, the entire hood must be removed in order for the blower to operate at maximum efficiency. A way that the owners improve the aesthetics of the motor and all of its components is to put chrome on every visible part, that way it does not give off a dirty metallic reflection and instead, it gives off a shiny, clean appearance. The motor and it's appearance are crucial to the success of the car to viewers. Along with it having to be very appealing in appearance, but it also had to sound and be powerful. The most common ways to make a good sound from these cars is to run either side pipes on the car, or have the pipes just angle outwards from the cylinder exhaust valve with no muffler. Trust me, these sound freaking amazing. The other key part to a good motor is the power. Almost every hot rod out there has either a blower or supercharger when running off of gasoline. This is for two main reasons. Superchargers on hot rods look like they fit together than anything else in the world, and that superchargers are great for drag racing. Since all hot rods are only good for straight line speed, why not make it be really good at that one thing?
Step 2- Stance
Next to the motor, stance will make or break a hot rod. These monsters have to be able to not only handle the stresses of high horsepower and torque, but to look good and be safe at the same time. That it why all hot rods' stances are lowered considerably, and the bodies are always "chopped". Chopping is when you take a given amount of the window pillars and then put the top of the roof back on. During this process, many drivers also install roll cages in case the unthinkable happens in a race.
Step 3- Paint
What gives these cars the final amount of uniqueness, is the many custom paint jobs available. Options ranging from metal flake neon paint to flames, to lightning, there are literally too many options to list in the time you have to read this blog. The paint job is the ultimate expression of the driver to the world. Many are the driver's way of flipping 99% of the world the bird, telling it to stuff it and go about it's business. This expression is what so uniquely categorizes hot rodders in the car world.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Drifting
With the entire country blanketed in snow, and the roads as slick as an ice rink, teenagers and other people with under-powered cars with overpowered dreams can rejoice. They can drift about on the roads as they please and they can feel like a race car driver with a bajillion horsepower at their disposal. For the few of us that don't have to wait for old man winter to blanket the roads in order to get a little sideways, I have one thing to say to you. Be thankful.
For those who want to get into the world of drifting, here are some ideas for you. For a car, I would recommend that you get something easy and inexpensive to fix, along with is being rear wheel drive. Rear wheel drive and a good handbrake are key. Another good thing to have is a front-engine car, that way the massive weight of the engine helps keep the front end planted to the ground, thus helping the rear tires break loose easier with less weight in the back of the car. Some of the possible cars that you can easily buy that fit this criteria, include the Chevy s10, ford ranger, ford mustang, chevy camaro, nissan 370z, or the mazda miata.
Once you have made your choice of cars, you are going to want to make some modifications to the car in order for it to be a proper drifting car. The steering struts and supports will need to be replaced with longer traveling steering bars to allow for the driver to hold the drift, along with installing a larger motor, or modifying the existing motor. In cars like the mustang, things like a supercharger will add plenty of power to the motor, but in cars like the missan or the mazda, an engine swap is the best course of action. There are tons of motors and transmissions that can be transplanted into these cars due to sheer availability and the massive space in the engine bay offered by these cars. After this has been done, it is time to go begin practicing your art of getting sideways.
For those who want to get into the world of drifting, here are some ideas for you. For a car, I would recommend that you get something easy and inexpensive to fix, along with is being rear wheel drive. Rear wheel drive and a good handbrake are key. Another good thing to have is a front-engine car, that way the massive weight of the engine helps keep the front end planted to the ground, thus helping the rear tires break loose easier with less weight in the back of the car. Some of the possible cars that you can easily buy that fit this criteria, include the Chevy s10, ford ranger, ford mustang, chevy camaro, nissan 370z, or the mazda miata.
