Alright folks! For those that do not know, I get very bored. Hence, I created The Checkered Flag back in (2008?) to try podcasting. Then it became a blog. Then I got a little tired of podcasting, and now focusing more on the blog: www.tcfpodcast.wordpress.com
I will, in this section, be covering the 2012 New York International Auto Show and also on my blog. Keep tuned here and make sure to follow @TCFpodcast on...
From the dawn of automobiles in the early 1900's, to the 2010's and on, automakers have came and gone. The ones who have stayed were the ones who have adapted to the market and consumer demands. However, with the technology-driven world we live in today, is it a bit too much? Some like the bare-bones basic, like Koenigsegg. They offer nothing but an engine and wheels. Then you have the Godzilla, the Nissan GT-R SpecV or their 370Z.
Now, it's not fair to pick on Nissan, so let's also mention Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Porsche. New car technology like park-assist, hands-free bluetooth,...
In this day and age, most people do not know a lot about cars. There are different levels of knowledge, and different ways to obtain that knowledge. In this article, find out how to learn about cars and the best ways to learn about them.I base car knowledge on 5 different levels:
Level 1: No knowledge whatsoever. This person does not know even how to do basic car maintenance, change a tire, or jump a car. This person may have not been taught or learned much about cars, or is very wealthy and does not need to know, he/she pays someone who does.
Mercedes-Benz has some very fancy cars, but one rarely notices its performance. Most don’t buy Mercedes-Benz for performance, they buy for luxury. However, thanks to Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach (AMG), Mercedes-Benz now has some performance up their sleeve. First off, this review marks the new style of review.
Acceleration: 0-60 (MPH) in 4.5 seconds is pretty darn good. You have to remember that this Benz is also sporting a drop-top, which adds a good amount of weight.
Fuel Economy: Rated at 11/18 MPG City/Highway, that is a best-case scenario, maybe if grandma is driving....
Audi is known for it’s engineering and luxury, and thanks to the S and RS-line of cars, it is also known for performance. The all-new 2011 Audi S5 comes in a standard coupe, or you can drop the top with the Cabriolet. However, Audi specifically lays out that they will not be offering hard-top convertibles any time soon.
Audi Interior is so-so. Some good, some bad. Interior: Audi hasn’t always had the best interior in my case. The colors are there, but so is the plastic. However, you do get hand-stitched leather, wrapped around...
Just a Honda with a facelift? I don't think so! The new Acura RL is something to be admired. Asian car manufacturers are really stepping it up when it comes to performance and luxury (excluding the Prius!). What makes this car so great besides the chrome?
This is definitely not from Honda! Interior: The Acura TL comes with a very lush and vibrant interior. I am still surprised. Most Asian cars never had this kind of workmanship or quality. The gauges are very easy to read. The buttons are a bit clustered, and some of them are a bit tiny.
NEW BOISE STATE STUDENT CLUB ‘GREENSPEED’ AIMS TO BUILD AND RACE WORLD’S FASTEST VEGETABLE OIL-POWERED VEHICLE
Boise State University is home to more than 200 student clubs, but never has there been one quite like Greenspeed. Fueled by the intrepid vision of six students and two recent graduates in the College of Engineering, its purpose is to design, build and race the world’s fastest vegetable oil-powered vehicle at Utah’s famed Bonneville Salt Flats during Speed Week 2011.
Founder Dave Schenker is a mechanical engineering student...
Of course, most teens tend to get into accidents more than adults. However, really anyone should read this article to find out what to do and what not to do.
Waiting for a teen driver to return home safely probably causes the most anxiety and lost sleep for parents. And with good reason – car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers, accounting for 35 percent of all fatalities among young people 15 to 20 years old, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
While statistically teen deaths related to motor vehicle crashes have declined...
Man! Cadillacs really aren’t my thing, but after see this bad boy, who can say no to a face like this!
Cadillacs are known for luxury, especially in the United States, where it is the main luxury car brand. However, I have always pictured them to be large, boxy, and clunky, which it still is. However, Cadillac does it in style, and lots of it! Opt to empty your wallet past the CTS, and you get the luxury and performance (wait, this car is from GM?!) that you know as the CTS-V.
No way this is from GM! Interior: This car’s interior is just the best I have ever...
Well, my vacation in Florida was pretty cool (not temperature wise though!), but one part really sucked: the rental car. Someone in my family chose the Chevy Cobalt LT from an undisclosed rental company after they were out of manual Chevy Corvettes. This car has got to be the biggest pile of trash I have ever seen or driven in my life. I cannot begin to mention all of the things I do not like about the car.
Only 2 things I do like: Trunk space and gauges. The car does have a nice trunk size compared to the rest of the car. Also, the gauges do look nice. But the niceness stops there....
Hybrids: When you hear that word, you think of slow, ugly cars like the Toyota Prius. However, this is not always the case. Manufacturers like Fisker and Porsche are really taking a giant leap forward with a luxury-exotic sports car that is a hybrid. Other manufacturers are getting great MPG’s from gas alone, like the new Morgan Eva GT. But how?Well, let’s look at the Prius.
Why would anyone want one? It is has no performance at all, looks ugly, and isn’t exclusive. You look at the Fisker Karma, and you see Maserati-type styling and superior performance to high-end cars, along...
America’s Iconic Supercar, but with a steering wheel from the Cobalt. Nice!
When you buy a car like this, you are proud to know that it has that 26th letter of the alphabet on it, Z. Accompanying it are it’s two friends, the 0, and the 6. This makes it the 2011 Chevy Corvette Zo6. This car is not for those who want plush interiors, but for those who wish to have the budget supercar.
Ehhh, I have seen better. Interior: Not exactly known for its interior, the Z06 lives up to its expectations: none. Sure, you can customize it however you like, but the stock...