Once you have made your choice of cars, you are going to want to make some modifications to the car in order for it to be a proper drifting car. The steering struts and supports will need to be replaced with longer traveling steering bars to allow for the driver to hold the drift, along with installing a larger motor, or modifying the existing motor. In cars like the mustang, things like a supercharger will add plenty of power to the motor, but in cars like the missan or the mazda, an engine swap is the best course of action. There are tons of motors and transmissions that can be transplanted into these cars due to sheer availability and the massive space in the engine bay offered by these cars. After this has been done, it is time to go begin practicing your art of getting sideways.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Mid-life crisis cars
Something that almost everybody goes through at one point in their life is the midlife crisis. This is most commonly spotted by people buying a fast car, or dying their hair a darker color or getting botox. For women, all three are very common, but for men it should definitely stop after the first thing. What a midlife crisis is all about is when someone is trying to relive their glory days when they have realized that the glory days are over for them.
These cars are the representation of the man's past. Fast, exciting and memorable when you hear about it. If there was no budget associated with a midlife crisis car, then here are a few of the best choices and who they are best for.
Lamborghini Huracan- This is for the man who likes the finer things of the world. He appreciates all regions, but his favorite is the Mediterranean. For other Lamborghinis however, like the Aventador, he could just be a retired rapper looking for a new fix.
1959 Ferrari Testarossa- This man owns the color blue. He has more zeroes in his net worth than some American cities. He probably has also been knighted as well, and enjoys the classic artists. This is no plaything for the whimsical reminiscent old man. This is a statement that the money you earned in your glory days is going to be of good use to you for the rest of your life.
2014 Hennessey Venom GT- For the man who wants to be the fastest. Period. This man was most likely one of two things, a fighter jet pilot who went on to win the lottery. The other option is that he is the lead singer of Aerosmth and he is just insane. Either way, this car is as close as you can get to strapping yourself to a rocket and living from the experience.
And for the alternate cheaper versions...
Mazda Miata- A relatively inexpensive roadster, with good performance attributes and a somewhat decent redesign, the only reason this makes the list is because of its combination of performance for the price value.
Ford SVT Raptor- This truck takes the versatility of a normal truck and take the performance factor up a notch while keeping the price tag under $75k, it is a good option for those looking to go off-road racing, and then having to stop by the Home Depot to pick up a new medicine cabinet and some tile for that new bathroom you and the sons are working on.
Any American Muscle Car- For most of these cars, you can find a reasonably priced american classic that you can drive around, have some fun in and still be comfortable passing it onto your kids when the time comes. There are also endless options provided by aftermarket companies to help customize your ride. If you are lucky and get a manual, you wont have to worry about it being stolen either because nobody dumb enough in this generation to steal a fully registered car won't know how to drive it!
These cars are the representation of the man's past. Fast, exciting and memorable when you hear about it. If there was no budget associated with a midlife crisis car, then here are a few of the best choices and who they are best for.
Lamborghini Huracan- This is for the man who likes the finer things of the world. He appreciates all regions, but his favorite is the Mediterranean. For other Lamborghinis however, like the Aventador, he could just be a retired rapper looking for a new fix.
1959 Ferrari Testarossa- This man owns the color blue. He has more zeroes in his net worth than some American cities. He probably has also been knighted as well, and enjoys the classic artists. This is no plaything for the whimsical reminiscent old man. This is a statement that the money you earned in your glory days is going to be of good use to you for the rest of your life.
2014 Hennessey Venom GT- For the man who wants to be the fastest. Period. This man was most likely one of two things, a fighter jet pilot who went on to win the lottery. The other option is that he is the lead singer of Aerosmth and he is just insane. Either way, this car is as close as you can get to strapping yourself to a rocket and living from the experience.
And for the alternate cheaper versions...
Mazda Miata- A relatively inexpensive roadster, with good performance attributes and a somewhat decent redesign, the only reason this makes the list is because of its combination of performance for the price value.
Ford SVT Raptor- This truck takes the versatility of a normal truck and take the performance factor up a notch while keeping the price tag under $75k, it is a good option for those looking to go off-road racing, and then having to stop by the Home Depot to pick up a new medicine cabinet and some tile for that new bathroom you and the sons are working on.
Any American Muscle Car- For most of these cars, you can find a reasonably priced american classic that you can drive around, have some fun in and still be comfortable passing it onto your kids when the time comes. There are also endless options provided by aftermarket companies to help customize your ride. If you are lucky and get a manual, you wont have to worry about it being stolen either because nobody dumb enough in this generation to steal a fully registered car won't know how to drive it!
Pure Driving
If you are an automotive purist like I can be sometimes and all that you want in a car is an engine, a true manual transmission, two seats, a steering wheel and just a touch of traction control, then this car is the perfect fit for you. The Noble M600 is about as pure as it has ever gotten besides having to buy a legitimate race car.
Now, lets take a look at what makes this thing tick. It is powered by a V8 engine from a Volvo XC-90, with a couple turbochargers added as well. The result is a mind boggling 660 horsepower that sends the car to a staggering 225 miles per hour. The other key reason for the success of this car is because of the light weight, it only weighs about 1,200 kilograms due largely in part to the stainless steel frame, which also cuts down on the price quite a bit compared to those cars made out of carbon fiber instead.
I mentioned that this was a true manual transmission, and by that I meant that the car has three pedals, and a stick in the console. If you need more explaining than that, please kindly exit my blog and go do your research before you come back.
Now, lets take a look at what makes this thing tick. It is powered by a V8 engine from a Volvo XC-90, with a couple turbochargers added as well. The result is a mind boggling 660 horsepower that sends the car to a staggering 225 miles per hour. The other key reason for the success of this car is because of the light weight, it only weighs about 1,200 kilograms due largely in part to the stainless steel frame, which also cuts down on the price quite a bit compared to those cars made out of carbon fiber instead.
I mentioned that this was a true manual transmission, and by that I meant that the car has three pedals, and a stick in the console. If you need more explaining than that, please kindly exit my blog and go do your research before you come back.
Best Spring Break Cars
For thousands of college students, spring break represents some of the last times that they can go out, party their a$$es off and not worry about the rest of the world. For those in high school, or those with younger students, spring break represents a time to get away as a family and enjoy each other. What these two groups have in common besides the obvious fact that they have a break, and that is that they want to make it a memorable break. Now, a good way to start down the right path is to have the right car for the job. Whether it be a beach cruising convertible, or a rugged snow resort transporter, the car plays a key role in spring breaks all across the country.
Now, if you want to be the kind of the beach, and are able to rent a car, then the obvious top choice is the very fast yet very comfortable Ford Mustang. This is probably the most preferred option by spring breakers everywhere for good reasons. It is very inexpensive to rent, yet it still can pack the power of a big motor in a fun package. Oh and also it seats five, well technically 4 plus a "fun sized" friend if you have one. This reborn american classic is what the people want, and the rental companies delivered with.
If your idea of fun includes bringing along more than four and a half friends per car, or if you have more luggage than can fit in a mustang trunk, then the ideal spring break car for you is the Chevy Suburban. This massive party wagon can hold up to eight people with tons of room for cargo in the back. What makes it perfect is the fact that it embodies what spring break is perfectly: Big, loud, can sometimes smell funny, and after the party is over you might not have any money left ( Beware: filling this beast up will cost you a lot of dinero).
When you are wanting to rent something a little more exotic however, to really show off, then you can always rent a super car of your choice. Ranging from Lamborghini Superlegerras, to Aston Martin Vantages, these are the real deal. Just remember that these cars can cost well up to 3,000 dollars to rent for a weekend, and in some cases, even more than that.
Party safe, drink responsibly, but please, have some fun with it.