When you sit in this car, you are sitting in a beefed-up and more pricey version of the Mustang V8 GT. Is there a big difference? YES! Not only from the power, but SVT really makes it easy to notice that you “ponied” up at least $46,000 for this machine. The hoodscoop is functional, the rear-wing looks like a park-bench compared to the GT, and you have to notice the new ponies in the stable up front. (I had to compare it like that, the name is MUSTANG!)
Interior: The GT500 has a very similar interior to the GT. Same features like SYNC, MyColor,...
Sure, the new Bugatti Super Sport is a thing of beauty, with its W-16 engine (two v-8 engines side-by-side), quadruple turbochargers, and new aero kit. You also pay for those features. The base price is $1.3 million, with the Super Sport, you can add $800K to that. However, you have to think about its competitors, mainly the Shelby Super Cars (SSC) Ultimate Aero.
This car is truly worth the hype. The Bugatti needs a W-16 engine with quad turbos. This car only has a supercharged V8, and costs around $800,000. It is lightweight, and was the champ for a while before the Super Sport came...
Interior: Even though this is my favorite car of the Chevy, Dodge and Ford cars, it still is the best, especially with interior. You can actually change the interior colors when buying the car, and by default it matches the exterior color.
Materials other than black plastic! Nice touch! The stitching of the seats also matches the racing stripe you have, although it can be changed. MyColor is also very nice in this car. It has the option to change the color of the dash lights, along with some lighting effects below...
Dodge Challenger: Big and bulky. However, that Hemi V8 sure doesn't disappoint.
Interior: Possibly the most bland interior around. All-black plastic.
Black and bland. Really nice job for a company wanting more money! The gauges are very easy to read, which I have to give it that. The buttons and their layout are better than the Camaro, but not by much. Although most people want performance, and real men don't care about interiors.
The visibility is much better than the Camaro. You can actually see out of the rear window. However, the love stops there....
Green and speed. Not likely for those two to go together. Greenspeed is a student organization located in Boise State University. These guys (and gals?) are building and racing a vegetable-powered truck at the Bonneville Flats. Hyrbrids? Who needs them when you have dedicated people working like them. Straight from their website, here is what they are about:
“The student club Greenspeed from Boise State University was formed by Dave Schenker. He spent two years finding the right people up for the job of getting the club off the ground. The idea was brought up in countless conversations...
Camaro: You hear that word, and you think of a half-decade of performance. This Camaro is no different.
Interior: Plastic,……..plastic, and wait, did I mention PLASTIC?! I would like to see some sort of other material, maybe some metals. The steering wheel is somewhat comfortable. The dashboard gauge cluster is very nice, but only the speedometer and tachometer are really looked at. The rest of the gauges can be found in the lower center console. That is another horrible part of the interior, the center gauges. They are very hard to read, especially in direct sunlight.
Tire Pressure: Tire pressure is measured in PSI, or pounds/ square inch. The higher the temperature, the greater the PSI will be for the wheel. If you put your wheel on 30 PSI, and then do some drifting or burnouts, you will notice that the PSI is now higher, since the wheels heated up. You always should adjust you PSI settings lower than what you want, so when you are racing, it will reach your goal PSI. Grip and handling are also affected by PSI.
Gearbox: The gearbox is the most customizable part of your car. It has a Final Drive, along with each gear ratio. The Final Drive controls...
Windows vs. A/C - Common question: On a hot day, should I roll down my windows or put on my A/C? Most will say put down your windows, as the A/C takes gas to work. However, when you open your windows, you lose more gas due to drag added to the car. Convertibles also have this problem. So, keep up the windows and blast the A/C.
Roof Racks - For those with bike racks or other racks on top of their car, when not using them, take them off. This adds a lot of drag and weight, which is not needed.
Turbocharger vs. Supercharger. Which is better? It all depends on your driving style, or for me, the track and car.
Turbos work better with exotics. Turbos really help exotics get better acceleration, but mainly, better top end power. Superchargers really pack a punch, especially with muscle cars, but aren't made for top speed. They work well on the strip, or shorter tracks where acceleration is key. The bigger the supercharger, the more power it takes and gives. Twin-Screw pulleys have enormous output, sometimes too much. Centerfugials work well in lower rpm torque, and give off a more...
Gasoline engines CAN get better MPG. It is small. It has an under-performing gasoline and electric engine. Sub-standard technology for 2010-2011. Limited options and features. Goes off cliffs and had a mind of its own.
Why I like it: The Other guys drive it.
Prius: This tech is so old by now, you would think Toyota could produce something actually worth taking money and putting it in their cookie jar. I don’t understand why they are still using the same platform when you have other companies like Fisker experimenting and producing high-performance...
Hybrids: When you hear that word, you think of slow, ugly cars like the Toyota Prius. However, this is not always the case. Manufacturers like Fisker and Porsche are really taking a giant leap forward with a luxury-exotic sports car that is a hybrid. Other manufacturers are getting great MPG's from gas alone, like the new Morgan Eva GT. But how?Well, let's look at the Prius.
Why would anyone want one?
It is has no performance at all, looks ugly, and isn't exclusive. You look at the Fisker Karma, and you see Maserati-type styling and superior performance to high-end...
Prius: Why it sucks:Gasoline engines CAN get better MPGIt is smallIt has an under-performing gasoline and electric engine. Sub-standard technology for 2010-2011.Limited options and featuresGoes off cliffs and had a mind of its own. Why I like it: The Other guys drive it. Prius: This tech is so old by now, you would think Toyota could produce something actually worth taking money and putting it in their cookie jar. I don't understand why they are still using the same platform when you have other companies like Fisker experimenting and producing high-performance and...
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