Now, if you want to be the kind of the beach, and are able to rent a car, then the obvious top choice is the very fast yet very comfortable Ford Mustang. This is probably the most preferred option by spring breakers everywhere for good reasons. It is very inexpensive to rent, yet it still can pack the power of a big motor in a fun package. Oh and also it seats five, well technically 4 plus a "fun sized" friend if you have one. This reborn american classic is what the people want, and the rental companies delivered with.
If your idea of fun includes bringing along more than four and a half friends per car, or if you have more luggage than can fit in a mustang trunk, then the ideal spring break car for you is the Chevy Suburban. This massive party wagon can hold up to eight people with tons of room for cargo in the back. What makes it perfect is the fact that it embodies what spring break is perfectly: Big, loud, can sometimes smell funny, and after the party is over you might not have any money left ( Beware: filling this beast up will cost you a lot of dinero).
When you are wanting to rent something a little more exotic however, to really show off, then you can always rent a super car of your choice. Ranging from Lamborghini Superlegerras, to Aston Martin Vantages, these are the real deal. Just remember that these cars can cost well up to 3,000 dollars to rent for a weekend, and in some cases, even more than that.
Party safe, drink responsibly, but please, have some fun with it.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Youtube driving stars
Now, if you are a car fan and have seen any forms of driving videos, chances are that at least one of those has been by either Bj Baldwin or Ken Block. These are two off road racing drivers by trade, but in their free time they compete on the internet for the best videos out there. Bj can be found tearing up Mexico and the streets of California when he is not out winning world championships in his Baja Trophy Truck. Ken on the other hand has taken his rally car and made six videos of him tearing up different cities and making absolutely incredible feats of driving in his race cars. He then found a way to up the ante even more and build a car specifically for the Gymkhana 7 video. It is a 1965 ford mustang with the same drive train in it as his rally cars, but with a massive V8 engine under the hood instead.
What this allows these drivers to besides get an insane number of you tube views, but it also showcases the sport and gives the drivers something to hone their skills at. I mean, what else are you going to use to validate to the police as to why they should close off entire highway sections for the filming of the videos. Well and also to avoid the fact that people could get in the way and... squash... no more videos.
These men are pioneers in a new and growing world that had begun to flourish with the emergence of more durable cameras like the Go Pro. In the 7th installment of Gymkhana, there is no shot or camera angle that is the same, as the car is littered with dozens of these cameras. Another thing that helps get some of the amazing camera angles that they achieve it by helicopter. There is just something about the overhead views that can make or break an otherwise pretty good video. This is why these videos and shows like top gear are so successful. They are able to capture the big picture.
I hope that you go find these and enjoy them and for those of you who think that americans cant drift, here is you proof that we can.
What this allows these drivers to besides get an insane number of you tube views, but it also showcases the sport and gives the drivers something to hone their skills at. I mean, what else are you going to use to validate to the police as to why they should close off entire highway sections for the filming of the videos. Well and also to avoid the fact that people could get in the way and... squash... no more videos.
These men are pioneers in a new and growing world that had begun to flourish with the emergence of more durable cameras like the Go Pro. In the 7th installment of Gymkhana, there is no shot or camera angle that is the same, as the car is littered with dozens of these cameras. Another thing that helps get some of the amazing camera angles that they achieve it by helicopter. There is just something about the overhead views that can make or break an otherwise pretty good video. This is why these videos and shows like top gear are so successful. They are able to capture the big picture.
I hope that you go find these and enjoy them and for those of you who think that americans cant drift, here is you proof that we can.
Distracted Driving
I was on a bus ride hone yesterday after a school competition and a couple of the other guys and I were playing the game "never have I ever", and one of the questions that came up was "Never have I ever been in a car accident". The weird thing was that apart from the person asking the question, three out of the nine people had not been in some kind of car accident after only driving for three years at the most. Now, most people would say that it is just because of us not having enough experience behind the wheel, but i think that there is another reason for this statistic as well. That cause is cell phones. With teen drivers and all drivers for that matter becoming more and more connected and dependent upon out cell phones, they have caused us to lose priority of what is really important at that moment. Whether it is getting on your phone while studying or at a social event, or looking at a text while driving, we are all too connected.
We have this need or desire for instant gratification of knowing what was said exactly in the moment when it will still be there when you get done driving. If you really need to talk to someone while you or they are driving, just connect your phone to your car's Bluetooth call or your own earpiece, but don't be that guy who on his way into work checks a text on his phone and ends up clogging the entire freeway into the city because you plowed into the side of a semi that was changing lanes and you were camped out in his blind spot but didn't know it because you were texting.
Don't be that guy. Put the phone down and drive.
We have this need or desire for instant gratification of knowing what was said exactly in the moment when it will still be there when you get done driving. If you really need to talk to someone while you or they are driving, just connect your phone to your car's Bluetooth call or your own earpiece, but don't be that guy who on his way into work checks a text on his phone and ends up clogging the entire freeway into the city because you plowed into the side of a semi that was changing lanes and you were camped out in his blind spot but didn't know it because you were texting.
Don't be that guy. Put the phone down and drive.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Crazy cars
We all have that one friend that wants to make everything go as fast as it can. We all love this friend, but sometimes his obsession with making things that maybe shouldn't go fast, really fast can get a little scary. Remember that time he built a drag racing school bus that did wheelies and ran a 13 second quarter mile? Yeah we do too. He is also the same guy that somehow crammed a massive 574 Chevy big block into a car that weighs just over 2000 pounds. Yeah, talk about power to weight ratios. This is the friend that we all want to look at their cars, but are a little less than enthusiastic about letting him drive you around town.
How might you be able to know who this guy is out on the road? Well, here are some telltale signs of a monster power addict. When you meet him, if he looks like he graduated from Stanford or MIT or somewhere like that, but also at the same time has a somewhat crazy look to him in his eyes, then this is your guy. If you happen to see him in a parking lot, you can tell that his car is his by the massive hood cutout with a blower sticking out of the top of it. If he is driving around, he will usually be in the front for obvious reasons (being he is the fastest guy in the group) and nobody wants to be in front of the guy with the lead foot.
Why do we like this guy? We like this guy because he gives all the rest of us slower guys something to look up to for our own projects and that is pretty sweet. We all want something that we can aspire to and that is what this guy can provide. The other fun thing that this guy can bring to the table is that insane amount of speed and awesomeness to the "crew". He is usually a pretty awesome griller too.
How might you be able to know who this guy is out on the road? Well, here are some telltale signs of a monster power addict. When you meet him, if he looks like he graduated from Stanford or MIT or somewhere like that, but also at the same time has a somewhat crazy look to him in his eyes, then this is your guy. If you happen to see him in a parking lot, you can tell that his car is his by the massive hood cutout with a blower sticking out of the top of it. If he is driving around, he will usually be in the front for obvious reasons (being he is the fastest guy in the group) and nobody wants to be in front of the guy with the lead foot.
Why do we like this guy? We like this guy because he gives all the rest of us slower guys something to look up to for our own projects and that is pretty sweet. We all want something that we can aspire to and that is what this guy can provide. The other fun thing that this guy can bring to the table is that insane amount of speed and awesomeness to the "crew". He is usually a pretty awesome griller too.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Biggest baddest banned car
Now, there is a certain car that is sought after by all fans of the Fast and Furious movies. That car is the Nissan GTR-R34 Skyline. I even have a friend who is willing to move to Germany to be able to own one of these cars. But there is good news for him and all of my other Skyline enthusiasts out there. Once these cars become over 25 years old they could possibly be brought into the country, thus bypassing the reason that they weren't allowed into the country when they were new. That reason had nothing to do with power numbers at all, they simply didn't pass emissions testing and were too expensive to be maid compliant without drastically ramping up the price of the car. This loophole states that cars over 25 years old that are imported into the country do not have to comply to these emission standards due to the age of the car. However, if this loophole is closed, there is still one more option. Buying a small house in Canada, establishing residence there, registering it up in Canada, and then driving down into the U.S. with it. (But if you try this you didn't hear it from me.)
Domestic vs. Imports
Now, one of the most common and controversial topics that there is to discuss in the whole car world is who makes the best cars? Well I don't want to start an online war so i am going to take a little different spin on the subject. Instead of trying to crown an overall best car in the world. I am going to highlight what countries or regions are the best in a certain field.
Straight line performance
Now, what I mean when i say straight line performance is who makes the best vehicle to get down a drag strip the fastest without turning a steering wheel at all. The obvious choice would have to be the U.S. on this one. There are thousands of purpose built cars all across the country designed for just drag racing. The kings of these straight line monsters are the top-fuel dragsters, which as i highlighted in an earlier blog can reach speeds of over 330 miles per hour in less than 1000 feet. No other vehicle on the planet besides those powered by rockets or military jets being launched off of an aircraft carrier ever put the driver through the 5+ g's of acceleration that these dragsters can unleash upon the driver. They are the undisputed kings of this realm.
Pro-stock road course racing
The easiest choice for this category of taking super cars made for the elites and can be found driving of the roads belongs to Koenigsegg from . With the production of their new One:1 car, they have created the most powerful pound for pound car in the world. With one horsepower for every kilogram that it weighs (a feat once though to be impossible not too long ago) they have created the first car with a 1:1 power to weight ratio. With this coupled with some of the most advanced and innovative racing designs ever, the One:1 simply outruns everything else out there.
Burnouts
Quite possibly my favorite part about cars is watching a good burnout. Although the new Dodge Hellcats present a strong case for the kings of burnouts, the crown must go to not a single car, but to a whole region. That region in Australia. These crazy bastards love their burnouts. They will take cars that weigh about as much as a smart car, put a motor that costs more than a new Corolla into it, and do burnouts in front of massive crowds. If you need any further convincing as to why they deserve the crown, check this out. I promise that you wont be disappointed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMkpizqclnY
Luxury performance cars
This was a little harder to find the best at first. But then I realized that I wasn't even thinking in the right ballpark. The choice became clear. My choice is the Rolls Royce Phantom extended wheelbase edition. Starting at a cool $420,000, it is the epitome of luxury and craftsmanship. All these cars are still 100% handmade and have no rivals for top dog in the luxury world. These timeless classics are what all aspiring moguls dream of owning but few ever do.
Trucks
There is no competition for the king of the world of trucks. This company has outsold all competitors with the same product for over 39 years in a row. If you have seen any of the commercials, you know that i am talking about the Ford F-series. The combinations of plentiful options, fresh designing, new innovations, ruggedness and versatility are what has given this company the stranglehold on the market for so long.
Non-stock racing cars
These vehicles include anything found only on the racetracks all across the world, wit the key difference between this category and the other track category is that these cars are not street legal. Throughout all of the different classes and racing circuits, there is one clear superior class of race cars. That class is Formula One. With the top dogs of the Formula One teams being Ferrari. With more that 2 times the number of world titles as compared to the next best team, and well over 530 race podium appearances to their name, the are easily the best throughout time.
Straight line performance
Now, what I mean when i say straight line performance is who makes the best vehicle to get down a drag strip the fastest without turning a steering wheel at all. The obvious choice would have to be the U.S. on this one. There are thousands of purpose built cars all across the country designed for just drag racing. The kings of these straight line monsters are the top-fuel dragsters, which as i highlighted in an earlier blog can reach speeds of over 330 miles per hour in less than 1000 feet. No other vehicle on the planet besides those powered by rockets or military jets being launched off of an aircraft carrier ever put the driver through the 5+ g's of acceleration that these dragsters can unleash upon the driver. They are the undisputed kings of this realm.
Pro-stock road course racing
The easiest choice for this category of taking super cars made for the elites and can be found driving of the roads belongs to Koenigsegg from . With the production of their new One:1 car, they have created the most powerful pound for pound car in the world. With one horsepower for every kilogram that it weighs (a feat once though to be impossible not too long ago) they have created the first car with a 1:1 power to weight ratio. With this coupled with some of the most advanced and innovative racing designs ever, the One:1 simply outruns everything else out there.
Burnouts
Quite possibly my favorite part about cars is watching a good burnout. Although the new Dodge Hellcats present a strong case for the kings of burnouts, the crown must go to not a single car, but to a whole region. That region in Australia. These crazy bastards love their burnouts. They will take cars that weigh about as much as a smart car, put a motor that costs more than a new Corolla into it, and do burnouts in front of massive crowds. If you need any further convincing as to why they deserve the crown, check this out. I promise that you wont be disappointed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMkpizqclnY
Luxury performance cars
This was a little harder to find the best at first. But then I realized that I wasn't even thinking in the right ballpark. The choice became clear. My choice is the Rolls Royce Phantom extended wheelbase edition. Starting at a cool $420,000, it is the epitome of luxury and craftsmanship. All these cars are still 100% handmade and have no rivals for top dog in the luxury world. These timeless classics are what all aspiring moguls dream of owning but few ever do.
Trucks
There is no competition for the king of the world of trucks. This company has outsold all competitors with the same product for over 39 years in a row. If you have seen any of the commercials, you know that i am talking about the Ford F-series. The combinations of plentiful options, fresh designing, new innovations, ruggedness and versatility are what has given this company the stranglehold on the market for so long.
Non-stock racing cars
These vehicles include anything found only on the racetracks all across the world, wit the key difference between this category and the other track category is that these cars are not street legal. Throughout all of the different classes and racing circuits, there is one clear superior class of race cars. That class is Formula One. With the top dogs of the Formula One teams being Ferrari. With more that 2 times the number of world titles as compared to the next best team, and well over 530 race podium appearances to their name, the are easily the best throughout time.
Carbon fiber
Hey all, it is good to be back after a little break in the blogs. Today i want to talk about something that almost all gear heads have at least heard of and if you haven't bu now, then i think that you have been living under a rock my friend. This thing is a new revolutionary material called carbon fiber and it has been taking the automotive world by storm.
Carbon fiber begins it's existence as a strand of carbon string 1/10th the size of a human hair. These strands are first weaved into a very intricate pattern, coated with a resin and then formed into a mold, heated and then when the resin has set, the material formed is insanely strong and also incredibly light. These properties have a very high demand in the anorexic world of race cars and super cars where a material this light and 5 times stronger than steel is now found wherever it can replace heavier panels. For example, the entire passenger tub of the Ferrari La Ferrari is made of this stuff. Also, cars like the Mustang GT350R have begun to mass produce wheels made of almost entirely carbon fiber.
There are also more than just automotive applications for this miracle material, and many people have seen visions on what they could make out of this stuff. Everything from entire mountain bike frames to the smallest bottle opener is now found to have a carbon fiber variant somewhere on the market. However, there is a catch like there always is. The catch is that this stuff is damn expensive to produce and if you screw up on one single part of the mold, then the whole product is ruined. There are many reasons as to why carbon fiber is so expensive. (The low-grade stuff can be found for about $10 a pound if you look carefully enough). These reasons begin at production, given that it is an oil-based material you know how that can add to the price tag really quick. After the strands are made, the weaving process begins and this is where precision is critical. If there is one section of the weave that is a different length or tension than the rest than the entire structure is compromised.
There are efforts being made to increase the efficiency of production and to bring down the price of this amazing material, but there is still a long way to go before carbon fiber is totally available to the masses for a reasonable price and quality.
There are efforts being made to increase the efficiency of production and to bring down the price of this amazing material, but there is still a long way to go before carbon fiber is totally available to the masses for a reasonable price and quality.
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